Threads from Henry's Web

Tag: new covenant

  • Interview: A Day for Joy

    Interview: A Day for Joy

    Background

    As a former Seventh-day Adventist I often get interesting questions. These questions include how I could leave the one true church (from SDAs), or why would I publish books by SDAs (from those who consider Seventh-day Adventism a cult. From many on either side, I’m asked what were the reasons I left the Seventh-day Adventist church.

    Sounds complicated? Well, let’s add that there is a common assumption that the seventh day Sabbath will be a key reason. But that is not the case.

    In fact, while I believe that the new covenant view of sacred time is that all time belongs to God and we use it for ourselves as God directs, I envy Adventists the Sabbath. My approach is hard, and I frequently fail. I fail particularly in getting adequate time for rest and in allowing others time for rest.

    On True Churches

    As for how I could leave the “one true church” I simply don’t believe that the “true church” is the same as any denomination, but rather a collection of believers everywhere as known only to God. So I became a Methodist. I don’t see that as the true church any more than the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

    This also explains why I publish SDA authors. I’ve been told that most former SDAs are antagonistic to the church. I value my heritage and education as an SDA. I honor a number of people who influenced me, worked with me, encouraged me, and taught me. Disagreement on doctrines is fairly minor to me.

    But there’s another reason as well. I think the SDA church has something to teach other denominations as well. One of these valuable topics is the Sabbath, because, as Keith Clouten points out in his interview, while we deal a great deal with sacred space and even sacred resources, we do much worse looking at sacred time. But as he also points out, God ended creation by setting aside and consecrating time.

    The Interview

    To my Seventh-day Adventist readers, I commend this interview as a theologically strong basis for Sabbath keeping. Clouten presents it not as a matter of fulfilling regulations, but of a response of love and a constructive practice for Christian living. To those who are not SDAs, I challenge you to think about what God desires of your time. What is it that God is calling you to do as you live in God’s rest?

    A Day for Joy
  • Psalm 119:102 – You Have Taught Me

    Psalm 119:102 – You Have Taught Me

    I do not turn aside from your judgments,
    for you have taught me.

    A couple of days ago, meditating on Psalm 119:99, I discussed teachers. I mentioned the idea briefly of allowing the Holy Spirit to be the teacher.

    I want you to notice the form of this verse. The second half is not an accomplishment that results from his good actions. Rather, the second line explains the first. The psalmist is faithful to God’s decisions, judgments, because it is God who has been doing the teaching.

    There is a line in the prophecy of the new covenant recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-34 that is often ignored. Verse 34 reads “No longer need they teach one another, neighbour or brother, to know the LORD; all of them, high and low alike, will know me, says the LORD….” (REB). We don’t see this now, but I think we need to recognize this as a goal in the church.

    Too much of our teaching energy is spent making sure people understand and accept the things that we, as teachers, believe. I definitely include myself in this. Too little time is spent helping people find their own relationship with God.

    No the word “relationship” has been used in some questionable ways, particularly as a way to avoid actually studying and thinking about God and the world in which we live. But no matter what we may feel or want, there is always a relationship between each of us and God as in created being to creator, and that relationship is important. Relationship doesn’t negate doctrine, understanding things. Rather, relationship is necessary to any learning about God.

    Consider Ephesians 3:18-19: “… may you, in company with all God’s people, be strong to grasp what is the breadth and length and height and depth (19) of Christ’s love, and to know it, though it is beyond knowledge.” Technical knowledge isn’t sufficient. Personal knowledge is required. But personal knowledge is not exclusively individual knowledge. We know “with all God’s people.”

    As teachers in the church, we should be constantly working ourselves out of a job, constantly relying on the Holy Spirit, and constantly expecting that the Holy Spirit will guide others. We live in a new creation. We are a new creation. So is everyone we teach.

    This means that while we still have a teaching and discipling role, that role is one that is mutual, that is, we learn along with all God’s people. We make it easier for everyone to learn from God. That means there is a difference in teaching and mentoring in the Christian community. We do not build a dependence on what we think or have to say. We look to join together and grow in our dependence on God.

    How can you encourage someone to grow in their knowledge of what is beyond knowledge today?