My friend Chris Elrod wrote two very powerful posts recently. In one he talks about the ‘emergent church’ and in the other he talks about the ‘mythical Jesus’. I gotta tell you that I read both of these posts with great interest because I’ve been interested (like the rubbernecks at a car wreck) in the whole emergent movement for a number of years. There are some non-theological issues that I think the emergent movement has right on. I’ve long held that if Christians were doing EVERYTHING that Jesus taught that there would be no need for homeless shelters, soup kitchens, welfare, and all of those social programs that so many rely on the government to provide. Yes, of course, the poor have always been among us and always will be, but I think it would look much different than our current system. But, theologically speaking, I think Chris is right on. It is absolutely stupid that leaders, teachers, pastors, and authors throw out the Word of God as some plain old book that is filled with neat stories that may or may not be true. Jesus lays it all out pretty well in the Sermon on the Mount (more specifically Matthew 5-7). Of course, you would have to believe that Jesus is who he says he is and that this book that we supposedly are to follow is true. That really is where the chasm occurs. If a person cannot believe the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, then what are they basing their ‘faith’ upon? I do realize that people in countries without the scriptures in their hands believe in much of the same things many of you and I believe in, but they seem to have gotten the word in some other fashion. The emergent people have the Word and are parsing it in their favor. The funny thing is that these people are doing a lot of good in the world, but they are doing it under false pretenses. I’m not intending to call anyone on the carpet, I’m just stating some of the thoughts that were sparked in my head by reading what Chris wrote. As he said, some of you may choose not to fellowship with me because I don’t agree with your theology. That is fine.
Honestly, I know Chris well. He is a solid God-fearing and Christ-loving man. He would give you the shirt off of his back and a bottle of water or ten. He loves other people more than he loves himself and takes every opportunity to show them that. But he is a serious guy (kinda strange since he used to be a comedian). He is serious about God. He is serious about His Word. He is serious about seeing everyone in Polk County, Florida come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and will let nothing stand in the way of that. That is why he comes across as ‘I don’t have time for this crap’. He doesn’t have time for it. The flock that he leads really is his first priority and love. I’m not really trying to defend Chris here. He doesn’t need me. He has a congregation behind him. I’ve met some of them. Polk County borders some pretty serious redneck areas and Chris has been a chaplain to a number of prisoners. (Also, I think the Russian Mafia is pretty active in Central Florida…don’t ask why I know that) He is covered.
Anyway….go read his posts. I’m sure that these two posts will break both his email inbox and his server. What they don’t know is that Chris probably never will see any of the hate mail. Chris, PREACH!
