Have You Got the Money, or the Money Got You?

Posted on March 20, 2009 by Jay F Guin

You’ll be humming this all the way through the Sunday morning collection —

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Dialogue with Robert Prater: Reflections on the Conversation with Robert

Posted on March 20, 2009 by Jay F Guin

dialogueI’m been reflecting on this series of posts. What lessons might I learn from the back and forth?

The reason I undertake these conversations is for the benefit of the readers. I’ve always thought the best way to persuade those willing to be persuaded is to let them hear both sides and decide which is truer to the Bible. And so I’m always glad to discuss what I believe with those who disagree — even with those who plainly aren’t listening to what I say.

Now, I’ve come to conclude that the ultimate weakness of the conservative position is not their persistent refusal to actually discuss the issues, although that’s a very serious weakness. It’s their underlying misunderstanding of both God and man. Continue reading →

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Dialogue with Robert Prater, Part 6

Posted on March 19, 2009 by Jay F Guin

dialogueAs before, I’ve edited out portions of Robert’s comment from yesterday, not out of lack of respect, but to simplify the reading. And I’m not going to respond to arguments I’ve already responded to. And this discussion is not about the sinfulness of instrumental music; it’s about whether such a sin damns. Hence, I’ll not address those arguments. The full text of Robert’s post may be found in a comment under Part 5.

<snipped presentation of familiar arguments for the sinfulness of instrumental music in worship>

This attitude leads to the conclusion that instrumental music is a perversion or corruption of New Testament worship, and I will not openly fellowship those who promote it. Whatever is sinful is a barrier to fellowship with God.

If you mean what you just said, you’ve denied all grace. We all sin. Yes, sin is a barrier, but a barrier that’s been removed by the blood of Jesus. Otherwise, we would all be damned. I mean — do you seriously contend that you cannot fellowship those who sin? Just who do you fellowship? Continue reading →

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How to Argue Like a Christian: Unsupported Accusations

Posted on March 18, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Many of our authors make startling accusations against their opponents without giving any basis for the charge — and certainly nothing that allows their facts to be checked. Sometimes the charges are true. Sometimes they are not. But you just can’t tell from what’s been written.

In the February 2009 issue of the Gospel Advocate, Neil Anderson, the editor, states,

Frequently I hear of foreign fields where mission creep is blending the church into the local society or culture. Blending church and culture goes too far when it compromises the mission of the church. Missionaries who teach a gospel of “Jesus only” without regard to the apostles’ doctrine do not fulfill the Great Commission.

Now, there are just not enough facts there to tell whether you should agree with Anderson’s charge. Does he know something wicked about the missionaries my church supports? Should I suspect all missionaries? Is he even acting on firsthand information, or is he passing along rumor? Surely as venerable an institution as the Gospel Advocate would not stoop to rumor mongering. I can’t even tell for sure what error he’s accusing the missionaries of committing. Continue reading →

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Dialogue with Robert Prater, Part 5

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Jay F Guin

dialogueI’ve edited several of Robert’s paragraphs from his comment posted earlier today. This is no disrespect. Rather, I just don’t want to unduly test the readers’ patience. The full text of his comment is still posted.

<snipped introduction>

First of all, to answer your question, I would agree with position 2, “Some doctrinal error damns and some does not.” However, I don’t agree with you on where God has drawn the line because I don’t think it’s as simple as you hope and desire to make it. That somehow, God has to specify and exactly “spell out” which commandments we can disregard and disobey and which error we can hold to, practice and promote, yet will not condemn and which ones will. Too simplistic. It’s too “legalistic.”

JFG: God doesn’t have to do anything. Therefore, I’m not insisting that he has to doing anything. Rather, I’m saying that God has in fact answered the question in the verses I’ve cited in the earlier posts.

What I’m saying is that anyone who wishes to argue that a given practice necessarily damns has to defend that position from the scripture – or else he’s adding to the Bible – which is sin. Continue reading →

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How to Argue Like a Christian: Abusing the Language

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Another reason that we in the Churches of Christ have trouble working things out amongst ourselves is our abuse of the language. In fact, a stranger to our publications would often be mystified by our use of words.

Liberal

For example, we throw around “liberal” using a meaning for the term that is completely foreign to its definition. “Liberal” has a specialized meaning in religious circles. When discussing Christianity, “liberal” means someone who denies the inspiration of scripture and the incarnation of Jesus. For example, see the article on liberalism in the Catholic Encyclopedia and Jack Cotrell’s article on Protestant liberalism. Calling someone a “liberal” in a religious conversation is a very serious charge. Continue reading →

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Dialogue with Robert Prater, Part 4

Posted on March 16, 2009 by Jay F Guin

dialogueI’m stating my point a different way this time, as it’s obvious that Robert is not hearing what I’m trying to say.

I earlier wrote a post pointing out that it is inadequate for those in the conservative Churches of Christ to argue the following syllogism:

  • Major premise: All doctrinal error damns.
  • Minor premise: Instrumental music in worship is doctrinal error.
  • Conclusion: Instrumental music in worship damns.

(I used different words.)

Now, in this series of posts, my argument isn’t that instrumental music is permissible. (I’ve made that argument many times before in this blog, and it’s clearly indexed and easily found.) That is not the question for today. This discussion is a challenge to the Major Premise. Continue reading →

Posted in Grace, Instrumental Music, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

How to Argue Like a Christian: Slander, gossip, and swimming pools

Posted on March 16, 2009 by Jay F Guin

This story is told by a campus minister friend of mine.

In anticipation of fall semester, the minister wrote congregations around the state inviting students coming to attend the University of Alabama to participate in his student ministry. He pointed out the many advantages of doing so, inviting the students to come see “our pool and ping pong table.”

Well, it wasn’t long before a rather strongly worded bulletin article made the rounds pointing how his church has a “swimming pool.” The bulletin made its way to the campus minister, who was mortified, because his church has no swimming pool – never has, never will. In fact, he’d meant to write that the student center has “pool and ping pong tables.” He got one little “s” wrong and suddenly he’s being lambasted in the church periodicals. Continue reading →

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Renewing Our Worship: Epilogue

Posted on March 15, 2009 by Jay F Guin

In a few of the earlier posts in this series, I mentioned the 30-hour fast our teens had undertaken to help children dying from starvation. They made streamers of 26,000 paperchains — the number of children dying each day from starvation and preventable illnesses — and hung them in the auditorium.

I thought we’d have, you know, four or five streamers. Well, 26,000 is a BIG number — and the auditorium and foyer were draped with more streamers than the eye (or camera) could take in.

The kids raised $7,000 and learned a lot about poverty around the world. Here are some pictures.

(Oh, as youth ministers will do, he offered to let the kids have thier way with his hair if they reached $7,000. Hence, the mohawk.) Continue reading →

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How to Argue Like a Christian: Camels noses and compromises

Posted on March 15, 2009 by Jay F Guin

At a Sunday morning assembly, the elder making the closing announcements asks the members and visitors to pass in their attendance sheets. At no one’s request, a seven-year old girl named Katie gets up to help pick up the sheets. She’s seen her friends (all boys) do the same thing the last several weeks and just assumes that if her friends can pick up announcement sheets, so can she.

Afterwards, two members who noticed this event ask to meet with the elders. The elders invite them to their next meeting, unaware that they have opposite feelings on the matter.

At the meeting, the elders tell the two members they should feel free to express their concerns. The older member, named Sam, begins. Continue reading →

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