A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

Responding to Brian McLaren’s Question # 10: The What Now Question

Welcome: You’re reading Part 12 of my blog series responding to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity (read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, and Part 11). Many have engaged Brian’s thinking by focusing on a systematic theology response (read 6 Views on Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity for a boatload of links). My focus is on pastoral theology or practical theology. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I’m asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

What Now?

Ever since I read Larry Richard’s book Creative Bible Teaching, I have used his Hook, Book, Look, Took process in my teaching and preaching. Hook addresses the “Why?” question. “Why do we need this lesson?” Book addresses the “What?” question. “What does the Bible teach in this passage?” Look addresses the “So What?” question. “So what difference should this make in our lives and ministries?” Took addresses the “What Now?” question. “What will I specifically do differently now that I understand the interpretation and implications of this passage?”

In a similar way, Brian wraps up A New Kind of Christianity by asking the “What now?” question. Brian asks, “How can we translate our quest into action?” His answer dovetails with spiritual formation. “So our quest calls us first and foremost to nurture a robust spiritual life—not only a deep commitment to serve God, but also a deep desire to know and love God” (p. 226). He says “the end of our quest is a better world in which God’s will is done” (p. 226). At a general level, I have no quarrel with those statements. Brian becomes a tad more specific when he says, “Our goal must be to see those young people put a vital, radical faith into vital, radical action for and with the poor, action on behalf of the planet, action that makes for peace” (p. 226). Some might quibble with whether those are the most profound and foundational applications, but few would disagree that they could be valid “What now?” responses.

Next, Brian outlines his stages in humanity’s quest. He graciously places most of the people he’s spoken about and against at levels 2 through 5. Even more graciously, he places himself and those who join him at levels 6 and 7. His level 7 is sure to raise eyebrows. It’s the healing level with the quest to unify and liberate, to rediscover the beauty of the whole. It is peace and shalom. It is ubuntu or one-another-ness, interconnectedness, the well-being of all. The quest that Brian calls us to is to follow his lead and evolve to a higher community which consists of “Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, and others” and “welcomes all people to mature and advance in the human quest” (p. 235). If we think this is not a new kind of Christianity but a wrong kind of Christianity, then we are “the theological thought police” (p. 240).

Brian’s Definition of Sin and Description of Sinners

As he’s done throughout the book, Brian then not-so-subtly takes another dig at those who disagree with his ubuntu quest. “This way of love, this quest for ubuntu, this violet way of seeing and relating, is virtually impossible to imagine for people who haven’t reached the violet zone; they are likely to mock it or condemn it as something naïve, silly, or even evil (which is exactly what we would expect from people in other zones)” (p. 239). Nothing like shutting down conversation and putting down those who disagree with you—portraying them as immature children contrasted with wise adults, or as mindless ants compared to brilliant humans.

But it gets worse. On page 239, Brian finally defines sin. And it is…us! Those who disagree with him and refuse to join him on his higher plane, on his spiritual quest—we are sinners. “Sin is ultimately a refusal to grow” (p. 239). Those of us not in his violet quest zone are sinners. At least we finally know there are still some sinners left on Brian’s planet!

Brian continues. “Where sin increases—where the resistance to growth, transcendence, and inclusion increase—what abounds more? God’s grace” (p. 240). So, the very existence of us non-growth-oriented sinners is a hope-giving existence to Brian because he’s convinced God will out-grace our sin of refusing to grow with Brian and grow like Brian!

Brian says that he wishes for the courage to differ and the grace to differ graciously (p. 243). He wants generative conversations. He urges his followers to avoid a defensive, divisive spirit because it “simply serves to replicate some of the worst features of the conventional kinds of Christianity” (p. 246). Given the title of his book, he means…us. So…his generative conversation ends by labeling those who disagree with him as immature children and defensive and divisive theological thought police who sinfully refuse to grow by joining his quest for ubuntu. Does it strike anyone else as ironic that two chapters focused on the quest for healing, connectedness, and inclusiveness would be so saturated with such demeaning portrayals?

What Now? Biblical Counseling Implication

Honestly, it’s difficult to know what to do with this. What now should we do with Brian’s approach in his two what now chapters? Even apart from the theological differences, a consistent “issue” I have with A New Kind of Christianity is Brian’s chosen style of communication. He repeatedly paints himself as humble, gracious, inviting, loving, and simply asking honest questions. Yet he consistently paints those with whom he disagrees in the worst light possible, not only with extreme caricatures, but with dismissive, condescending, and pejorative labels.

In any counseling/relationship context, for two people or two groups of people to communicate well, there must be mutual understanding, concerted effort to see life from the other person’s perspective, a sincere desire to represent accurately the other person or group, and a heart-felt, sacrificial love that puts the other person first. In the absence of these, no meaningful dialogue will ever occur.

In secular counseling, when these are absent, the primary “solution” is to teach “communication skills.” Brian’s an English major and a veteran pastor. His final two chapters are all about the quest to heal relationships. So I’m sure he understands and could teach communication skills and conflict resolution. So what’s up?

In biblical counseling, when communication skills are absent, instead of starting with “solutions,” we begin with “SOUL-u-tions.” That is, we seek to help people to assess what heart issues may be generating the symptoms of poor communication skills.

It’s likely that folks on both sides—those who agree with Brian and those who disagree—myself included, need some “SOUL-u-tion-focused-biblical counseling. What heart issues are preventing us from speaking the truth in love? That’s my “What now?” question. I’ll leave it at that and allow each of us in this “generative conversation” to make our own personal application.

The Rest of the Story

In my final post, I’ll reflect on “big picture” issues of what I’ve learned and what we all could learn from our engagement with Brian’s ten questions.

Join the Conversation

What heart issues are preventing us from speaking the truth in love?

A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

Responding to Brian McLaren’s Question # 9: The Pluralism Question

Welcome: You’re reading Part 11 of my blog series responding to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity (read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, and Part 10). Many have engaged Brian’s thinking by focusing on a systematic theology response (visit here for a boatload of links). My focus is on pastoral theology or practical theology. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I’m asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

Salvation without Christ and Spiritual Formation without the Indwelling Spirit

In the pluralism question, Brian asks, “How should followers of Jesus relate to people of other religions?” His preferred approach envisions evangelism ceasing to be a matter of saving souls and ceasing to be a proclamation of the superiority of Christianity (p. 216).

Rather than converting people from their fallen condition of sinful human depravity, in Brian’s thinking, salvation involves inviting unconverted people “into lifelong spiritual formation as disciples of Jesus” in an uncoverted community dedicated “to teaching the most excellent way of love, whatever the new disciple’s religious affiliation or lack thereof” (p. 216).

To arrive at this novel interpretation of salvation (salvation without conversion from sin) and spiritual formation (spiritual formation without Spirit-empowered progressive sanctification through the all-sufficient Word of God and the indwelling Spirit of God), Brian spends seven pages reinterpreting John 14:6. Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by me.”

Brian has Christ saying in this verse, “Look at me, my life, my way, my deeds, my character.” And what has that character been? “One of exclusion, rejection, constriction, elitism, favoritism, and condemnation? Of course not! Jesus’s way has been compassion, healing, acceptance, forgiveness, inclusion, and love” (pp. 222-223). Rather than being a statement of faith in Christ as the exclusive way to salvation, for Brian, John 14:6 becomes a statement of universal salvation apart from faith in Christ.

Knowing the Father through the Son, Reflecting the Son through the Spirit

Brian acts as if it is the most unloving act in the world to dare to share Christ with a person of another religion, and thus to claim that their way does not lead to God. He holds Christ up as the model (as we all should). So, let’s consider what Christ has to say to those who try to relate to the Father apart from the Son.

When the Pharisees tried to have a relationship with the Father apart from the Son, Jesus dared to speak exclusive truth. He dared to tell them point blank, “You will die in your sin” (John 8:21). Why? “If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24). Sounds totally exclusive to me. Jesus continues. “I have much to say in judgment of you” (John 8:25). Sounds rather…judgmental.

“To the Jews who had believed in him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples’” (John 8:31). Sounds rather exclusive. He then informs them that it is truth that will set them free (John 8:32). Free from what? Slavery to sin (John 8:33-36). And only the Son can set one free from sin’s enslavement (John 8:36).

Jesus is not nearly finished. His words become increasingly exclusive. Those who do not believe in Him get the message, though they disagree with it. “‘We are not illegitimate children,’ they protested” (John 8:41). Did Jesus back down and clarify that they had misunderstood His message? Not in the least. He intensifies his proclamation of exclusive salvation. “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him” (John 8:44).

Clearly, we can know the Father only through the Son. Clearly, knowing and personally accepting and appropriating the truth of Christ’s life, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection are essential to salvation.

The Divine Counselor—The Ultimate Biblical Counselor and Spiritual Director

It’s equally true that truth is essential for spiritual formation in Christ. In the same narrative where Brian wants to make Jesus’ words about being the truth simply a statement of a good moral example, Jesus repeatedly links the Spirit to truth. Because of Christ’s great love for us, He does not leave us orphaned. He prays to the Father Who gives us another Counselor to be with us forever.

And Who is this Counselor? The Spirit of truth (John 14:17). What is the truth that leads both to salvation and to sanctification? “He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him” (John 14:21). If I truly love and care about a person of another religion who does not know Christ, and if I long for that person to know the love of Christ now and forever, then unmistakably Christ calls me to share the truth of exclusive salvation in Christ with my friend.

And if I long for my newly saved friend to grow in grace, then I will want to teach my friend about the work of the Spirit—the Divine Counselor. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things” (John 14:26). I will mentor my newly saved friend in the progressive sanctification process of abiding in Christ—exclusively in Christ (John 15:1-8).

The Divine Counselor focuses on truth—the truth of Christ’s exclusivity. “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me” (John 15:26). And if I love my spiritual friend, what will I do? “And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:27).

The Spirit of truth, “convicts the world of guilt in regard to sin” (John 16:8). And what is the core sin, the core guilt for which we remain in our sins? “In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me” (John 16:9). Could anything be clearer? Jesus is the only Way to salvation and to spiritual formation. Speaking the truth in love is the only means of evangelism and discipleship. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). All truth about what? About Christ. “He will bring glory to me” (John 16:14).

If the goal of my life is to glorify Christ, and if the passion of my loving heart is to see others enter into new life with Christ and abundant life in Christ, then I will speak the truth of Christ’s exclusivity. There’s nothing unloving about the truth. There’s nothing loving about hiding the truth of salvation and sanctification in Christ alone.

The Rest of the Story

In my next post, I respond to Brian’s answer to the what-do-we-do-now question. He asks, “How can we translate our quest into action?”

Join the Conversation

How should we relate in truth and love to those who do not know Christ?

A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

Responding to Brian McLaren’s Question # 8: The Future Question

Welcome: You’re reading Part 10 of my blog series responding to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity (read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, and Part 9). Many have engaged Brian’s thinking by focusing on a systematic theology response (visit here for a boatload of links). My focus is on pastoral theology or practical theology. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I’m asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

A New Kind of Eschatology?

I mentioned in Post 9 that I open each chapter of Brian’s book with the hope that Brian might represent with sincerely and without extreme stereotypes those with whom he disagrees. Once again I was disappointed because once again Brian regales his readers with tales from the dark side of eschatology. It’s the same old record, hitting the same old scratch, and playing the same old note again and again.

In Brian’s caricature, typical eschatology views are “pitiful and laughable” (p. 192). Brian’s stereotyped proponents say that since the world is about to end, we don’t care about the environment, we don’t give a rip about global poverty, we’re not concerned about justice for non-Jews, and we refuse to waste energy on peacemaking. Such disingenuous caricatures hardly serve the purpose of inviting conversation or of explaining why a new kind of eschatology is even necessary.

For most Evangelicals, eschatology is much more than the Left Behind series. Eschatology is about our final destiny and what difference our eternal destiny makes in our current lives and ministries. Biblical eschatology has both individual and social/corporate applications. For instance, I teach A Christ-Centered TEAM Approach to Intercultural Ministry. We discuss the point that since for all eternity we will worship, fellowship, and minister together interculturally (Revelation 7:9-10), therefore, we should purposefully, intentionally, and proactively work toward intercultural ministry, multicultural relationships, and multiethnic churches today.

Living in Light of Eternity Future

Brian states that the old kind of eschatology makes us “like gerbils on a wheel” (p. 194). Whatever that old kind of eschatology is, I’m with Brian in rejecting it. When teaching on Life’s Seven Ultimate Questions, which I addressed in Part 3, I discuss how reading the end of the story makes all the difference in how we respond to present suffering and how we overcome besetting sins.

In the end, God “wins.” Good triumphs over evil. Justice triumphs over injustice. Beauty triumphs over chaos. Light triumphs over darkness. Grace triumphs over sin. The biblical answer to the question of ultimate destiny ought to impact drastically how we live today—our future destiny impacts our present reality. That’s no gerbil on a wheel. That’s a biblical counseling perspective that leads to personal and corporate spiritual formation.

Living in Light of Brian’s Eschatology

Brian labels his view “improvisational eschatology” (p. 196). When we ask, “What does the future hold?” Brian says the answer depends. “It depends on you and me” (p. 196). For Brian, this is encouraging. For me, it’s terrifying.

So, do I create my eschatology out of fear? No. I follow a biblical eschatology that leads to sure hope. So, does non-improvisational eschatology leave out any God-human relationship and interworking? Not in the least. We cooperate, submit to, and participate in the sovereign, affectionate work God is doing. We do so joyfully and confidently knowing that God is in control and He cares. This biblical eschatology inspires. It produces anticipation. It offers hope.

As a pastor, counselor, professor, and spiritual friend, I wonder what hope one can offer someone with an “it-depends-eschatology.” I think of my dear mother-in-law who lost her husband of 60 years. It’s a sure-hope-eschatology not an it-depends-eschatology that motivates her day-by-day.

Living in Brian’s Future

Honestly, I’m unclear what Brian’s vision of the future looks like. I’m unsure what eternity or heaven, or the new heaven and the new earth look like. I know it’s not the caricature he paints of those who disagree with him—“a Platonic state of Greco-Roman perfection” (p. 198). It’s more like Randy Alcorn’s Heaven. It’s a new heaven and a new earth—a real place with real purpose, real relationships, and real growth.

Biblical, sure-hope-eschatology motivates and empowers us to live a story worth telling forever. It produces a future vision that leads to a current Christ-centered passion.

Because sure-hope-eschatology believes that choices on earth really matter and have eternal ramifications, it leads to lifestyle evangelism—living and sharing the sure hope of eternal life through faith in Christ alone. It is unlike Brian’s “undoomed future” of universal salvation which diminishes the choices we make today and dulls motivation for living and sharing Christ.

The Rest of the Story

In my next post, I respond to Brian’s answer to the pluralism question. He asks, “How should followers of Jesus relate to people of other religions?”

Join the Conversation

What biblical view of the future gives you purpose today and hope forever?

A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

Responding to Brian McLaren’s Question # 7: The Sex Question

Welcome: You’re reading Part 9 of my blog series responding to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity (read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8). Many have engaged Brian’s thinking by focusing on a systematic theology response (visit here for a boatload of links). My focus is on pastoral theology or practical theology. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I’m asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

Fundasexuality?

As I engage Brian’s take on each of his ten questions, each time I’m looking for something that sincerely invites a fair and balanced conversation. Unfortunately, through question seven, I’ve not sensed a genuine invitation.

Brian words his sex question, “Can we find a way to address human sexuality without fighting about it”? If Brian doesn’t want to fight over sexuality, why would he begin with a two-and-half-page satirical and judgmental diatribe that diagnoses those who disagree with him as having the disease of “fundasexuality”—“a reactive, combative brand of religious fundamentalism that preoccupies itself with sexuality” (p. 174)?

I understand that Brian could claim, “I’m only talking about extremists.” But if your view is solidly biblical and your intent is loving conversation, then why consistently posed the discussion as your best view against their worst view—a stereotyped, extreme, marginal position?

Sadly, this chapter is filled with false stereotypes of those who disagree with Brian. He claims that others are focused on homosexual sins and ignoring the sinfulness of heterosexual sin. Biblical counselors address a myriad of heterosexual sin issues. Let’s put it more accurately and more positively. Biblical counseling proactively has developed robust models of sexuality, gender, maleness, and femaleness. We’re asking, and lovingly and biblically helping people to address, “What does it mean, according to the Bible, to be a healthy, whole, and holy sexual, gendered being?”

A Robust Biblical Counseling and Spiritual Formation Approach to Human Sexuality

Brian asks that we begin to construct a more humane sexual ethic and a more honest and robust Christian anthropology. I agree 100% with Brian’s goal. That’s why I’ve spent the past twenty-five years developing a Christian anthropology (Creation/People), a Christian hamartiology (Fall/Problems), and a Christian soteriology (Redemption/solutions) for biblical counseling and spiritual formation (see Soul Physicians) (as have other biblical counselors for over a generation). Because of our trust in the sufficiency and relevancy of Scripture, biblical counselors apply the Creation/Fall/Redemption biblical model to the question of human sexuality. No, we don’t use the stereotyped “Greco-Roman model” that Brian creates and then trashes (see my response to Brian’s narrative question).

We examine God’s original design for sexuality, sex, sexual identity, gender, maleness and femaleness, masculinity and femininity (Creation/people/Christian anthropology). We probe the far-reaching, deeply-relevant implications of the fact that God created us male and female. We’re amazed at the beauty, symmetry, and loving purpose of God’s original design.

We also explore how our Fall into sin mars everything—including human sexuality (Fall/problems/Christian hamartiology). We allow the biblical text, in context, to speak for itself because we’re confident not only in the sufficiency of Scripture but also in the profundity of Scripture. Both in specific passages and in overall theological presentation, the Bible profoundly addresses issues of fallen sexuality—sexual abuse and sexual abuse recovery, sexual identity and sexual identity confusion, sexual passion and sexual “addiction.”

We further study what the Bible says about God’s restoration of human sexuality (Redemption/solutions/Christian soteriology). The Bible has relevant insights for real people with real questions and real problems of human sexuality. Through biblical counseling and spiritual formation, we help people to find not simply answers, but God’s healing hope and victory in significant areas such as sexual abuse recovery, sexual identity, and sexual “addictions.”

The biblical counseling and spiritual formation question is not simply, “Can we find a way to address human sexuality without fighting about it?” Our question is more profound, relevant, positive, and hopeful. “How can we biblically and lovingly address human sexuality so that we can be healthy, whole, and holy sexual, gendered beings?”

A Way Forward: Or How to Discuss Biblical Sexuality in Truth and Love

Part of Brian’s goal is laudable. He wants us no longer to hide the truth of our sexuality—in all its beauty and agony, in all of its passion and pain, in all of its simplicity and complexity. The more we hide, the sicker we become. Agreed.

To make this happen, let’s further agree that the Bible is totally sufficient for developing a theology of sexuality. Let’s further agree that the Bible is totally sufficient for developing a “methodology” for helping one another to live whole, healthy, and holy lives as gendered, sexual, male, or female, beings. Let’s, therefore, agree to examine everything about sex, sexuality, gender, maleness, femaleness, masculinity, and femininity through a biblical lens that we attempt to interpret without cultural bias and in love.

The Rest of the Story

In our next post, we respond to Brian’s answer to the future question. He asks, “Can we find a better way of viewing the future?” We’ll ask, “What are the implications of our view of our future for how we live and how we minister?”

Join the Conversation

How do we address human sexuality biblically and lovingly?

A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

Recap: Links to Responses to A New Kind of Christianity

Welcome: I’ve been blogging my way through a series of responses to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity. My focus is on pastoral theology or practical theology response. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I’m asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

Recap

Here are the links thus far in my series.

*Post # 1: Brian McLaren, I Accept Your Invitation

*Post # 2: A Biblical Counseling Response to Brian McLaren  

*Post # 3: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 1: The Narrative Question  

*Post # 4: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 2: The Authority Question—The Bible  

*Post # 5: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 3: The God Question

*Post # 6: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 4: The Jesus Question

*Post # 7: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 5: The Gospel Question

*Post # 8: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 6: The Church Question

Six Views

I’ve also collated other responses and reviews to A New Kind of Christianity.

*Post: 6 Views on Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

The Rest of the Story

In my next post, I respond to Brian’s answer to the sex question. He asks, “Can we find a way to address human sexuality without fighting about it?” What does biblical counseling have to say about addressing human sexuality?

Join the Conversation

Which question do you think is most important and why?

A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

Responding to Brian McLaren’s Question # 6: The Church Question

Welcome: You’re reading Part 8 of my blog series responding to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity (read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7). Many have engaged Brian’s thinking by focusing on a systematic theology response (visit here for a boatload of links). My focus is on pastoral theology or practical theology. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I’m asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

What Is the Church Here For?

In addressing the church issue, Brian asks a series of important questions. “Around what grand endeavor can we rally? What one great danger do people need to be saved from and, more positively, what one great purpose do they need to be saved for? Around what melody can we harmonize without trying to homogenize?” (p. 164).

In response, Brian believes that we must “rethink our core mission” (p. 165). Brian’s rethinking is motivated by his belief that the church has lost touch with “normal” people and that preachers have forgotten how to speak their language. He’s also motivated by his perception that the church is living within an isolated or withdrawn religious subculture, or spiritual country club.

I’m not sure what churches Brian is visiting, but I agree with him—I wouldn’t applaud those churches either. I find it ironic that Brian uses the “spiritual country club” imagery for the churches he’s against. It seems to me that an exorbitant percentage of young Emergent church leaders are all coincidentally called to minister in churches filled with cool, trendy, well-educated, philosophically-inclined, upwardly-mobile, suburban, white-collar types. Isn’t God calling any young Emergent leaders to minister to blue-collar, high-school-educated, rural, or urban people?

A Church Of Biblical Counseling

Brian also seems to think that only he and his fellow Emergent church leaders are ministering in the mess and muck of life, and that only they are speaking the language of the people. The truth is, non-Emergent churches are in the trenches, on the front lines providing ministries based upon truth and love.

Faith Baptist Church in Lafayette, Indiana, under the direction of Pastor Steve Viars, is a prime example. They’re staunchly conservative Evangelical in theology and cutting-edge in ministry practice and outreach. They’re a church of biblical counseling, not just a church with biblical counseling. Their biblical counseling ministry is not just within their congregation, it is to their community.

Every week over 100 community members receive free biblical counseling from Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries. Their waiting list is seemingly endless. Someone must believe they are speaking their language.

As part of Faith Community Ministries, the church built a community center…not for the congregation, but for the…community. The list of need-meeting ministries is amazing, such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Community Blood Drives, Community Foster Car, Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross Disaster Shelter, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Clothing Closet, Food Pantry, etc. As part of this ministry, Faith also built a state-of-the-art outdoor skate board park. Many of these “Skaters” end up in church…with their skate boards and their torn jeans to hear exegetical, expository, biblical preaching every Sunday. These young Skaters believe Faith is speaking their language.

Faith’s Vision of Hope residential treatment center offers faith-based treatment for girls age 14-28 who are struggling with unplanned pregnancy, alcohol or drug abuse, eating disorders, or self-harm. State agencies and the court system regularly refer girls to Vision of Hope—with the full knowledge that the program is based upon biblical counseling. Someone realizes they are speaking their language.

Faith Bible Seminary combines the traditional M.Div. emphasis in theology, the original languages, and pastoral training within a mentoring environment in partnership with area local churches. Students gain first-hand experience with Faith Biblical Counseling, Vision of Hope, and other unique ministries. They have no problem attracting students nor do their graduates have any problem finding local church placement. People know they are speaking their language.

Spiritual Formation in Truth and Love

Brian offer’s his view of the new core mission of the church. We’re called to focus on communities that form Christlike people living as agents of transformation. “The church exists to form Christlike people, people of Christlike love. It exists to save them from the danger of wasting their lives” (p. 164). The meaning of those words depends upon how Brian answered his previous five questions. As Mike Wittmer notes:

“Brian’s shallow evaluation of our problem (no Fall, original sin, total depravity, or hell) produces a shallow understanding of salvation (love as much as you can and let God’s judgment burn your bad stuff away) which produces a shallow view of the church (it exists merely to stop people from wasting their lives).”

Brian wants to know, “How does spiritual formation in the way of Jesus differ from religious education in the way of Christianity?”(p. 170). Great question! Of course, to answer this we must go back to Who Jesus is and why He came. If Jesus is a community organizer Who came to usher in the “sacred ecosystem” (p. 165), then formation in Jesus looks like one thing. But if Jesus is the God-man Who came in Holy Love to justify, regenerate, reconcile, and redeem sinners, then it looks like quite another thing.

Brian traces the church’s problem to knowledge without love. I don’t know anyone who would argue that we should only have love or only have knowledge. But Brian seems to minimize the role of knowledge—truth, doctrine, theology. The same Paul he quotes in 1 Corinthians also says in Philippians 1:9-11 that our love must abound in knowledge and depth of insight. Paul is not pitting love against knowledge. Paul is saying that truth or love alone are never enough. Brian says the church should be a school of love (p. 170). I would say, and I believe it’s a crucial difference, that the church should be a school where love abounds in knowledge and depth of insight.

Brian also says that we need to be Spirit-saturated people. I agree. Of course, we have to ask and answer the question, “How does the Spirit saturate us?” In what ways and under what condition(s) does the Spirit enter a person’s life? I would say, through rebirth, through salvation—through justification, regeneration, reconciliation, and redemption. (See my response to Question # 5.)

Brian’s view of the Fall, of Christ, and of the Gospel all seem to call into question salvation as justification, regeneration, reconciliation, and redemption. In this chapter, Brian furthers states that the goal of the church is to save people from wasting their lives. That’s quite different from saving them from sin, depravity, and alienation from God. So, without salvation, how does the Spirit saturate a person?

I believe the Bible teaches that the goal of the church is to introduce people to Christ Who saves them. They are thus justified, regenerated, reconciled, redeemed, and indwelt by the Spirit and thus they are empowered to be formed into the image of Christ. Then, as new creations in Christ, together as the Body of Christ, we minister to one another (biblical counseling and spiritual formation) so that our inner lives increasingly reflect the inner life of Christ and so that our outer lives increasingly sacrificially minister Christ’s grace to hurting and hardened people. That’s certainly not a wasted life.

The Rest of the Story

In our next post, we respond to Brian’s answer to the sex question. He asks, “Can we find a way to address human sexuality without fighting about it?” What does biblical counseling have to say about addressing human sexuality?

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