I just booked plane tickets for Anita, Robbie, and I to head back to Windsor, CA where I used to serve as a Director of Christian Education. While the primary purpose behind the trip is to attend my brother-in-laws wedding, it's also fairly standard for me to preach at the church where I used to serve when I'm in town and, since the eLife is now out, I'm also going to do a book signing.
In the past, preaching there has always been odd because I've changed a lot since I left town 6 years ago. As a result, I always feel like my sermon there has been one huge, "I'm really sorry for most of the crap I taught back then." I typically don't put it that way, but it's certainly what is going through my mind the whole time.
You see, at the time, I was really buying into a pop-evangelical theology that could be summarized with the "My Heart, Christ's Home" mentality. I taught that Jesus has saved you and now you better get your crap together and make him the Lord of your life. This was combined with seeing the Bible as an instruction book for living out the Christian life.
The problem with this is that, beyond making grace something like a fast cash store where it's free now but you're going to get slammed with exorbitant payments later, is that it puts the impetus for spiritual growth on the person (as opposed to the work of the Spirit) and, as a result, anybody who isn't growing must not be trying hard enough. This leads to all kinds of judgment within the church. In addition, as we've seen with so many spiritual leaders who have fallen, this really encourages those who are Christian to hide their sin and put on a whole stigma of self-righteousness (something I haven't been immune to in my lifetime).
Of course, this time, things are even more odd because of the eLife and the introduction to the book where I talk about my engagement to Anita, some of the choices we made in an attempt to live out my theology at the time, and how it gave us a rough foundation for our marriage ... something we're still reworking almost 7 years later. I mean, I've always felt like I've been apologizing before, but now, there it is, in print, for whomever to read.
Of course, I'm sure I'll say the same thing about something I wrote in the eLife in another 6 years.
The work of the spirit here seems like a chicken or the egg issue. Doesn't the spirit come though opening yourself up to God? And, if you have the spirit don't you open yourself up to him?
Though, I will say that I agree that for people who aren't growing it may not be a matter of them not trying hard enough. I really wonder with some of the ones I know if they aren't rejecting the spirit.
I, also, wonder if these aren't some of the harder people to reach. They come to church. They might be involved in some things. So, they are content and think things are fine. Someone who realizes that life isn't great and is searching seems easier to reach than someone who is near to Gods people and thinks they are ok. Any ideas how to reach this tough group?
I'd disagree that it's a chicken and egg thing. The Spirit always comes and acts first, after all, it's the Spirit who not only gives us faith, but also the Spirit who gives us the desire and ability to do God's will.
As for rejecting the Spirit, I'd say we all do, daily, in various ways. After all, the Spirit comes to us, plants a second will within us (there's already that natural will that opposes God), and the two spend the rest of this life battling it out (that whole St. Paul in Roman's 7 thing). The thing here is that we can find certain places or moments in our life where the Spirit reigns and we're doing well, but the smallest thing or situation can prompt the Old Adam to take over (at varying levels of destructiveness).
That tough group you mention is odd, because they come from a variety of places. I don't think you can just say that there are some who "do the church thing" and think life's fine. I'd also say you have people who look like that externally, but are faithfully living out their vocations in more private settings as well as those who put on the facade that things are fine because "that's the way it's supposed to be if you're a Christian", but really are shredded on the inside.