Some New Terms to Think About
I believe I must address this issue that has been relentlessly torturing me. I’ve tried to give it up; but it keeps coming back to torment me! I do not intend to question anyone’s faith. I just want to talk about a question that has just come into my focus. I don’t propose to be highly educated. To the contrary, I never even went to college. But, I do like to keep up with what is going on in our world. That is why it was such a shock to read some new terms in a recent article regarding the preacher, Andy Stanley, and his new approach in preaching.
Let me back up to clarify a few things. Andy Stanley is the pastor of North Point Ministries based in Atlanta. He is the son of Charles Stanley who is also a pastor of an Atlanta church and has been on television since I lived in Iowa. Andy Stanley has been the subject of some controversy since a sermon series entitled, Who Needs God ? You can listen to the series on his website. In all fairness to Andy, he does have a valid point that makes a patient listener feel better at the end. Its quit a different approach to theology, though, and I must admit that I am not comfortable with it myself. I will leave it up to you to draw your own conclusion.
What I would like to do with my blog today is to explore the new terms that were new to me.
- “Post- Christian” When I looked this up in the internet, I was amazed to find that the term has been around for as early as 2005, at least! As far as I am able to understand it; post-Christian society seems to be a society that at one time had it’s history, culture and practices rooted basically on Christianity; but has become a society that has rejected or forgotten Christianity. It seems to describe the culture that we are living in America today! As I read more, I found there is a difference between a non-Christian and a post-Christian. A non-Christian may never have heard or may have heard very little about Christianity. On the other hand, a post-Christian means they have either rejected their belief in Christianity or just forgot it!
- “Agnostic” Is described as a person who claims neither to have faith nor disbelief in God.
I wish I knew more about this subject to discuss with you, but I am still in a learning mode! The reason this even came up was because Andy Stanley believes he has to change his approach when preaching to post-Christians. My personal opinion is that just talking about Jesus and what the Bible teaches is still the way to tell everyone about our God that had a plan from the beginning in Genesis and that plan plays out all the way to Revelations! I would like to hear from you and what your opinions are.
For now, I’m ready to watch this debate and PRAY1 PRAY! PRAY!! Bless you, fellow pilgrims!!