This story from FoxNews reports that a group of Christians holding a pre-tribulation, premillenial doctrinal understanding of eschatology (or “last things”) have launched a website which will alert friends and loved ones if the “Rapture” has occurred. According to this report, “Final e-mails from vanished subscribers will be triggered when three of the site’s five Christian staffers fail to log in for six days in a row.” Those persons administering the site seem quite certain they will be among those taken up in to heaven when the final trumpet sounds.
The site, http://www.youvebeenleftbehind.com/, will alert up to 62 loved ones of your departure via an email message if the above criteria are met. This form of premillenialism has led the site administrators to also facilitate storage of financial account information. This is so you might pass your assets on to family before the conclusion of the tribulation, which according to this strand of theology is a period lasting 7 years.
This story does include one bit of poor journalism, stating, “According to Christian theology, after the Rapture, Satan will rule a global government that will torment doubters with seven years of Tribulation”(emphasis mine). Such broad statements about Christian theology fall short of the truth, as eschatology is but one of many historic doctrines which exhibit broad diversity between different Christian communities. This reporter could have done a better job by indicating the strand of theology from which this perspective comes, rather than making a blanket statement that doesn’t do justice to the tradition. Some Christians will no doubt be offended by this generalization, as they would claim that the particular eschatology which gave birth to this website is not only errant, but dangerous.
Dispensationalism (what we’re talking about here) can trace its roots to John Nelson Darby, a Christian leader during the 1800s. His teaching became largely popularlized through the publication of the Scofield Reference Bible. I know all about it–I went to seminary at a place that holds dispensationalism as a key doctrine. I’ve had my fair share of conversations about premillenialism, postmillenialism, and amillenialism. I’ve read books on the topic. I’ve sat around discussions concerning the specifics of the “tribulation,” asking if the rapture will occur pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib. I’ve also been around persons who do their very best to match current events with what they understand as relevant biblical passages so that they might speculate on the timing of Jesus’s return. I’ve spent a good deal of time thinking about these matters myself, continuing to study the different eschatological frameworks and measuring them against the biblical evidence so that I might arrive at a well-reasoned faith.
We all know that dispensationalism has been popularized in recent years in the publication of the Left Behind series of Christian fiction. LaHaye and Jenkins (and friends) have not only published books, but guides for Bible studies, a video game, and other forms of media to increase their following. This particular product is quite interesting, to put it mildly.
For church leaders and preachers out there who don’t like premillenial dispensationalism, what is your response? Clearly there is one particular form of eschatology that dominates the American landscape. Aside from premillenial dispensationalism, are there any other options, and if so, are we teaching them? If we are teaching them, do our people have the ability to clearly articulate the grounds upon which they might hold an amillenial or postmillenial viewpoint? Can they make clear statements about the nature of God’s actions in history, and what Christians claim concerning Jesus’s awaited return? Or are they pan-millenialists, asserting they are not worried about particulars, simply confident it will “all pan out in the end.”
Stories such as these present a challenge to church leaders across America, particularly those persons who exist in church traditions that believe dispensationalism is not our best option. We do have other perspectives which have a rich historical and theological heritage, but are we teaching them? How well are the people in the pews instructed concerning our belief in last things?
For some persons the response might be, “well, I’ll preach and teach about how dispensationalism is wrong.” I say unto you, “OK, but are you going to construct a theology in its place that is historically and theologically well grounded?” If you go about blasting away what you believe are misconceptions, you have to go about the work of construction. You have to tell a narrative that makes sense. Eschatology is about hope. The doctrine which you teach on this aspect of theology is critical for your ministry.
I hope that pastors, church leaders, and Bible teachers who take this stuff seriously will consider how they might address eschatology. It is one of the essential pillars in building a systematic theology. It deserves our reflection, our esteem, and our best efforts at teaching people in our congregations in a way that they might understand. Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection are all events that in themselves are eschatological. The world hasn’t been the same since God took on the flesh, died on the cross, and rose three days later. Now, we await the culmination or full measure of the Kingdom of God to be brought about as we exist in the time between the times. Until Jesus returns, what is our hope?
That, my friends, is a question I hope we can stand to answer.
Read Full Post »
Low-Hanging Fruit (John 15, anyone?)
Posted in Church Ministry, Cultural Commentary, Theology, tagged Christianity, Church, church growth, church health, church leadership, Jesus, ministry, vine and branches on June 30, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Yesterday Seth Godin put forth an interesting question I couldn’t ignore. Here’s an excerpt from his post:
So, what would you choose? One might be inclined to increase the efficiency of the vehicles with the best fuel economy, but you’d be wrong. Godin answers:
This seems counter intuitive, but it adds up. All things being equal (fleet and miles driven), the overall percentage of fuel which would be conserved on the lower end would easily outweigh the decrease in fuel consumption by the most efficient vehicles.
You can read the rest of Godin’s post here. This got me thinking: Jesus spoke of fruit in John 15, among other places. Thinking specifically of his discussion of the vine and the branches in John 15, Jesus states:
As far as churches go, many leaders think of productive, growing, and dynamic ministries as prime targets for investigation, excitement, and hope. People ask, “What is __________ ministry doing to increase in effectiveness, reach their community, and grow their church, and can it be replicated?” People want to be like the big boys (or considering that the Church is portrayed as the bride of Christ, the big girls (hottest babes?)).
Within the context of some of these booming churches, the focus is on evangelization and church growth, continuing much of the excellent work that has already begun so that the ceiling can continue to be raised. In order to continue this type of growth, these church ministries (and their congregants) demand excellence in staff hiring practices, desiring that the church only bring on the best quality staff people to lead that ministry, which results from time to time in large churches hiring the most capable people away from other churches. Ministries must be highly effective, with effectiveness usually measured by number of participants. When a ministry does take off, resources are placed behind that particular effort in order to push the envelope and continue to raise the ceiling. Overall, I’m not saying that this growth at the top is bad. It may just cause us to forget about the low-hanging fruit.
Godin’s post left me wondering–what is the low-hanging fruit in a denominational context, or in a local church context? I’m not thinking about ministries and churches in the process of dying–I’m thinking of church ministries that are producing some fruit and with a little help, encouragement, and additional resources, might come to produce a little bit more. I’m thinking of leaders who are tired and exhausted, yet continue to work hard, and could benefit greatly if someone would praise them and celebrate the work they are doing. Perhaps a little encouragement, a little investment in the life of someone leading a smaller ministry might go a long way and have great overall benefits for the Kingdom of God.
Of course, my thesis here supposes that we can identify churches and ministries that would fit the category of producing “low-hanging fruit,” which I concede would be difficult, if not impossible. Measuring these things would have to go beyond numbers, looking at other markers of spiritual health. At the very least, this idea serves as a reminder to encourage my colleagues and my friends in ministry, to listen to their stories from their church contexts (both large and small), and to celebrate the good work that God might be doing through their life.
Read Full Post »