Finley, I am.

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Unfruitful Theological Eggheads

[…] you do have a lot of, even Reformed churches, that produce cultures of unfruitful theological eggheads because they know a lot of theological data but they don’t know what to do with it. […] We should be practitioners. You don’t actually know something until you know how to obey it in your life.

The King’s Hall: Theological Maximalism, Legacy-Minded Cultural Maximalism, & Reformed Catholicity on Apple Podcasts

I have spent over 8 hours this week listening to The King’s Hall podcast. Good, applicable stuff, deep theology and inspiration as a man that is sick of emotionalism and lightweight, fundamental-only theology in and out of the church. Looking to build a legacy and marshal forward the Kingdom through my kids and in my community.

I know that the blog has been a bit light this week. Got a heartache and doing a soft reboot. Tempering and sharpening my sword.

Words on Charlottesville

I have remained silent for the last week on the matters in Charlottesville. This was a choice, not a lack of concern, a lack of thoughts, or a mistake. I broke that silence last night. I have words. This is for the Christians. Not that this is not relevant for everyone, but this is for the Christians.

Church.

We need to condemn racist language, thoughts, and actions with the strongest words within our walls. Within the Blood, we cannot allow these ideologies. Not white power. Not black power. Not any race above any other. Let me make this clear. This is not welcome in the Church. It is heresy. Elders, this is your job. Come alongside those that speak or think these ideologies and correct them. Church discipline is needed here.

We are all of the bloodline of Adam. Every one of us. We are all of the bloodline of Noah. Every single one. Jesus died to cover the sins of the bloodline of Noah and Adam. That includes everyone. Racism has no place in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. None.

Brothers and Sisters.

The world is not covered in the Blood. Your enemy may not know Jesus. But you do. When you were yet a sinner, Jesus came and died for you. You were worse than a filthy rag. You were the worst of the worst. Jesus had no reasonable reason to love you, yet he did. That is what we are called to, brothers and sisters. Love. Love without rhyme or reason.

In the last week I have seen many of you advocating for violence against both sides. I get it. Antifa has done horrible, violent things. The alt-right has done the same. Vengeance is not yours, though. Let the law punish those that break it. No matter if you advocate for violence against those that commit violence or those that offend with words, you are wrong. You are. You are no better than the fascists and the communists last weekend.

Except you should know better.

Here is my advice. The only thing that can eradicate this present darkness is the Light. So let it come out into the light. This is an extreme minority. It serves no threat. So let them speak. Evil has a way of looking uglier when light is shined on it. But love the people. We are called to love the oppressed. Both of these groups feel oppressed. Whether they are right or wrong, show them love. Walk them to Jesus. You punch them, and you will not be serving Christ, but yourself.

Christian. The world is watching for your response. Don’t respond like the world.

The Introverted Believer and Facebook

I heard a preacher over the weekend answering questions about the LGBT community and how to reach them and love them. He, himself, lives in Boystown in Chicago. When asked on how to respond to the harsh, bigotrous, anti-Christian persecution on Facebook, which comes to anyone that stands by the Gospel, he responded with a ridiculing laugh and said that we should know better than to do this on Facebook.

A man, who lives in Boystown, going where the people are and reaching out to a community in need of Jesus laughed at people that were going to and reaching out to a community in need of Jesus online. I agreed and nodded my head with most of what he said before this statement, but then this laugh stabbed through me, a backhand across the face. Where there is an open hostility towards Christianity, a people that live in mockery of God, a people seeking meaning, us Christians ought not go?

The irony apparently is lost on him.

As an introvert, the whole approaching-those-I-don’t-know thing is very difficult. Not because I’m shy— I’m not—, but because our culture is built around extroverts. To get to any sort of real conversation, one must jump through the hoops of small talk, formalities, and fakery to seem pleasant enough to be real with. Our churches, too, seem geared towards extroverts. “Turn around and introduce yourself to someone you don’t know.” “James, I don’t know you, but do you mind opening us in prayer?” “Join us Saturday for our ice cream social.” None of those seem even remotely enjoyable to me. And I’m not alone.

But where the one-on-one interaction in person is difficult, the Internet opens many of us up to be more bold, more social, more sharing. Where an extrovert shines going to Boystown, the introvert shines going on Facebook. Both locations need Jesus. Both places are hostile towards Christianity and God. Both are seeking purpose and meaning. So why is my mission field wrong?