Spirituality for All the Wrong Reasons
Eugene Peterson, author of The Message and professor emeritus at Regent College, was interviewed on Christian spirituality recently. I found this article to be an excellent basis for discussion on the topic. Click on the address below and read the article, then make any comments if you'd like:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/003/26.42.html
I do not know if there is anything more that I could add to what he has to say about spirituality and how it has been twisted in churches today. From beginning to end, I agreed with what he said. It reminded me of a quote that I read a while back:
"We must remember that our experience of union with God, our feeling of His presence, is altogether accidental and secondary. It is only a side effect of His actual presence in our souls, and gives no sure indication of that presence in any case. For God Himself is above all apprehensions and ideas and sensations, however spiritual, that can ever be experienced by the spirit of man in this life..." --Thomas Merton
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/003/26.42.html
I do not know if there is anything more that I could add to what he has to say about spirituality and how it has been twisted in churches today. From beginning to end, I agreed with what he said. It reminded me of a quote that I read a while back:
"We must remember that our experience of union with God, our feeling of His presence, is altogether accidental and secondary. It is only a side effect of His actual presence in our souls, and gives no sure indication of that presence in any case. For God Himself is above all apprehensions and ideas and sensations, however spiritual, that can ever be experienced by the spirit of man in this life..." --Thomas Merton
posted by Ryan T Boettcher | 1:21 PM
4 Comments:
Wow, this guy is incredible. If i wasn't poor, I'd probably go buy all his books and not go to school for a week or two. I would start commenting on what I liked about what he said, but it would take all night.
It's so wonderful to hear someone with authority and experinece to openly and honestly criticize the Church like he did. He knows exactly what churches need to change and work on. He is dead on with respect to Church and secular culture. All of these things are topics that I've been slowly thinking about and wondering about, and it's great to hear that I'm not alone, that I'm not the only one who sees a broken Church. But it's also super refreshing to see that he isn't just negative; he sees huge opportunities and possibilities for the church, and I think that's awesome.
His point about churches having a focus of advertising our faith is something that kinda decoded some ideas in my head. I've never liked the feeling of selling Christianity and I think he clearly analyses the problems that are created when God becomes a product we are selling.
i think it is important that when we discuss topics like this...that it doesn't turn into a "this is what i think is wrong with the Church" discussion. that is why i also liked what he had to say. like you said, he sees the church as broken but he also sees the possibilities for the church as well.
not only that, but i think that even though i agree with everything he said...i personally have been or am guilty of alot of the things he was talking about. we have to look at how the church struggles with these things...but also at how we personally struggle with them too.
Ryan, How come you never post things on your blog or call me?
sean
yeah ryan! why? why?
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