In my denomination, every five years delegates from around the world attend and do business at what is called the General Conference Session of Seventh-day Adventists. The most recent one just ended a week ago in Atlanta. Events, votes, and sermons at the session created an uneasiness in me. It seems like leadership, and many of the members attending the meetings in Atlanta, are interested in turning Christianity, and especially the Seventh-day Adventist branch of Christianity, into a boxed-in way of thinking and living where all “true believers” see eye-to-eye on everything, and those who don’t should find some other group where they can be accepted. This thinking is scary to me.
Reflecting on this reminded me of a story told by Mike Yaconnelli. He asked some friends to have their two-year-old daughter color him a picture. When she presented him her work it was horrible. She’d only used the red crayon. It was just some color marks all across the page with no reference or attempt to work within the lines of the picture. He lied and told her it was wonderful. Why? Because the grace of a child knows it is okay to color outside the lines.
I want to be part of the Christian movement where people color outside the lines – to be part of the kingdom that Jesus talked about when he said his yoke was easy and his burden light. I believe a faith worth protecting is one that lifts up the believer and is like wind in the sails.
Christianity (and I hope Seventh-day Adventism, too) is not about learning how to live within the lines, to color within the lines, but simply about the joy of coloring. And like a good dad presented with a picture colored outside the lines, our Father finds joy in our presentation and our use of color and the fact that we wanted him to have our picture. Christianity is about the joy of coloring because our God is Love, Light, and Grace.
Maybe in five years at the next session we’ll get to hear about some of this!
Andy McDonald
Andy McDonald for president!
ReplyDeleteYou're paid to color inside the lines
ReplyDeleteMartin Luther, Abraham, Paul, John Huss, Ellen White, Charles Wesley, David, Peter, Augustine.
ReplyDeleteA few of those who colored outside the lines.
Sorry Andy but it seems your education is too well founded in G.I JOE PSA's and/or Les Brown thinking...
ReplyDeleteColoring inside the lines represents a certain reverance for tradition, orthodoxy, or prejudice. However, please note that the history of ideas shows that not until the Enlightenment does the concept of prejudice acquire the negative connotation familiar today. Actually "prejudice" simply means a judgment that is rendered before all the elements that determine a situation have been finally examined. Thus prejudice certainly does not necessarily mean a false judgment, but part of the idea is that it can have either a positve or negative value.
Now the only thing that gives a judgment dignity is its having a basis, a methodological justification (and not the fact that it may actually be correct)! During the enlightenment the absence of such a basis does not mean that there might be other kinds of certainty, but rather that the judgment has no foundation in the things themselves - i.e. that it is "unfounded." This conclusion follows only in the spirit of rationalism. It is the reason for discrediting prejudices and the reason scientific knoledge claims to exclude them completely.
Nevertheless there is one prejudice which defines the Enlightment's essense: the fundamental prejudice of the Enlightenment is the preduice against preduice itself...which denies tradition is rightful power.
We must be viligint not to fall to the same rational snares.
We must be viligent not to worship the beast. i.e put any stock in conteporary prejudices such as the good of coloring outside the lines. "Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law." - James 2: 8-9
Also from James 2 - "Wasn't our ancestor Abraham "made right with God by works" when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn't it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are "works of faith"? The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend." Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?"
ReplyDeleteThat was just a little later in James 2. The interesting part here is that James is talking about Abraham's final test, where he was intent on following and acting on his faith in God, not on his allegiance to a set code of laws or to a particular tradition. Pretty far outside the box as far as I'm concerned.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteUh, I think you might be reading a bit too much into what Andy is suggesting. No where does he champion Enlightenment rationalism/individualism, or call for tradition and orthodoxy to be done away with. The way I read the post, he's claiming that there is room for diversity of thought and expression in the the church.
Besides the philosopher you quote from, Hans Gadamer, spoke of a living tradition, one that we acknowledge and are in constant dialogue with. He did not advocate a stagnant conformism to tradition, or uniformity in one.
John,
ReplyDeleteI attended General Conference as well, and I heard our World Church affirming some basic Adventist beliefs, such as, the soon return of Jesus, World Mission, 7 literal days of Creation, cultural diversity, and not supporting the principles of the emerging church movement. I never heard ,either stated or implied, that if you did not agree you were not welcomed.
The people you listed had to leave their box because of strong doctrinal differences. Does Andy have a doctrinal difference with the SDA beliefs, or is he undermining my church with the subtle implication that if you are in the box you cannot be like God...?
Zane, John, Tami, & Anonymous commenters - thank you for weighing in on this topic. It's a complex issue, and one that I'm really glad we're discussing.
ReplyDeleteTami C.
To All Responders,
ReplyDeleteZane read my post well, I do want our Seventh-day Adventist Church to continue it's long and healthy heritage that allows froom for diversity of thought and expression (coloring outside the lines metaphor)without such being considered disloyal or undermining. It is true, there was the affirmation of some "basic Adventist beliefs, such as, the soon return of Jesus, World Mission, 7 literal days of Creation, cultural diversity," and also a call to hold leadership accountable. Hopefully this would include the speaker. It is not necessary to disavow what was affirmed to wish for leadership to lead in calling for more evidence in the church of the "mark" of a Christian: Jesus said the world would recognize His followers by the love they have for one another.
Tami,
ReplyDeleteIt appears that Andy may have raised a lighting rod in a thunderstorm. Often we hear words presented by another and read into them our own prejudices. I know that I can be guilty of using another's words as a foil and it appears evident to me that others may have a similar propensity.
So After reading the responses to Andy's blog I realized that I should reread his blog in an attempt to hear his intent.
You asked the question "Does Andy have a doctrinal difference with the SDA beliefs, or is he undermining my church...?" I'm realizing more and more fully that it would be inappropriate and foolish for me to answer that question or to try to speak in any way for Andy; He's exceptionally gifted at speaking for himself. So I will speak only for myself.
• I believe that I am saved by Christ and Christ alone as an act of his unmerited grace.
• I believe that to add any of my own efforts to my salvation is to remove Christ from my salvation.
I further believe:
• That anyone who clings to Christ alone for their salvation is a part of the universal church that has Christ as its head and is therefore my brother and sister.
• I believe that Christ wants me to link arms in unity with all those that surrender to him as Savior.
When I joined the Florida Hospital Church I was clear that these basic beliefs were in harmony with the tenants taught by this church. I believe these tenants have been, and are still, held and taught by many within the Seventh-day Adventist denomination and many outside the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, they are my brothers and sisters.
So, having said all that this is what I got from my rereading of Andy’s blog: I think he is describing a freedom and acceptance that he has found in his relationship with Christ, and he’d like us to experience that same joy.
John M
Andy...what was said that indicated the leadership did not support living a life of love (joy of coloring).
ReplyDeleteIt is ok to color out side the box but God still gave us the 10 commandments.
ReplyDelete