Tag: relevant

The Clairvoyant Text

Gary Pollard

You’ve probably felt distant from the scriptures at some point because of their archaic origin. If we’re honest with ourselves, it can be difficult to resonate with texts so far removed from our own experiences. We have aircraft that’ve operated in excess of 85,000 feet altitude, traveling at over three times the speed of sound. We manufacture mind-bogglingly complex things at a microscopic scale with ease. Robots perform surgeries. We can stare at the Orion Nebula, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, and other celestial wonders in our backyards with cheap, mass-produced telescopes. Unfortunately, we also have weapons capable of erasing hundreds of thousands of lives in a fraction of a second. 

This barely scratches the surface, and anyone who likes to research the limits of human ingenuity knows that “DARPA1 is always about 25 years ahead of what the public is aware of.” The phones in our pockets are millions of times more powerful than the guidance computer that put man on the moon2, and even the AGC was lightyears ahead of anything a shepherd in antiquity could comprehend. 

We live in a world that feels, in many ways, totally disconnected from the one that birthed the divine texts we rely on for guidance and godly living. So what makes them useful, relevant, or invaluable? Their use of symbolism and their appeal to transcendent principles. It’s as if the authors of the New Testament were aware of the trajectory humanity would follow! Why not communicate using mathematics? We consider math to be the universal language — something that has its roots in vastly ancient times. But math can only reach a limited number of people: few can understand it adequately (least of all me). Instead, the New Testament writers employed stories, parables, and first principles to set up a system that would never be truly irrelevant. 

No matter how advanced our technology becomes, its principles will always be powerful. “Take care of the vulnerable.” “Love other people, even your enemies.” “Live like you’re going to stand before a judge after you die.” “Put the needs/desires/feelings of other people ahead of your own.” On a more concrete level, the New Testament speaks of earth’s impending destruction — a final one this time. We have the passage in Hebrews (quoting Haggai), “Once again I will shake the earth, but I will also shake the sky.” The geological record (and our own eyeballs) shows incontrovertible evidence of colossal destruction at some point in the past. Earth was repaired (cf. Ps 104), but is destined for complete destruction and final repair (cf. II Pt. 3). All of its messages have the same power today that they had millennia ago! 

The language of the New Testament can be understood by just about anyone, especially if using a half-decent, Easy-to-Read3 translation. That the New Testament doesn’t bog itself down with messages relevant only to the culture of the ancient world is a powerful evidence of a divine origin. There are other internally-consistent, well-attested ancient writings with seemingly-anachronistic scientific knowledge and profound philosophical principles — but these can only be understood after immersion in their historical-culture contexts and symbolisms. Few have the time, energy, or desire to do so. Even in their day, that knowledge was closely guarded, available only to kings, elites, or the initiated. The New Testament presents many of those same principles (without the baggage, of course) in language any truth-seeker can comprehend. The message of the New Testament tangibly alters the feelings, perceptions, and behaviors of its adherents in ways that only benefit everyone — if practiced without the interference of human traditions and bad motives. God’s word stands on its own and needs no assistance.  

So, the message of the New Testament remains as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago. Rather than feeling disconnected from it, we should appreciate its extreme value more than ever! It has never been more relevant to our world than it is now! Our “advances” have had an inversely proportional effect on our capacity for goodness. Only God can save us, and we welcome his return. 

You have to be aware of this: There are some terrible times coming in the last days. People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud and boast about themselves. They will abuse others with insults. They will not obey their parents. They will be ungrateful and against all that is pleasing to God. They will have no love for others and will refuse to forgive anyone. They will talk about others to hurt them and will have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. People will turn against their friends. They will do foolish things without thinking and will be so proud of themselves. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. They will go on pretending to be devoted to God, but they will refuse to let that “devotion” change the way they live. Stay away from these people!   

1 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Its former director (Lukasik) once said, “If you need a weapon system and don’t already have it developed, it’s too late.” 

2 I realize this is increasingly considered controversial. Whether man visited the moon or not, the AGC is a real component on a real spacecraft which can be viewed today at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. 

3  I’m not biased at all. 

The Difference Between Current And Relevant

Neal Pollard

Relevant—Appropriate to the current time, period, or circumstances; of contemporary interest
Current—Belonging to the present time; happening or being used or done now

I think most of us would find the above definitions of these words to be satisfactory. In the context of the church, we are often concerned with both the matter of being current and relevant. The degree to which and the ways in which to achieve currentness may differ from congregation to congregation, but every congregation, to some degree, wishes to be current. It’s what drives members to arrive in automobiles, to paint and remodel the building, to use powerpoint for lessons and songs, have wifi access, a (hopefully) updated website, and the like. So long as the tool, idea, or method for being current is in harmony with Scripture, including proper stewardship as well as adhering to God’s pattern and authority, we should be as forward thinking as possible.

Relevance is, perhaps, a more subjective matter. With the maturing of each succeeding generation, we tend to obsess about whether or not our planning, actions, communication, and the like are sufficiently relevant to each generation. In other words, we might ask, “Are we relevant to millennials?” or “Will this resonate with iGens?” There are tools, ideas, and methods we should use to be “appropriate to the current time, period, or circumstances.” But, may we not lose sight of the fact that Scripture could not be more relevant, and it is never more relevant than when it is countercultural. The world’s ideas for how we should dress, talk, think, act, or respond to God may be the very definition of what’s current, but such is not relevant to God’s objective right and wrong on those specific matters. What we teach may be relevant to those areas of concern, but may seem old-fashioned or not what is being used or done now by the majority. 

We must emphasize that in our current circumstances, God’s Word, with its precepts and principles, is what is relevant! It’s what the world needs, and it’s what we each need. The church, so long as it boldly, lovingly declares those things, is the very essence of relevant. Let’s just let God’s Word and not the world define that for us. 

relevant

 

Reaching Out Without Caving In

Neal Pollard

What could we do as the people of God to reach out into our community with the gospel in such a way as to remove as many barriers as possible while striving to remain first-century in character and characteristics? Here are some ideas that come to my mind:

  • Give thought to changing the auditorium seating arrangement where we can face more of one another.
  • Sustain an emphasis, via Bible class, email communication, leadership, the pulpit, etc., on drawing as many members as possible into creating an atmosphere of friendliness when we assemble. For example, never look past or fail to engage a visitor.  Build a culture of friendliness.
  • Investigate ways to incorporate psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that are not exclusively or primarily nostalgic favorites of members from 100-200 years ago.  That may mean we learn new songs (visitors are often trying to learn each and every one we’re singing, so it can be done).
  • Be careful about attaching an over-importance on suits and ties or dresses, or conveying that such are criteria to determine reverence or holiness.
  • Consider fellowship activities that allow small groups to get to know one another better and activities that get us away from the church building.
  • Make sure that we keep current with technology, from an attractive, updated website to that technology which is used within the assembly to any printed literature or brochures.
  • Seek to organize the program of work where all our activities and functions, if possible, are tied to a soul-centered, evangelistic purpose.  Approach every work seeking to make it more evangelistic.
  • Eliminate strafing, caustic, and otherwise thoughtless comments made in Bible classrooms that are de facto attacks on unbelievers or even those in religious errors or denominations.  Blanket statements or attacks on their intelligence or integrity do nothing but lower ours.
  • Thoughtfully, gently, and periodically give explanation for why we do what we do in worship (i.e., the frequency of the Lord’s Supper, extending the invitation, the reason for singing a capella, etc.).
  • Don’t drag out announcements.  Find multi-media ways to “get the word out” about prayer requests, announcements, and upcoming events.

I understand that the worship assemblies in the first-century were primarily geared toward members and not visitors.  Yet, thinking about these things and having such discussions are fruitful because: (1) We are blessed by visitors, often a great many of them, (2) Many of these suggestions will greatly aid new Christians, (3) We have an obligation to reach out to the young as well as the old, and many of these things are central to the world as they know it.  We must remain faithful and obedient to God’s eternal truth, but we must keep discerning eyes regarding what’s truth and tradition and what cannot change and what can and often should change.