I read your anecdote a couple of times just to make sure I understand your point. You aren't a martyr, you're just acting like a jerk. Your own description of your actions and internal motivations demonstrate judgement and self righteousness. Nothing more. I hope this couple that (rightly) rejected you and your church have a long and happy marriage.
You write about this one issue. But I hear nothing about Care for the poor, the widow and the foreigner. I don't hear anything about loving your neighbor. The silence is deafening
If I may push back a moment. You said "I don't hear anything about loving your neighbor." I wonder if you read all the way to the end? Mark's last words were: "love for your neighbors". A few paragraphs above that ending quote we find Mark saying "I am a forgiven sinner and am called to love God and my neighbor". In between we find Mark speaking positively of the CRC "engaging the world with love" and encouraging the reader through different quotes to have "a loving response to the world’s rejection" and to demonstrate the "Spirit of Christ, who breathes love". It all sounds quite loving to my listening ear.
I wonder if I might also demonstrate the absurdity of expecting every article or offering to say everything, lest someone be credibly accused of not caring. In your comment I hear nothing about care for the unborn, the elderly, those experiencing abuse and violence, or any number of other pressing and painful challenges and sufferings. Is it helpful for me to say "the silence is deafening", as if to say that you must not care about these things because you made no mention of them? I don't think that would be fair to you, and I don't think it is fair to insinuate that Mark does not care for the poor, the widow, or the foreigner based on his article that deals with an entirely different topic. As a matter of personal testimony, I know Mark a bit and can assure you that he has a gentle and loving disposition, and he cares deeply about the plight of those struggling in various physical ways in this world. But even more to his credit he has great concern for the spiritual wellbeing of his neighbors, as he demonstrates in the article above. His pastoral example was an example of love in action.
Hello Eric. It's been a long time, but thanks for your message. Mine was written in haste and some frustration and unfairly targeted one message
Some of my frustrations are that there is no easy way to respond in a general way to the Abide Project and the focus on only one part of the Christian walk. We as a church will celebrate, Lord Willing, 75 years in 10 days.
Thanks for your response. I appreciate hearing from you. Congratulations to you and your church on 75 years of service to and blessing from our Lord.
I'm a bit unsure what you mean by there being no easy what to respond in a general way to the Abide Project. Are you looking to counter what Abide is trying to accomplish? Do you want to make a broader statement about the work of Abide for more CRC members to consider? (those are real, not rhetorical questions)
One approach that I took to those questions/goals was to post a series of articles on the CRC Network, which is designed as a conversation space for CRC people. When I saw the Better Together Project arise, I decided to interact publicly with what they were saying, and I chose the Network as a place to do that. That might be an option for you to respond in a general way to the Abide Project.
As for the focus of Abide, I'd note a couple things. The "About" page does provide context for why Abide has the focus that it does. Full disclosure: I spent several years on the Abide Project Steering Committee. In my time on the steering committee I can tell you that we had deliberate conversations many times about the mission and focus of Abide. The focus of Abide is not related to any sort of hyper-emphasis on sexuality, but rather a realized need to address concerns in the church at the very point of their presentation, which happened right now to be matters of sexuality (and also identity). Organizations that become too broad in their mandate or focus/mission can lose the ability to be effective.
This focus has led some to erroneously believe that people inside and associated with Abide somehow have an obsession with matters of sexuality. Not at all. My experience in like-minded churches is that matters of sexuality are not at all the focus in the daily life and ministry of the church. But for better or worse, the church must respond to the pressing issues that the culture and others inside the church lay at their doorstep. Abide has been about responding to this issue in the CRC precisely because Abide believes that this is a hinge-type issue that must be decided faithfully in order to preserve a broader faithfulness within the CRC.
It seems as though this concern is being reinforced in the writings and witness of a number who have left the CRC who have now felt free to reveal that there are a number of other things within the doctrine of the broader Reformed tradition and the CRC specifically that they really don't believe at all, despite the oaths that they took before God and his people. This is sad to observe, but does reinforce the point that if their view of sexuality and identity was allowed to reign in the CRC it is likely that over time their other unorthodox views would have also been allowed to take root and flourish (and frankly some of them have already, to a degree). This would not have made for a flourishing CRC, no matter how one defines flourishing.
Anyway, that is a bit longer reply than I had intended, but perhaps provides a bit of additional context. I'm glad to engage in further conversation if you desire. Thanks, and may God bless you and keep you.
"The silence is deafening???" Please, that is silly! Just because one sermon is preached on one text, does not mean that the pastor does not believe the rest of Scripture. The Abide Project was formed to address the topic of human sexuality, as our culture and many in the church no longer understands Biblical standards. But, to say that those who engage with this platform, for the purpose of promoting the 7th Commandment, thus don't care about the 6th (or any other ) Commandment is a juvenile and altogether dishonest charge to make.
I read your anecdote a couple of times just to make sure I understand your point. You aren't a martyr, you're just acting like a jerk. Your own description of your actions and internal motivations demonstrate judgement and self righteousness. Nothing more. I hope this couple that (rightly) rejected you and your church have a long and happy marriage.
You write about this one issue. But I hear nothing about Care for the poor, the widow and the foreigner. I don't hear anything about loving your neighbor. The silence is deafening
Hi Karl,
If I may push back a moment. You said "I don't hear anything about loving your neighbor." I wonder if you read all the way to the end? Mark's last words were: "love for your neighbors". A few paragraphs above that ending quote we find Mark saying "I am a forgiven sinner and am called to love God and my neighbor". In between we find Mark speaking positively of the CRC "engaging the world with love" and encouraging the reader through different quotes to have "a loving response to the world’s rejection" and to demonstrate the "Spirit of Christ, who breathes love". It all sounds quite loving to my listening ear.
I wonder if I might also demonstrate the absurdity of expecting every article or offering to say everything, lest someone be credibly accused of not caring. In your comment I hear nothing about care for the unborn, the elderly, those experiencing abuse and violence, or any number of other pressing and painful challenges and sufferings. Is it helpful for me to say "the silence is deafening", as if to say that you must not care about these things because you made no mention of them? I don't think that would be fair to you, and I don't think it is fair to insinuate that Mark does not care for the poor, the widow, or the foreigner based on his article that deals with an entirely different topic. As a matter of personal testimony, I know Mark a bit and can assure you that he has a gentle and loving disposition, and he cares deeply about the plight of those struggling in various physical ways in this world. But even more to his credit he has great concern for the spiritual wellbeing of his neighbors, as he demonstrates in the article above. His pastoral example was an example of love in action.
May God bless you and keep you.
Hello Eric. It's been a long time, but thanks for your message. Mine was written in haste and some frustration and unfairly targeted one message
Some of my frustrations are that there is no easy way to respond in a general way to the Abide Project and the focus on only one part of the Christian walk. We as a church will celebrate, Lord Willing, 75 years in 10 days.
Hi Karl,
Thanks for your response. I appreciate hearing from you. Congratulations to you and your church on 75 years of service to and blessing from our Lord.
I'm a bit unsure what you mean by there being no easy what to respond in a general way to the Abide Project. Are you looking to counter what Abide is trying to accomplish? Do you want to make a broader statement about the work of Abide for more CRC members to consider? (those are real, not rhetorical questions)
One approach that I took to those questions/goals was to post a series of articles on the CRC Network, which is designed as a conversation space for CRC people. When I saw the Better Together Project arise, I decided to interact publicly with what they were saying, and I chose the Network as a place to do that. That might be an option for you to respond in a general way to the Abide Project.
As for the focus of Abide, I'd note a couple things. The "About" page does provide context for why Abide has the focus that it does. Full disclosure: I spent several years on the Abide Project Steering Committee. In my time on the steering committee I can tell you that we had deliberate conversations many times about the mission and focus of Abide. The focus of Abide is not related to any sort of hyper-emphasis on sexuality, but rather a realized need to address concerns in the church at the very point of their presentation, which happened right now to be matters of sexuality (and also identity). Organizations that become too broad in their mandate or focus/mission can lose the ability to be effective.
This focus has led some to erroneously believe that people inside and associated with Abide somehow have an obsession with matters of sexuality. Not at all. My experience in like-minded churches is that matters of sexuality are not at all the focus in the daily life and ministry of the church. But for better or worse, the church must respond to the pressing issues that the culture and others inside the church lay at their doorstep. Abide has been about responding to this issue in the CRC precisely because Abide believes that this is a hinge-type issue that must be decided faithfully in order to preserve a broader faithfulness within the CRC.
It seems as though this concern is being reinforced in the writings and witness of a number who have left the CRC who have now felt free to reveal that there are a number of other things within the doctrine of the broader Reformed tradition and the CRC specifically that they really don't believe at all, despite the oaths that they took before God and his people. This is sad to observe, but does reinforce the point that if their view of sexuality and identity was allowed to reign in the CRC it is likely that over time their other unorthodox views would have also been allowed to take root and flourish (and frankly some of them have already, to a degree). This would not have made for a flourishing CRC, no matter how one defines flourishing.
Anyway, that is a bit longer reply than I had intended, but perhaps provides a bit of additional context. I'm glad to engage in further conversation if you desire. Thanks, and may God bless you and keep you.
"The silence is deafening???" Please, that is silly! Just because one sermon is preached on one text, does not mean that the pastor does not believe the rest of Scripture. The Abide Project was formed to address the topic of human sexuality, as our culture and many in the church no longer understands Biblical standards. But, to say that those who engage with this platform, for the purpose of promoting the 7th Commandment, thus don't care about the 6th (or any other ) Commandment is a juvenile and altogether dishonest charge to make.