Thought of the Day #2
Church leaders: Have they led, or misled us?
Think about the appalling decline in UK church attendance; a decline that only appears to be slightly slowing in recent years due to the number of immigrants coming into our country (thank God for them!).
Think about the possible extinction of men from our churches in just over 20 years' time.
Think about the lost generation of young men in the world that, frankly, church leaders don't seem to be too bothered about, possibly because it just seems like too much hard work to even try to reach out to them? After all, it would mean having to leave their comfort zone of women and children's ministries, family "Fun Days" and the like.
Think about the false teaching single Christians are subjected to with the Gift of Convenience, otherwise know as the "Gift of Singleness", and all the other newly invented doctrines such as "Wait on the Lord for a spouse", apparently ignoring the simple fact that there just aren't enough single men to go around.
Think about the single Christian women that are facing lonely, childless futures, and are then scolded for not being content about it.
Think about all the overseas jollies they go on, otherwise know as "missions/conferences/trips to encourage other church leaders" not to mention "retreats" and "sabbaticals" (no doubt on full pay), when on their doorstep only 6.3% of the population are regular church goers, and we are actually in the position of having missionaries come over to us!
Think about all the above, and then ask yourself:
What would Jesus do?
Anyone feel like overturning a few chairs, maybe? ;-)
Think about the appalling decline in UK church attendance; a decline that only appears to be slightly slowing in recent years due to the number of immigrants coming into our country (thank God for them!).
Think about the possible extinction of men from our churches in just over 20 years' time.
Think about the lost generation of young men in the world that, frankly, church leaders don't seem to be too bothered about, possibly because it just seems like too much hard work to even try to reach out to them? After all, it would mean having to leave their comfort zone of women and children's ministries, family "Fun Days" and the like.
Think about the false teaching single Christians are subjected to with the Gift of Convenience, otherwise know as the "Gift of Singleness", and all the other newly invented doctrines such as "Wait on the Lord for a spouse", apparently ignoring the simple fact that there just aren't enough single men to go around.
Think about the single Christian women that are facing lonely, childless futures, and are then scolded for not being content about it.
Think about all the overseas jollies they go on, otherwise know as "missions/conferences/trips to encourage other church leaders" not to mention "retreats" and "sabbaticals" (no doubt on full pay), when on their doorstep only 6.3% of the population are regular church goers, and we are actually in the position of having missionaries come over to us!
Think about all the above, and then ask yourself:
What would Jesus do?
Anyone feel like overturning a few chairs, maybe? ;-)
posted by Captain Sensible at 12:30 AM
8 Comments:
I just find it baffling beyond words how the patriarchal (I'm not using that term as an insult) faith of Christianity is lacking both male leadership in society and male population in churches; and why synogogues and mosques and temples probably do not lack such leadership and population (this is not a statement in praise of these latter places of worship but this is just an observation. Such male leadership would not be superior in those environments if they teach in any way that women are inferior beings).
Anyway I do not know if this is the right place to put this but I finally got an NIV with my GOS friend (she is a good friend but I cringe like hell when she thinks singleness is a gift) and I was telling her that I liked the NIV over the ESV (English Standard Version). Ok now this is where it gets good (not!): She was telling me how her husband has the New Living Translation (auggghhhh!!!) and how she really likes that version (and of course I thought of one blog here that was discussing this version). I had told her that somehow that version did not click with me (and 1 Corinthians 7 was the reason for it but I did not say that this was the reason) and then she said to me that every translation of the Bible comes from God, just in different forms. And I thought to myself "She believes the 'Gift of Singleness' statement in the NLT's version of 1 Corinthians 7!! Ugggghhhh!'"
Well I did order Debbie Maken's book yesterday and it will probably be in the bookstore by this coming Wednesday or Thursday. Technically I do not have to buy the book at that moment in time but I think that I should; or else, why would I have even bothered to ask about the book at the store? On Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, an abundance of the reviews for the book are very, very disparaging; some of them claiming that since Jesus was not married, then why should Christian singles be married, etc. I figure that if Christian "GOS advocate" singles hate a Christian-marriage book that badly then it probably isn't a bad book to read.
ROFL!
Yes: "if Christian 'GOS advocate' singles hate a Christian-marriage book that badly then it probably isn't a bad book to read."
Amen! In fact, Carolyn McCulley never did manage her promised review from about a year ago!
The more I discover about those that dislike Debbie Maken's book, I have realised that they actually are paying her a compliment without realising it. A sorry bunch they are.
Btw, the answer I give with regard to Jesus being single is that He didn't need a helper. But that's not to say we don't! (There are other possible answers too, such as He would not have wanted to knowingly produce fatherless children and a widow, or He could have 'renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom', or He came to earth with a particular mission to fulfil and producing offspring was never in the plan etc. etc!)
Other possibilities (and you can take them with a grain of salt):
Jesus being God Incarnate probably did not need to be married because due to his sinless nature, did not feel like he would fall prey to sexual sin. He probably had the very very rare gift of celibacy (and I mean RARE!). God Incarnate does not NEED to be married...I don't know if I am making sense.
Dear Shazia and Captain:
The thing is Jesus was perfectly human and perfectly God at the same time. We are also told that he sympathizes with our weaknesses. We also know that he was tempted in many ways.
Had Jesus married, it would not have been a sin or a concession to his flesh. He did not marry because marriage has nothing to do with his mediatory mission for which He was specifcally sent.
There is a beautiful essay that Erasmus writes to a young man convincing him of the benefits of marriage and not to pursue the empty life of his sister at the nunnery. In that essay, Erasmus reminds us that there are many aspects of Christ's life that should raise our wonder not necessarily our emulation.
I am not troubled by all the bad reviews. But if after reading the book you like it Shazia, please contribute your voice to amazon.
Debbie Maken
Thanks Debbie for your response; I am a new Christian so I am sorry that I got the information on Jesus a bit off track.
Where may I find the essay on Erasmus?
Gee do I not ever stop having questions? :)
I have another VERY important question. Critics of the GOS school of thought will say that there is no such thing as the GOS in the Bible. Supporters of the GOS school of thought will immediately say, "Yes it is!" and get their NLT version of the Bible out and go directly to 1 Corinthians 7:7 and read it to you. How are we to say that it no longer in the Bible if they give this translation to us? How do we explain to them that their translation is...well...wrong?
The answer I would give, Shazia, is that The Living Translation is not a direct translation from the original, but rather a modern language paraphrase.
They have as such taken some liberties, and obviously the "gift of singleness" is one of them.
Shazia:
There is an anthology on marriage compiled by Leon and Amy Kass called "Wing to Wing and Oar to Oar," after a line out of a Robert Frost poem. That book is a great resource and contains the Erasmus essay, as well as many other writings of great value on this subject.
As far as translations of the Bible, you need to stick with literal ones like King James, ESV, and also the Geneva Standard. These modern "paraphrase" type translations are going to do the body of Christ a great deal of harm. Not only because the paraphase reflects perhaps our modern psychological bent projected onto Scripture, but what in the world are we putting to memory to recall when we are in troubled times? These modern translations have no salt because they refuse to believe that God has preserved his truth in the way Scripture has been literally stated. I want my bonfire now, I don't want to wait for the day of judgment for these versions to burn.
Debbie Maken
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