Thursday, May 17, 2007

The Second Thing that's Wrong

Ken Eckerty has posted a website entitled "Why I left the Organized Church" (http://www.savior-of-all.com/organized.html). It gives 10 or more reasons, and I'd like to take them on. The second thing that's wrong:

Intellectual theologizing that takes the place of spirituality.

Wow! That's a good one. I think it breeds itself in Bible college or seminary where the favorite passtime in the cafeteria for students is arguing the fine (or not so fine) points of theology. Some of these students, who will one day be pastors, assume that a solid theology is equivalent to a solid spirituality.

I remember a man who, while not a pastor, was an expert in one of the many theological systems. He could argue his case until the cows came home. But on Sunday morning, instead of listening to the sermon, he would sit in the middle of the congregation, theology book open on his lap, and he would read. When the service was over, he would go home, talking to no one unless some controversial issue of theology had come up.

Was he spiritual? It's not for me to judge. But he was certainly cold.

Yet there are some responses to this criticism:

1. Christians these days are more likely to err on the side of too little theology than an intellectualized for that takes the place of spirituality.
2. There are some pastors who still elevate the intellect over the heart, but they seem to be a dying breed in mainly very small congregations.

But all this leads me to ask the church - Are we still elevating what we believe so far over what we are supposed to become that our spiritual experience is cold? Do we, on the other hand, have a profound spiritual life but mask it behind our theological position so that others fail to see the life within?

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