What happens when an Orthodox Christian stuck in an institutional church structure meets Jesus? Transformation.
Met up with a friend today who has been messed up by Jesus (positively) in the last 18 months and has been left totally changed, or should I say changing.
Faith in something is not that great. Faith in Jesus, that's another story.
[this is not a disrespect for the Orthodox Tradation or any other for that matter; the reality is that any Christian structure exisiting without the pursuit of Jesus has the potential to keep people away from experiencing him]
10 comments:
Love it, love it!!!!
Dave,
nice site. When you mention "experiencing Jesus" what do you imply? I think it is dangerous to make an experience the center of our Christian faith. For this reason the Orthodox traditions and the Roman Catholic tradition have much to teach us. Jesus is found in the sacraments and experienced in the liturgy and not some fuzzy feeling we get because the girl next to us is good looking.
Is it so simple? Is Jesus only found in the sacraments? Not sure about that. I believe he is 'also' found in the sacraments, but not only there.
I think it's a difficult line to draw b/w experience and tradition. Doesn't Jesus meet us in the scriptures, prayer, community? What if those steeped in tradition often need a fresh wind of experience to affirm their firmly held beliefs... and those swayed by experience need a strong anchor in tradition to help frame their experience and discern it?
This guy I mention in my blog was did not encounter Jesus in his tradition, even though he could have, and definitely learned about him there. Not sure why, maybe both are needed.
Oh yeah, both are needed. But when we fail to help people in our church understand and interpret their experience in light of scripture, tradition and reason, we do miss an important part of our role as pastors.
Of course. Understanding and Experience go hand in hand. I love Paul in 1 Thessalonians 1 helping these new Christ followers figure out what happened to tham - why they are showing these authentic signs of faith, love, and hope. He goes on to explain that they are CHOSEN by God... that this happened not just by words - but by the gospel coming powerfully to them - with the help of the Spirit and deep conviction. He helps them understand their turning to God from idols by serving him and what that has meant.
Ya - people need proper interpretations of their experiences.
Consider the impulse to respond to your post far too great.
What happens when an Orthodox Christian 'stuck' in an institutional church structure meets Jesus? The same thing that happens everytime I meet a friend: Hi! Nothing more, nothing less.
C'mon, can knowing or following Jesus merely be a cognitive thing: "hi, what's up... see ya later"
That was not what I meant. I was simply trying to remind you of two things:
1 - Being in an institutional church is not being 'stuck' anymore than being in an evangelical one;
2 - unless the person is without faith period, those who attend institutional churches can have relationships as meaningful with 'God' as evangelical church attending folks.
I forgot to mention something else. That part where you mention 'any christian structure existing without the pursuit of Jesus' baffled me. Clearly you partly make reference to the Orthodox Church because it is in that context that you comment finds origin. Now my questions to you are the following:
- Have you attended one to be able to make such a statement?
- Can you be so sure that such a church structure does not pursue Jesus?
Ultimately, what I am trying to say is that we Christians should restrict any talk ressembling a monopoly to the game boards, Milton Bradley and Toysrus.
from you're 1st comment, I aggree with both 1 and 2; I don't assume nor aggree that evangelical churches have an in on God or Jesus more then any other church tradition. I also believe there's many people in all traditions that can be 'stuck' (just to use the same word); And I admit that I have learned much about developing my relationship with Jesus through other traditions.
So thanks for clarifying and pointing those things out.
On your 2nd comment: my reference to the Orthodox Church.
1. I should clarify (b/c I did put something in brackets in the 1st post) that its 'people' in these structures, even our own structures - which can fall into existence without pursuing Jesus; 'people' can be anyone in that community including the leaders. However, I'd have to say the pendulum shifts from time to time within any institutional structure - and at that point we learn or are influenced by our friends in other structures. EG. sometimes Catholics are learning from Evangelicals... and sometimes it's the other way around... and then sometimes we're learning from the Orthodox roots. I.E. the pendulum can shift in who's influencing who.
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