it's the end of the world as we know it...
this song has been stuck in my head ever since i found out we are doing a series on the end times. it just keeps going, on repeat, and it's driving me insane. but beyond that, i'm really enjoying the series and am learning stuff i would never have explored otherwise. eschatology isn't exactly the most exciting topic i can think of- when it gets down to its history and all the angles and layers. it all sounds a bit like crazy-talk. like i want to bust out in the middle of some of the explanations and yell "that's crazy talk!!" (revelation is bad enough as it is.. we needn't any more craziness). but i like how we're at least looking for some semblance of relevancy and seeking the nature of God through it all (rather than just being 'okay' with the left behind theology and continuing to scare children into a quick and efficient salvation). *the technical term for this theology is 'dispensationalism'. see? i learned some'in!
last week at church, we had a lot of discussion throughout the sermon (or 'talk', as we are prone to calling it). when the question was posed, "if we don't believe this (dispensationlist) theology, then what is the alternative? what's going to happen?" (i think i actually said: "what's going to help me sleep at night?") in response, someone (a new guy- his first time at journey) said something to the effect of: it doesn't make a difference. the not knowing is okay, and even freeing...
that 'not knowing' works for me when it comes to many big issues- like evolution, for example. if it's ever 100% proven, my foundation will still be in tact. i won't have to question my faith or denounce christ or concede that christianity is ridiculous. this is because i've decided that it's still worthwhile in SPITE of the evolutionary process. i've just got to start looking at revelation in the same way and go from there. so far, i've avoided it entirely. but then i feel ignorant, and there's nothing more frustrating than an ignorant christian who knows nothing about a very big part of the bible. (not as frustrating as narrow-minded christians who refuse to ever see the color gray), but i don't want to be either.
so the point is, i'm excited about this series.
last week at church, we had a lot of discussion throughout the sermon (or 'talk', as we are prone to calling it). when the question was posed, "if we don't believe this (dispensationlist) theology, then what is the alternative? what's going to happen?" (i think i actually said: "what's going to help me sleep at night?") in response, someone (a new guy- his first time at journey) said something to the effect of: it doesn't make a difference. the not knowing is okay, and even freeing...
that 'not knowing' works for me when it comes to many big issues- like evolution, for example. if it's ever 100% proven, my foundation will still be in tact. i won't have to question my faith or denounce christ or concede that christianity is ridiculous. this is because i've decided that it's still worthwhile in SPITE of the evolutionary process. i've just got to start looking at revelation in the same way and go from there. so far, i've avoided it entirely. but then i feel ignorant, and there's nothing more frustrating than an ignorant christian who knows nothing about a very big part of the bible. (not as frustrating as narrow-minded christians who refuse to ever see the color gray), but i don't want to be either.
so the point is, i'm excited about this series.
posted by Anonymous at 7:06 AM
3 Comments:
And then there's people like me who would like for Revelations to be dropped from the Bible. It barely even made the cut the first time! I do however hold hope that we find a way to redeem this over exploited and over hyped booked into something more hopeful.
and by booked, i meant book.
Nice blog. If it weren't for Revelations I'd have never figured out the "violence" or "force" in Matthew 11:12. It's explained in Revelations 12:11.
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