All You Need is Love: Pt. 1

(I'll intend to update this blog AT LEAST once a week. Sorry to get off to a slow start, but we're getting there!)

I know a guy who says he's a Christian and zealously tries to convince other people that Jesus is real, who can be just about the most obnoxious person you ever saw. He'll leave a couple of quarters for his tip at a restaurant and stick a little tract on the table that looks like a hundred dollar bill. The server will come by and think there's a big tip there--only to see that on the other side it's religious propaganda about Jesus. Nice.

I know another guy who says he's a Christian but who in public will use his wife as the brunt of joke after joke. Uh...just like Jesus did? Can you imagine? "Hey Mary! -- Matthew's so fat that..."

Right mental assents about Jesus do not always lead to right actions in relationships, do they? It's the same in other areas of life too. As a minister, I visit hospitals rather regularly. When I started out doing hospital visitation I was ASTOUNDED at the number of nurses who smoked! It's like, if they aren't willing to take care of their own bodies how do I know they're going to be willing to take good care of MINE???

It seems like it is like that in the church sometimes. We show people outside of the church how we'll likely treat THEM by the way in which we treat OURSELVES inside the church.

I know a lady who calls herself a Christian who went through a bitter divorce from her husband, (and he had an affair on her), who forgave him so thoroughly that she harbors no bitterness and has become a tender helper in numerous people's lives. She went on to show such grace to her husband's mistress that later on the mistress became a minster! That's orthopraxodoxology...right action meeting right belief and transcending the normal abilities of humanity. "Um, Great Server? I'd like to try what she's having, please."

If you go to a church, what's the most radical expression of love someone expressed to you?

Faith Infusion's Goal: Right beliefs, or right actions?

The name of our contemporary service, and the nature of our worship in general, is different than the majority of Christian congregations and maybe some would say is even "weird"--

--we use contemporary, even 'rock' style Christian music predominantly...but we use hymns and traditional gospel songs occasionally that are set to a more modern beat and feel because we respect the faith of those who have gone before us.

--we use ancient Christian prayers and creeds on because we're REALLY serious about our faith, but once you move out from the ancient essential beliefs our opinions differ greatly and we're REALLY diverse.

--we'd rather have someone associate with us, join in on our worship and activities, and start to serve others alongside us even if they don't believe all the "Christian stuff" yet, rather than demanding that they believe all the right things before they can participate.

--we'd rather have visitors wow'ed by our gracious hospitality and passionate worship than by glitz and glamor.

--we're trying to be a part of a larger Church body, both in our local church and denomination and the world-wide group of Christians in general, rather than a separatist, insulated, exclusive club.

--we want to be cutting-edge and ancient at the same time.

--Even our name "Faith Infusion" is a blend of ancient (how many churches throughout the centuries have used the word "Faith" in their name!?!?!?), and modern (at first our team felt like "Infusion" alone sounded like a dance club name!!!).

--The theology behind it is ancient...as you can read in the "About" section of the faithinfusion.org website. But the practices are often modern...as in this blog. (What would St. Peter have thought a "blog" was? Maybe something you shouldn't step in?)

So in the midst of the weirdness I want to ask:

WHAT DO YOU THINK?: An article I just read yesterday said that one tendency of congregations like ours is that they place a greater emphasis on orthopraxy--the right ACTIONS, than on orthodoxy--the right MENTAL ASSENTS / BELIEFS.

Is that what you think we do? Is that what we should do? Are they really separate emphases, or are they inseparably related?

For example, is it more important that a person act lovingly toward fellow humans than for that person to mentally assent to / believe the correct details about God?