Sunday, October 23, 2005
Worldview Sunday
I have had solid thinkers of conservatism tell me that either there is no one “Christian worldview”, that there is room under the term for various views, or that worldview as a Christian concept is a dirty word! Neither of these comments ever got completely discussed or resolved in my mind. Is this a question of moving around to make room on the train as opposed to bumping people off to make them wait for the next one scheduled? Will the next train be the New Age or Muslim train? What it seems to me, by removing worldview from religion or expanding it, taking away the philosophy element or broadening it, the people at the station will experience Christianity as a closed door or an open flat car with no protection from natural onslaught. Dr. Francis Schaeffer’s whole premise was that Christianity is reasonable. He put the faith out there for thinkers. He built a spanking new train! I don’t know statistics, but I don’t doubt the number of engines is growing. Dr. D. James Kennedy at Coral Ridge Ministries and author, Charles Colson are two who are engineering their own trains now. People can experience the reality and genuineness of Christian truth when they reasonably, with open minds, capture the accuracy as it fits with our existence. When you get right down to it, the Bible offers honesty in a world full of liars and fools.
The problem with the first argument is that there can get to be too much openness, too much philosophizing of an absolute Truth. Schaeffer merely said, here’s the truth and here’s what that means for us, as we live and die. So, denying all philosophical discussion, the second proposal drops worldview from Christian vocabulary! This would please my son who is tired of thinking because he knows what is true, having studied a Schaeffer- based curriculum for three years. What can I say? Colleges, particularly humanities departments, promote thinking! Anyway, you know the old accusation, Christians don’t think. James Fletcher Baxter talks about man, the Choicemaker. Everyday, we choose Truth or Lies. Christians know what is True from daily Bible reading and prayer. The closer to God, the better since God can’t lie. We choose, therefore we are.
The basic assumption in the banishing of ‘worldview’ was that Christian Truth is like a math problem. There is no discussion in arithmetic. Thus, the Bible is not a philosophy book. It is sheer math! …So to speak. But, is anyone here old enough to remember the apples, or pencils demonstration? My earliest teacher showed us how 1+1 did equal 2…how it fit our reality. Christian worldview is not simply another philosophy amongst many and I see the argument clearly, “Drop ‘worldview’ and get Christianity out of the philosophical realm.” Truly, it sits above ALL. We know this. God IS knows this...but the lost do not. Worldview is an open door to thought because it demonstrates a reality. See, when I put this one apple with this one apple, there are two apples. And see? Man is a created being, and he was meant to be perfect, in God’s image. But man chose a lie over God’s truth and was cursed, along with the earth, to a fallen state of sin. Does this fit your reality so far or are you still perfect? Or perhaps you believe we will attain perfection someday, still…cause we’re just getting better and better! The solution? Christ…one Word…one Way. Not a fit for your reality? Check out the clouds of witnesses in history, missionaries and their stories, the reformers, converts of all kind. Check out a living church…active in the Spirit, bearing fruit. Read the living Word! Try stepping on the train with the open door…but make sure your door is open at least a crack! That is the choice. Will we be open or closed? Haven’t you ever wondered why broken hearts, shattered hearts can often receive Him? There’s no door!
In conclusion, Christian worldview and all the reasoning that goes with it is like a valve. Truth goes out, lies can’t come in! This is about leadership, mind you. The train has lots of room for all. The engineer is the one driving, keeping the valves greased! As Church leaders and hierarchy, they must stay on track for certainly a reckless leader makes the train ride look unappealing and downright dangerous. Absolutists like myself will not get on. The valves, having become two-way, will not protect from pollutants. Soon, all have suffocated in the mire of fruitless debate. The Church is a train wreck.
But removing worldview thought from our faith locks the doors, freezes the valves. Truth cannot escape. People don't get in because it's a closed system, an elite club with its own jargon. I like to point to Western Civilization, bursting from Christian roots, as the perfect example of what a redeemed world looks like, sort of. It’s an inkling of Christian influence for the world to see. There’s a sparkle from Heaven in this life but people were meant for greater things! Of course it’s true; we have striving in our blood! Don’t you know deep down?
I love 5twenty8’s header design. What a picture! It inspired “sparkle from Heaven”!
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh what a foretaste of Glory divine.
The problem with the first argument is that there can get to be too much openness, too much philosophizing of an absolute Truth. Schaeffer merely said, here’s the truth and here’s what that means for us, as we live and die. So, denying all philosophical discussion, the second proposal drops worldview from Christian vocabulary! This would please my son who is tired of thinking because he knows what is true, having studied a Schaeffer- based curriculum for three years. What can I say? Colleges, particularly humanities departments, promote thinking! Anyway, you know the old accusation, Christians don’t think. James Fletcher Baxter talks about man, the Choicemaker. Everyday, we choose Truth or Lies. Christians know what is True from daily Bible reading and prayer. The closer to God, the better since God can’t lie. We choose, therefore we are.
The basic assumption in the banishing of ‘worldview’ was that Christian Truth is like a math problem. There is no discussion in arithmetic. Thus, the Bible is not a philosophy book. It is sheer math! …So to speak. But, is anyone here old enough to remember the apples, or pencils demonstration? My earliest teacher showed us how 1+1 did equal 2…how it fit our reality. Christian worldview is not simply another philosophy amongst many and I see the argument clearly, “Drop ‘worldview’ and get Christianity out of the philosophical realm.” Truly, it sits above ALL. We know this. God IS knows this...but the lost do not. Worldview is an open door to thought because it demonstrates a reality. See, when I put this one apple with this one apple, there are two apples. And see? Man is a created being, and he was meant to be perfect, in God’s image. But man chose a lie over God’s truth and was cursed, along with the earth, to a fallen state of sin. Does this fit your reality so far or are you still perfect? Or perhaps you believe we will attain perfection someday, still…cause we’re just getting better and better! The solution? Christ…one Word…one Way. Not a fit for your reality? Check out the clouds of witnesses in history, missionaries and their stories, the reformers, converts of all kind. Check out a living church…active in the Spirit, bearing fruit. Read the living Word! Try stepping on the train with the open door…but make sure your door is open at least a crack! That is the choice. Will we be open or closed? Haven’t you ever wondered why broken hearts, shattered hearts can often receive Him? There’s no door!
In conclusion, Christian worldview and all the reasoning that goes with it is like a valve. Truth goes out, lies can’t come in! This is about leadership, mind you. The train has lots of room for all. The engineer is the one driving, keeping the valves greased! As Church leaders and hierarchy, they must stay on track for certainly a reckless leader makes the train ride look unappealing and downright dangerous. Absolutists like myself will not get on. The valves, having become two-way, will not protect from pollutants. Soon, all have suffocated in the mire of fruitless debate. The Church is a train wreck.
But removing worldview thought from our faith locks the doors, freezes the valves. Truth cannot escape. People don't get in because it's a closed system, an elite club with its own jargon. I like to point to Western Civilization, bursting from Christian roots, as the perfect example of what a redeemed world looks like, sort of. It’s an inkling of Christian influence for the world to see. There’s a sparkle from Heaven in this life but people were meant for greater things! Of course it’s true; we have striving in our blood! Don’t you know deep down?
I love 5twenty8’s header design. What a picture! It inspired “sparkle from Heaven”!
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh what a foretaste of Glory divine.
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus (regenerated) to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do!" ~Ephesians 2:10
