Change in Theology?

Last night I had a very thought provoking conversation with my friend John Lamb. John is much older than me, nearly twice my age, and I relish moments with him because I am able to learn so much through his life experience and place with God.

We discussed a difference in theology, a theology most evangelical Christians have in this country, and neither John nor I agree is biblical. I guess I've had this point of view for sometime, but never categorized it until John brought it up. Forgive me for I have forgotten the exact terms, but the basic concepts are a boundary theology and a centric theology of Christians and Non-Christians.

The boundary type reasoning is what I would imagine most evangelicals hold true in this country. It is an Us vs. Them mentality. "What are we as Christians going to do to bring Non-Christians to Christ?" is a type of question they would entertain. The idea is that there is a boundary of an "in crowd" and not. Christians are in the "in crowd" and are viewing others outside their realm. Now there can be many categories of boundaries, and depending on which denomination or dare I say sect, you hold firm to, may define your boundaries different from another. Examples may include baptism by sprinkling or by submersion, or is it right for Christians to drink or not, or when is a person truly saved; at point of confession or after baptism? It does not matter what your boundaries are, but the point is there are boundaries and there are those of us that are inside and those of us that our outside.

The centric type model is where I think I conceptually agree with more. I say conceptually because I can admit I don't often live it, but if I had to stick with something, this is where I stand. The idea is that everyone is on the inside with Christ in the center. Think of it as a circle with a center point. God is outside the circle, inside the circle, and the center of the circle. He is everywhere. So, we take the understanding God is with everyone, loves everyone, and desires everyone to be close to him. The idea that everyone, no matter what their political affiliation, race, gender, religion, or ideology, is an image bearer of Christ. Now they may not be saved and in personal relationship with Christ, but they are image bearers, and they have value.

I once heard from a speaker a few years ago the statement, "You'll never look into the eye of someone whom God doesn't love." If our starting point in our theology is along the lines of, God loves everyone, and we are all together in this, than our ministry will take on a different shape. Think of the word outreach. For one to reach out, there must be a point of crossing over. I'd venture to say outreach is a term used in boundary type thinking. "We need to cross over the fence to the fallen and bring them to our side." But if we think that everyone is on a level field, all in God's grace and passion, then we don't go out, to a targeted group, we just live amongst everyone, no matter if they are considered "in" or "out." It isn't a mental decision to talk to a person about God, but rather we live in relationship with others and naturally live out our faith with those around us. There isn't this missional focus, but more of a community.

Don't twist what I am saying to think that missions trips and planned events are wrong; I'm not saying that at all, as I have been on many of those programs. My experience however with these mission trips, and the experience I have heard from many people is that they go overseas with the intent to change the world, and realize how much they didn't change the place they were going, but how much that place changed them. Could it be that God sends us to those places to set our minds straight? Maybe he already has a plan for those people you intended to reach and it doesn't involve you. Maybe God wants to work on you, so you change to be a greater, more brilliant representation of Him just where you are.

I realized how much I don't live or desire to live in a boundary area relationally the other day when I was talking with my wife. We have a mutual friend who will make a perfect wife, but there just hasn't been a guy worthy enough for her. Not because of her standards, but because we just haven't seen anyone as close with God as she is to keep up with her. So, I feel almost obligated to find this Mr. Perfect for her, but when I think about my Godly male friends, they are all married. All my other guy buddies are non-Christians, and they are the friends I desire to have. I have my group of Christian friends who I can share these thoughts with and love every moment I spend with them, but I definitely love my moments with people far from Christ. I don't desire to only relate to those who read their bibles. I desire to relate to those who bear the image of Christ, and as far as I can see, I encounter them frequently.

The personal application for me is, how bright am I shining for those not in relationship with Jesus? Am I bringing them any closer to the center, or am I simply living where I feel comfortable?

The Unit

Awhile back, I was introduced to the military show, The Unit, based on the highly secretive and trained Delta Force. My buddy who is in that line of employment showed me the first episode and I have really enjoyed watching the episodes as the different stories unfold.

Just the other day I watched one that for some reason struck a chord inside of me. Jonas, played by Dennis Haysbert, is the lead role in the show, and the team leader. His wife Molly and him have one daughter who shows up in this particular episode in a rude fashion, and the parents are trying to deal with her. She breaks into the house, "because she forgot her key" and attempts to steal her birth certificate so she can drop out of college and enlist in the Army.

Where I found it interesting is how Molly and Jonas handle the situation. Their daughter is really "lippy," and should have been appropriately scolded - which Molly did. It was the typical parent - child dispute where the kid thinks they know something and the parents know better - so the feud begins. Molly takes the approach of - "I brought you into this world and I will take you out before you speak to me like that again." Jonas has a different tactic, which Molly sarcastically and critically called "daddying her up."

Jonas takes his daughter shooting. In between rounds of fire, the two had a conversation about joining the military. The daughter made the statement, "what do you fear?" Jonas replied, "I fear no man," then he looked at his daughter and smiled, "only one woman." Referring to his wife Molly who is very much a competent woman. She laughs, and Jonas follows up by saying, "Courage is moving towards danger when there is a means of escape." He tells her if she finishes college and still wants to go into the military, he'll give her, her first salute. She says, "I'll try." Jonas promptly retorts, "I'll try means I'll fail. If you don't know that, you have no business being in the military." And like all good shows, that last less than an hour, the daughter repents of her ways, and decides to go back to college and finish. It was all happy.

I realize I just described something really not that important, but those three lines from Jonas caught my attention. Sure the one about "fearing" his wife was comical, but the other two about courage and trying really hit me. Why they hit me, I don't know. But it was enough for me to pause, rewind it and watch the scene unfold again. I even took the time to write about it here. Maybe I have something to learn. Maybe it is the fact I have a pregnant wife and someday I'll handle a similar situation. I just don't know.

Time to write again

I've tried to pull up this page time and time again to write down something, anything, to capture my thoughts. But every time, I end up deleting what I wrote because it doesn't feel important or even worthy to put "to paper." So here is another attempt as trying to create something.

I just got out of the detentions academy, which consisted of 3 more weeks of power point presentations run by people who were never meant to be teachers, and topics that were past dry for content. The only upside to my situation, is that the academy ended last thursday, and I don't start work until tomorrow, this thursday. I was blessed to have some time off, when most of my other friends did not.

What did I do? I went to one of my favorite places on earth. I went to my dad's ranch to just be a guy, doing guy things. Virtually all my memories of the ranch take place with my good friend Mitch. I've known Mitch since we were in 1st grade, and we have been going to the ranch together ever since. We don't even need specific plans, just a couple of guns, some ammo, maybe a fishing pole, and we have a great time.

This trip was no different. My dad gave us one objective - to kill a beaver that has been doing what beavers do, damming up a water way. Other than that, we were free to do as we pleased. Most of our days consisted of driving around to the different ponds and shooting turtles that have been killing our fish. There is just something rewarding hearing the "thump" of a nicely placed round into the shell of an unsuspecting turtle, and then accompanied by a nice splash. Sorry if that seems cruel to anyone.

We grilled, drank a few brews, watched a couple of movies, stared into the enormous sky at the countless stars, and just lived in the moment. It was exactly what I wanted to do - a few day stretch were nothing was begging for our attention, we were free to do as we pleased.

Now, I am back home, and have the fun job of getting up at about 4:30 in the morning tomorrow to get started with my new job. I'm looking forward to it, but can't deny the freedom in those past few days, and the sheer relaxation that took place.