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Originally Posted by aron
It has been slowly dawning on me that even as I speak of a post-Protestant world today, I could also speak of a reality in which "Christianity" itself is no more. Paul told the crowd that he was a Pharisee of Pharisees (Acts 23:6). But that was an acknowledgment of his journey through time and space and human culture. But Paul wasn't looking back; he was headed for the stars. His home was in the Father's house. And this "house", or "family" or "kingdom" is not merely a Christian realm. Rather the Christian realm, on earth today, allows us access to it. But it is not itself exclusively Christian. Yes Christ is enthroned as Head over all, but if you look at the denizens of the open heavens (e.g. John 1:51 - "you will see heaven opened") you slowly realize that the Christian faith is pointing at them. "You shall be like angels in heaven" in Matt 22:30 is not exclusively pertaining to the issues of marrying and being given in marriage, but rather the issues of marrying and being given in marriage are subsumed by the experience of "being like an angel in heaven".
And the Psalms give voice to this. In exquisite and magisterial detail they portray this. Yes they were penned by frail mortals who ultimately faltered, fell, and lay still, yet the voice is from heaven. "Your word O LORD is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues to all generations" (Psalm 119:89). When the angel told Mary, "No word from God will ever fail" (Luke 1:37), he was declaring something that included but transcended all of Jewishness, Christianity, and even humanity. This is something that's true at all times, and in all ways that truth can exist. Christianity certainly points to it, and draws from it, but ultimately it is not dependent upon Christian understanding. It just is. The angel was neither a Jewish angel nor a Christian one; merely a vessel bringing something forth from the presence of the eternal God. In their purest form the Psalms draw us deeper into this realm, a realm which includes WL's Christian "New Testament believer", the psalmist, certainly Jesus Christ(!), the angels, and everything that lives and breathes. Even the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). There is a tremendous universal character and aspiration here: to orient oneself to the Source, to praise and thank and bless and obey. The Christian experience, through our faith in the Person of Jesus Christ, allows us full access to this. But we shouldn't be so presumptuous to think that we, and our experiences, are the "center and the meaning of the universe". At least I'm not comfortable declaring this. I sense that God is bigger than my theological notions.
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I just lost 30 minutes of work because despite checking the "keep me logged in" button (or thinking I did), I got logged out. Trying again.
I hear a lot these days about post-Protestantism, post-evangelicalism, and even post-Christianity.
Seems that post-Protestantism should not be a bad thing. End the protest. Recognize that we are the body of Christ. Understand that the RCC is actually Christian. Of course that still leaves us all thinking that our particular way is more right than all others. Otherwise we would change.
Post-evangelicalism is more troublesome for many of us because we think that the best collection of doctrines resides there. But doctrines don't save. When we arrive at the judgement seat, some will probably say "Lord, Lord, did we not hold to the best doctrines" to which we may hear either "so what" or "best? really?" My conclusion of late is that the best worship may not be within evangelicalism. And the best understanding of the Christian live may not be within evangelicalism. They are too concerned with shoving everyone out the door to "preach the gospel." And if you are not into that, the rhetoric would suggest that you are a sub-par Christian.
But if Jesus railed on the teachers of the law, and Paul laid out guidelines for the lives of those who would be elders, deacons, teachers, etc., then why should we, who all think that everything applies equally to us, think that we should not be the same? Instead we (and even some of our leaders) refuse to "go through the motions" to correct their sins. That is "works." Instead we take grace for our failures (and it is there for that purpose). We think we are going to arrive at anything when we reject even "trying" to start on the journey. Maybe those poor liturgicals are just "doing it in themselves." But at least they started on the journey. Not at least trying is to not move down the road.
The post-Christian. If that means that there are no more Christians, then we have a problem. But the term generally means something like the visible testimony of Christianity changes sufficiently that it no longer resembles the thing that is currently called Christianity. We may have the best doctrines (collectively) and think we are on the path. But we are going nowhere except on a journey being rapidly expelled from the mouth of God. (Not pointing fingers. I see myself going on that same journey as well.)
We have all the doctrines. But maybe the ones who follow a confessional path to salvation, and worship in a more ancient way have a better lock on practice. They don't just teach great stuff. The teach the important stuff — Christ died for our sins; obedience; and so on — and eventually you come to believe. And in the process you actually live as Christ commanded. We excuse our failures and "take the blood" and just go on our merry way.
This is where I see the highly spiritual view of the Psalms as a potential hook. Oh, everything you speak of is there. But it is not just about the kingdom to come. If it is not informing this life, then we have missed its impact. That is one of the reasons that I have tended to hold back from bible studies on Revelation. Too much speculation about the future and no desire to consider today. That is not the fault of Revelation, but those who study it in that manner.
Yes, we need to orient ourselves to the source. But too often our rhetoric ends there. If we are oriented to the source, our lives should be different. But that is seldom talked about. We get all wrapped up in the feelings of being spiritual. If we get oriented to the source, we should at least try. And if we don't try, we will never arrive. That leaves the liturgicals with their works as the only ones who have a chance of arriving.
I like the Psalms. They are 150 examples of written prayers. They come from many different aspects of life. When things are up and when things are down. When we have sinned woefully. When enemies are camped outside our city. And when enemies have been vanquished. Yet God is the same God in all. "Hear my cry, Oh Lord." "Have mercy on me, Oh God." "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord." "Your word is a lamp to my feet." And so on.
Maybe saying that it is the "Word of Christ" is not always accurate. But it is always a picture of God in some way. Whether in prophetic form, or in describing the things that God does for us, or in the character of God. And some are instructive concerning the way in which we are to go. None are simply natural man whining with no spiritual value.