by Joel V Webb | Nov 15, 2024 | Orthodoxy Matters
A key theme in the literary genre of fantasy fiction is that of enchantment, or being enchanted. It usually has a magical overtone by which someone or something is imbued with special power or qualities that makes them stand out from everything else around them. Almost every magical story has an enchanted forest where the magical, mythological and fanciful creatures reside, and the protagonist usually has to go in order to continue their quest intentionally or by circumstance. It is in these places that is separated by the hum drum of the world around them, and their eyes are open to what is really going on. This is exemplified in the story of Prince Caspian, written by C.S. Lewis. Caspian enters the “dark forest” where we encounters the truth of the creatures of Narnia, and his true purpose is given to him to free the true Narnians from the oppression surrounding them. Caspian’s imagination is enchanted with what is really going on, and he can move forward in clarity to whatever is next, and into his true calling.
We live in a world that has lost all of its enchantment. Materialism, secularism and modernism have stamped out our ability to have almost any imagination. We are only concerned with what is physically in front of us..and outside of that anything doesn’t have much importance. Sure, we make ascent to the existence of a spiritual world that exists, but there is no real practical application to how we live our day to day lives.
A friend of mine put it this way. “We have made a fasutian bargain with technology. We know everything about the physical world, but we have lost the sense and knowledge of our spiritual selves, which makes us human.” I love technology & science. We have all been blessed by the wisdom that God has given humanity to understand the creation, and from that to harness it for the betterment of human living. But in that we have forgotten the truth of the spiritual world. We live as if our Christian faith is an add-on to our lives, that is part of what we do, rather than understanding that our faith is the understanding of everything.
Just as Prince Caspian experienced, we all need to take a little stroll into the enchanted forest, to have our eyes opened to what is really going on. We live in a world, that while made up of physical things, is really a world of spiritual beings and realities that interact via a physical reality. Our imaginations need to be re-enchanted with the worldview of Scripture, to see beyond the near-sighted reality of material existence, and understand that there is more.
But how can we do this? What can pull us out of our material slumber, and enable us to see the light that is above the low clouds of secularism?
One thing that I have found amazingly helpful is the Lord’s Prayer. While often spoken of as just a pattern on how to pray, this prayer is really a deeply Scriptural and theologically rich prayer that realigns our imagination and vision to how Christ desires His people to see the world around us. In this prayer we begin to see and understand that while stuff is going on around us, our call as followers of ‘The Way’ is to subvert our normal human reaction, and to work in a way that points to Christ’s Kingdom that is in, but not of this world. More of this concept can be explored in the book “Liturgy in the Wilderness” by D.J. Marotta.
This is just a small first step, but the first step is usually the biggest one. Christ calls us to look at the world around us in a different way. Not just as a place that exists with power dynamics and limited opportunities for redemption. But rather as a place that is the field of battle of epic proportions of powerful spiritual forces desiring us to image themselves, rather than the Creator of all things. There isn’t a demon under every lampshade, but there are demonic forces that try often to divert us away from our true calling. And in that same thought there are angels that seek to aid us in keeping us true to the One True King, Jesus.
It might sound crazy. But this is the real world that we live in. So let’s take a jaunt into the enchanted forest and begin to see what is really going on.
Further up, and further in.
by Joel V Webb | May 29, 2024 | Uncategorized
One of the big discussions happening in the Church is that
of reaching to the next generation, most who have never and may never darken
the doors of a Church building for a variety of reasons. The pool of research
is growing into this field, seeking out how the Church can be effective
witnesses of the Gospel.
Everything that I have read so far shows that really what
the next generation is looking for from those of us currently in the pews is
not necessarily a particular worship style or worship, but rather a warm
authentic community. Be it a church providing high liturgy and the Eucharist
every week, or a more modern setup with a rockin’ worship team and a pastor in
ripped jeans. The coming generations (particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha) are
really caring about the authenticity of the relationships and community that
their place of worship has, rather than being attached to a certain style of
worship (See the book Growing Young by Kara Powell, Jake Mulder and Brad
Griffin).
In my lifetime my experience with much of the Church has
been more concerned with the form of the worship over the community the
participated. I’m sure there are those who share this experience, or have very
different experiences. Because of the general acceptance of Christian morality
in the West for the last several generations, a form of malaise has grown over
our eyes as the culture around us generally mirrors how the Church is called to
live.
What has happened in the last 20 years in particular is a
vast shifting in the US (something that was already rapidly happening in Canada
and Europe) of the perspective of the Church and the Christian message. Now, just
like the early church in some ways, we are the counter-cultural force at play.
This is scary for many of us, causing us to respond with suspicion and fear to
the shifting sands around us, rather than responding with the attitude of
opportunity.
This needs to make us take a deep look at our outlook as the
Church in regards to our interaction and perspective. We are no longer the pre-supposed
middle of the conversation. With polarization on both political fronts, the
Church is finding itself being sucked to two extremes that are impossible to
bridge. Instead, we need to focus on what we were called to be. In, but not of
this world.
If we are wanting to be attractive to the next generations,
we must offer something that no ideology, Tik Tok fad, virtue signaling, or political
movement can provide. The Church offer
vital and life-giving community centered around the Gospel, which is a
life-changing message of hope and new life in a world that is spiraling as it
searches for meaning. Our modern world gives us the ability to reach and share
with people as unheard of speed, with the truth of an ancient message that has
been practiced by other broken, and then made new people for over 2000 years.
We may need to look at hybrid models of doing things. A sold
combination of alternative forms of church (commonly called fresh expressions) and
what we commonly think of as the Church to meet the needs of people who are in
just as much need of new life in Christ as we are, or the Jews & Gentiles
of the 1st Century AD were. I don’t know what that all looks like,
or means. The Holy Spirit is calling the Church to remain faithful to the faith
once for all delivered to the saints, while not being tied to how we’ve always
done things.
Let’s drop the facade of “doing Church” and instead really live
as an intentional community who loves God, loves people, and live sent to
proclaim the Gospel, whatever that looks like.
by Joel V Webb | Apr 21, 2024 | Uncategorized
One of the things I remember when getting to apply for colleges was “do I have all the prerequisites?” Has
everything I have done up to this point made me able to proceed with this potential program?
I grew up in a church background that was all about qualifying. Have I done everything perfectly so that I will
merit God’s blessing and favor, will I be enough to be the best of the best Christians to be worthy of the highest
forms of revelation that God could dish out.
This of course leads to and breeds problems.
I have heard numerous sermons throughout my life that were making sure we knew all about qualifying for our
inheritance, doing everything to not miss out on the special promises of rewards and rulership that I could attain.
Then my dad showed me this pesky little verse in Colossians. (this after being out of this context for a coupe years)
Colossians 1:12 NIV giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his
holy people in the kingdom of light.
Wait…what is that!?
The text (and the surrounding context makes it abundantly clear) that it is Christ who qualifies us.
WE DON’T DO IT OURSELVES! This may seem really obvious, and it is. But for someone who
was taught (intentionally or unintentionally) to have a spiritual superiority complex, and that I make myself
qualify, this is earth shattering.
This simple truth strikes at the core of the Gospel. Really this is the reason Jesus had to come. We are unable in
and of ourselves, no matter how we try to qualify and make ourselves right before God.
But there can also be a slightly more nefarious implication. In the background I am from somewhere that
everything was about the special spiritual pedigree that we had because of the teaching. And in order to qualify
for the special benefits we had to qualify by staying true. This then could be used as a cudgel to keep people in
line with fear and trembling to obey what they are told. And why? To make sure that you qualify for the “special
blessings”
But this is all hay, wood and stubble. Yes, our allegiance to Christ is essential. We want to stand true to Him not
matter what is going on around us. By not matter what, that is not what qualifies us. There is not spiritual pedigree
or hierarchy that we can measure in this life for what is in eternity. And even if we could, it doesn’t matter because
whatever crown we have we will cast before King Jesus. Because no matter what we did, it was He who qualified
us first.
So be encouraged and know that it is Christ who qualifies us. For salvation or anything else. He is one through
His Holy Spirit that empowers us to be and live differently. When we put our allegiance in Him, that transforms
us into the human He intended us to be. And that starts with Him qualifying us.
by Joel V Webb | Jan 19, 2024 | Uncategorized
I just finished watching The Bible Collection: Jeremiah which is a dramatization of the life and ministry of the weeping prophet Jeremiah. Following his life from a young age, up till just after the destruction of Jerusalem it shows the near impossible situation that he was dealing with. I recommend checking it out as it brings the story to life (Watch The Bible Collection: Jeremiah | Prime Video (amazon.com))
We know Jeremiah was not believed by the leadership of Judah. They had failed to do what they were supposed to. Honor God in all things, and rule justly. The decrepit nature of the nation was becoming more apparent as they were falling into the same behaviors that landed the northern kingdom of Israel into exile. It is from this place that Judah was conquered, and the entire time Jeremiah went unheeded. His calls for repentance and justice fell on deaf ears.
The parallels seem to be deafening to our current day in various ways. While we don’t have the intertwining of faith and politics that existed in the OT period of Judah, there still is influence that has been missing. Since the early 19th century, much of the American Church has gotten so enthralled with “getting out of dodge” when it comes to our eschatology. Why does it matter what goes on here if we are going to be raptured up anyways! That or any other number of variations of the same idea. Instead of being the Kingdom of God on the earth transforming the creation through the spreading of the gospel we become so internalized with ourselves, and this has led to so much rot.
The Church in many places has left our mandate to take care of the orphan and widow to the government. We all can certainly agree this is a less than ideal situation. But as we know history doesn’t always repeat itself, but it certainly does rhyme. This abrogation of our responsibility has led to what we have. A more often than not overbearing government that regularly interacts outside of its Constitutional bounds to “take care of us”. If we are truly desiring justice to prevail, we in the Church must take up the mantle and example of the Early Church.
What would happen if that changed? If the incentives were corrected and people looked to God’s people for what they were supposed to do as part of their mission of restoring creation through the spreading of the gospel.
Jeremiah 3:12-13, “O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever. Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God and committed adultery against him by worshiping idols under every green tree. Confess that you refused to listen to my voice. I, the Lord, have spoken!
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