Below is a communication with a friend of mine who sent me an article regarding Belief and Faith and how they are antithetical to one another. I read this along with an article by N.T. Wright "The Bible and Tomorrow's World" sent to me by yet a another friend sojourning with me in my walk. I have had issues with the N. American church reading the bible like a text book as opposed to a narrative, a part of a story, our story. The Kingdom is in or among us according to Ellul's article. In Wright's article, he likens scripture to a five act play in which we are living out and shaping the fifth act. I like how Wright says that scripture is the vehicle that brings the "authority" of the Kingdom. I feel that in many circles people see scripture as the authority. Therefore we rest back and just exist in blind belief never questioning. I know as of late I have questioned a lot of things and the response by many in the church as been far from encouraging. Here is the communication I had with my friend Kent and the links to the articles are posted below.
Hey Kent,
I just got done reading the Ellul article you sent me "Belief and Faith." Sorry it has taken me so long, but I have to read everything 2 or 3 times due to some ADD and comprehension learning barriers.
It is interesting because when you sent me that article I was in the middle of N.T. Wright's The Bible and Tomorrow's World. It talks about the Bibles authority being in it's story, much like a 5 act play. We are act 5 and living it out. So the narrative continues.
This played in nicely for me on the Ellul as I have succumbed to belief for many years and am now starting to receive revelation and it has been shocking. Yet it is causing me to get of my duff and therefore is also a place I want to live. I like how Ellul says "It is not a matter of looking to some external ultimate reality; the Kingdom of heaven is (at present) in you or among you. As of now it is you who constitute it. Faith is the demand that we must incarnate the Kingdom of God now in the world and this age." And finally, "faith has me. The rest is mere belief." Wow. I can live here even in mystery and uncertainty. We get to play a role in the narrative. The Kingdom is in and among us. We help write the story. But, once we get comfortable and codify, make list and formulas, faith is squashed. Then we start simply to exist, ceasing interaction with our God. This has been timely for me. I'll stop there for now.
Thanks Kent,
Peace and Blessings to you and your family.
Matt
P.S. I am going to fwd this to my buddy Rickard as he has been helping me on this journey as well:
www.christinyou.net/pages/faithbelief.html
http://www.fulcrum-anglican.org.uk/page.cfm?ID=334&view=printer&menuopt=3
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Interesting articles. If you haven't checked out Wright's book The Last Word, it brings up several of these aspects although it was written a couple of years before. I recommend it.
ReplyDeleteGood points that both Wright and Ellul make about the authority of scripture.
I like the idea of inviting others into the story or as McLaren put it "the story we find ourselves in." That idea alone seems to infuse both our current time/place and the Bible with profound meaning that is far greater than simply taking bits of scripture to justify this or that ideology. Instead of being detached observers of some rule book we are the next chapter of the story. Good stuff!
Thanks Crispin. I have really struggled with the claim of inerrancy in scripture and how we as a church sometimes read the bible literally as we would read a manual. My buddies Kent and Rickard sent me these articles to help me. Thanks for reading and I will check out "The Last Word" as I have not read that one yet. Thanks for the recommendation. Peace brother...hope the church plant is going well.
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