Stumbling Blocks of the Church

The concept of the stumbling block has been on my heart lately.  The scandals we read about are indeed stumbling blocks to people.  Yet I see so many approaches to Christians that are HUGE stumbling blocks as well.

I think it truly dawned on me when I had been reading more and more about the New Pope Francis.  You know me!  I love history, and he is part of history now.  He is so opposite of what we are used too.  He really draws you in by his love of others.

Compare that to some Christian leaders get so busy pontificating on how people need to view things, and how they live their lifes.  Yet, you wonder if they realize how much they turn OFF people with their approach.  Yes, they are told about this.  They pretty much blow off their critics, and let everyone know they NEED to be told the truth. 

Notice, you were not addressing ‘the truth’.  You were addressing their delivery of the ‘truth’.  They have answers for that as well.  They go onto this speech from Matthew 7 about how most people will take the WIDE path in life, and others that ‘get it’ will take the smaller one. 

Notice that still doesn’t address their delivery.

I guess they don’t wish to face that there is a REAL possibly that their delivery is a real stumbling block for their brother – along with their actions.  Then you compare that to the delivery system of the new Pope?  It startling in differences.

I’m not Catholic, but I have say Pope Francis is extremely refreshing to me.  His humility and care for everyone – not just Catholics – shows me he does indeed have Jesus in his heart.  He has that ‘delivery’ down pretty well, although I can see why he rubs ‘conservatives’ the wrong way.  (giggles) He isn’t stuffy enough for them!

I want to compare approaches, and not so much to get into ‘denominations’, etc.  Lets view the delivery system, and the stumbling block we present to others at times. 

I firmly believe even if you disagree with someone their delivery and attitude can still leave with you a sense of respect for the person.  One approach can be very attractive, an other repels.  The repelling nature of a pastor can be a stumbling block to others when you can’t feel the presence of God within them.

Accountability

Doug Phillip’s is very popular in certain circles, but the man is clearly ‘out there’ with a lot of his beliefs.  Its always left a bad taste in my mouth how churches can attack certain aspects of the ‘world’, and yet leave cultish figures alone and unchecked.   Doug Phillips is a great example of them ignoring.

Doug Phillips, an outspoken proponent of male “dominion” over women and a leading home-schooling activist, has stepped down as president of his Texas-based Vision Forum Ministries after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a woman

I guess its easier for them to poke at generalities in society than it is for them to point out groups that preach a dark gospel.  The bible clearly – to me anyway – states we are to speak out against false teachings.  Yet, sadly if you pay close attention?  There are many ‘church’ circles that tend to intertwine themselves, and that could be why they won’t speak against the other.

Doug Phillips told the world he was stepping down from some of his responsibilities due to a long, ongoing emotional affair with someone besides his wife.  You will notice a pattern of how they step down for a short period of time, and then their ‘elders’ announce to the world they are all better now – and come back.  They go on with life as if it never happened, and go back to that same nasty, ugly attitude towards anyone that doesn’t agree with them.

One sentence from an article I read about Doug Phillip’s recent fall that seemed to sum it up quite nicely.

His fellow patriarchs will help him in this “restoration” because they have to defend the system they’ve built.

Notice they will remind everyone that we are fallen humans, and are prone to sin.  Sure, there is truth to that statement.  The big difference is how certain fallen humans are treated, compared to the ones in leadership.  You can pretty much guarantee the power ‘pastor’ will be redeemed, but the individual in most cases is still considered stunned and revolting.

Remember the world to them seems to be the real enemy.  The world doesn’t agree with how they view things that they call ‘biblical’, and they are quick to call them names and tear them down.  Then you have the statements about how ‘those’ people don’t appreciate marriage, children, nor God’s word.  A difference of opinion places you automatically in that camp.  Unless you bow down to their way of thinking you will always be ‘one of those’.  Its always this ‘us against them’ game.

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. - 1 Corinthians 8:9

You hear them say they LOVE everyone, and yet their words and actions do not line up!  No accountability for that either.

Yet, they don’t view that as a stumbling block.


I suppose that is why I have been watching this new Pope.  I have to tell you his approach towards the world is refreshing to me. 

You can almost feel his concern, humility, and care for everyone – not just Catholics.  Again this week he was in the news showing his concern for the lest of these and captivated the world.

He also is calling out its hierarchy to move away from their TONS of small minded rules, and get back to serving as Christ has asked them too.

RULES are very important to some churches, and there is a lot of them – written and unwritten.  Those are the upmost importance to ‘show’ the world their sense biblical ….whatever – fill in the blank.

This is a stumbling block.

Did Doug Wilson Drop His Disclaimer?

I wanted to do a follow up piece about my last blog post, Shock Jock Doug Wilson Penetrates The Gospel Coalition.   I did modify the last post because Jared Wilson decided to take down his articles that brought such offense to many.  I did kept the cache of these pieces so that the article still had its reference.

Jared Wilson posted an apology.    Some Reflections, Just one Explanation, and an apology.   Some aren’t truly satisfied completely with it, but it is a good start!

My first foolishness in posting the original excerpt was not to heed Douglas Wilson’s disclaimer in the beginning of his book. He characterizes it as a “blunt instrument” and describes the particular audience he is writing for. That should have been my first indication either not to post the piece at all or to have at least posted it with a sufficient prefatory warning or more parsing of context. Either way, the blame for the insensitive bluntness of the blog post is not his, but totally mine.

What did the disclaimer say?  He maybe referring to the beginning of Chapter one of Doug Wilson’s book called Fidelity.

This book was written for men and their sons.  I suggest that wives read this only when their husbands give it to them, and no the other way around.  The introduction mentioned the issue of 'straight talk' - and this means, in part, a rejection of euphemism.  Some of what is said here may be offensive to some Christian women, but the point is certainly not to give offense.  The point is to provide biblically specific and pointed help to Christian males.

Euphemism - the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt.

From what I gather since this book was for men only, it seems that Doug Wilson feels they wouldn’t have been offended by how he words things.  I know my brother and my father would not have appreciated it anyway, but maybe he feels some men can’t grasp his point without them.  To be honest, I think it is just a disclaimer due to his style of communication more than anything.

I’m not going to link to Doug Wilson’s comments, but I did grab the cache of his article as well.  The Politics of Outrage

Shock Jock Doug Wilson Penetrates Gospel Coalition

“The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”-1st Corinthians 7:4-5

The blog world seems on fire over a recent article by the Gospel Coalition.   The article was called, ‘The Polluted Waters of 50 Shades of Grey, Etc.’, and to be fair a follow up piece called, ‘Shades of Outrage”.

(Note:  I edited the above links due to them removing from website.  I have placed a cached image of the articles in question in my google docs so you may still view them.  Jared Wilson also offered up an apology.)

I’m sure you might have guessed that the author Jared Wilson was talking about a secular book that seems popular today.  To be fair?  I haven’t read it, and honestly don’t know much about it except for what is talked about briefly in the news.

To me, there seems to be enough on our plates as Christians.  I don’t understand why we seem to have to remind the body of Christ of ‘what the world thinks’ of things.  It’s the world right?  We aren’t told to conquer or scold the world, and I have to wonder if some do forget what the mission as Christians is.

Today in different circles of faith I realize that some like to use these types of items as tools.    Its tools to use against the other circles of faith that seem to have doctrinal – along with other differences from themselves.  I find it kind of childish at times, and I honestly don’t know why people ‘buy into it’ to the extreme that they do.  (In this circumstance – they use the marriage bed like this, and we view it like that type of thing)

Name calling, and swapping personal jabs tends to repel people from coming to the faith more than anything.  Why wouldn’t it?  You see in on the news, in the work place, and in the current politic environment all the time.   When people act like this?  They can claim all the wish they are different from the ‘world’, but their speech and actions certainly don’t back them up with anything substantial.

What the uproar seems to be about is a quote from Christian ‘shock jock’ Douglas Wilson.  From I can gather?  He is the fringe of the fringe of what most would say is the patriarchy or complementarian circles.   So why do pastor’s like John Piper, or organizations like The Gospel Coalition quote him?  That does make you wonder doesn’t  it?!

As you might have guessed the original article was about how the ‘general public’ is going nuts over this new book, and how they just don’t grasp what God’s intent is for the marriage bed.

Here is the quote most are talking about:

When we quarrel with the way the world is, we find that the world has ways of getting back at us. In other words, however we try, the sexual act cannot be made into an egalitarian pleasuring party. A man penetrates, conquers, colonizes, plants. A woman receives, surrenders, accepts. This is of course offensive to all egalitarians, and so our culture has rebelled against the concept of authority and submission in marriage. This means that we have sought to suppress the concepts of authority and submission as they relate to the marriage bed. – Shock Jock Doug Wilson

My first thought?  Here is a gentleman (Jared Wilson) that is calling out a book that he states is like acceptable po#n of the day.  How the world thinks it is acceptable to live out rape fantasies and such.  So what does he do?  

He quotes the Christian Shock Jock Doug  Wilson from his book, ‘Fidelity: What It Means to be a One-Woman Man’.  (If you are interested it’s the chapter on rape on the link)  If you notice the above bolded part Doug Wilson uses what most recognize as ‘rape language’ to show how he feels is the proper context for the marriage bed.