Consumers vs. Communal
One of the thinkers who's talking about community and the kingdom of God in ways that would resonate with Coram Deo folks is Dallas Willard. This is from a recent Relevant Magazine interview (note his words about the challenge of community):
RM: I know that for most twenty-somethings, myself included, it's easy to get lost in a maze of options...
DW: That's exactly right. See, young people identify life with consuming...and not just consuming stuff you might buy in a store but consuming all the stuff that is offered to them. They are constantly being hammered with all types of things which they open themselves up to by staying plugged in The old saying from the drug generation, "Tune in, turn on, and drop = out" has been made manifest, we have a generation of young people now who are living in a constant state of "dropped out-ness" from the real world and from its history and from community and from the integrity of themselves. ...And they don't even know that.
RM: But you're talking about a generation that has a put a great amount of emphasis on having friends and surrounding themselves with community...
DW: That's an expression of their loneliness. But most of them don't know what community means because community means assuming responsibility for other people and that means paying attention and not following your own will but submitting your will and giving up the world of intimacy and power you have in the little consumer world that you have created. They are lonely and they hurt. They don't know why that they think community might solve that, but when they look community in the face and realize that it means raw, skin to skin contact with other people for whom you have become responsible..that's when they back away..
The entire interview at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/beta/god_article.php?id=6964
posted by Bob | 8:39 PM
7 Comments:
Can anyone get this link to work? I can't, and after Googling for the site it still wouldn't load.
It is live and working now!
I'd be interested to know how someone who grew up in a family and church that preached biblical truth, then went into the ministry himself ended up starting a New Age Mosaic Church and instead of being a church built on THE Cornerstone - Jesus Christ, it's built on Erwin McManus
Do you really believe that the church needs to change to fit into the world's system? Romans 12:2 states "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, will of God."
In McManus' book "The Unstoppable Force" Pg. 60, his attempt to convince the church to adapt goes something like this
"We seem blind to the tremendous opportunities that await us. The seard for the experiential, the desire to connect to those things primal and natural, the cynicism toward commercialism and even materialism, the extraordinary openness toward spirituality and mystery, the value and longing for community, and the reawakening inevitably of the aesthetics and the search for beauty are all hidden in the postmodern journey"
This is a Buddic philosophy.
Have you bought into the eastern mysticm of Brennan Manning as well.
John Calvin would be very disappointed in you. Worse yet, Jesus Christ is grieving right now for you are about to lead sooooooo many people astray. It seems those in the Church Growth Movement are more interested in preaching the world instead of th Word. And you do not realized the danger of going outside of the Bible for teaching.
Charis, you are completely wrong on our core values, and if you had inspected our website more thoroughly, you would see that our doctrine is very much in accordance with the Word.
When we speak of engaging the culture, we do not compromise the Gospel at all. Rather, we recognize that the Gospel is as relevant today as ever, but that the insularity of the traditional church is limiting its effectiveness in fulfulling the Great Commission and reaching the lost. We recognize that reaching these people means establishing a personal connection to them, not hitting them over the head with a 4-part tract.
Next time, try looking around a bit before posting.
Lane,
Bob Thune calls himself a "Cultural Architect" Does he not?
with that title alone he has aligned himself with Erwin McManus and his teachings. I also know that he was at a Mosaic conference in the spring. McManus is 180 degrees out of phase.
At the informational meeting the answers Bob gave where very vague and secretive. Your site states that it's an open community but at the meeting what Bob said made it sound very closed and selective.
This is how cults get started.
You first core value states the "God is Primary" but you don't say who God is. and McManus at the core sees all religions worshipping together.
Charis,
I don't know Erwin McManus, but I know Bob, and I know he follows Jesus Christ. He has never introduced any unsound theology into any discussion of which I've been a part.
"vague and secretive?"- could you provide some examples, please?
On which God, notice the paragraph IMMEDIATELY SUCCEEDING the 'God is Primary' core value, which I won't bother quoting here because it's right on the page you apparently were able to find. Yeah. We follow Jesus.
I don't know what you're after, Charis. If you want to know what we're about, look around a bit. Feel free to post a question. But spare us the labels. The Gospel says that we can judge the tree by the fruit. And Coram Deo is filled with people passionate about living a Christ-centered life in this broken world. And Bob is our pastor, that we love and support. That's good fruit so far. So what's the problem?
Lane,
The specifics are, Bob said at the the informational meeting they he was aiming for 89% unbelievers in attendance and membership is very selective.
Erwin McManus wrote "The Unstoppable Force" and calls himself a "Cultural Architect" so I know Bob is very familiar with him.
There are just so many red flags. The Mosaic Church is influenced by new age and Eastern religions.
See if this website works for you its a link to a review about the Mosaic Church.
www.crmspokane.org/cgm4.htm
If that doesn't work I could send you the review.
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