Simple Church Minute 46--an alternate introduction

46—a second intro

NOTE:  I originally wrote a segment for each of the 61 points Frank Viola and George Barna make in their book, Pagan Christianity, about traditions in the institutional church not based on scripture.  After writing it, I chose to not include this segment merely as I felt that in wouldn’t be an interesting radio commentary.

My name is Tom; this is Simple Church Minute

            A large amount of believers will recognize the name of George Barna, the man behind the Barna Report, and all kinds of polling and research about trends in the Christian church.  Many traditional church pastors quote his findings, and most of his research is depressing, in how it shows how little difference there is between the church and the world in places where there should be.

            A few years ago, Barna and a man named Frank Viola (not the ‘80’s baseball pitcher) released a book called Pagan Christianity.  In it they cite many features found in some to all traditional organizational churches which are not in the New Testament for adherence to by believers desiring to follow Jesus, and did not make their historical appearance in Christian practice until after the death of the apostles.  Many of the practices came from Roman paganism. 

            One main reason for this is that a lot of my fellow believers are not into reading theology, and I believe that a lot of my brothers and sisters in Christ, like me, do not realize the reasons for the disconnect between what the Bible says and what we see in the practice of the church.  Some of these practices may be able to be redeemed in true worship.  Some truly hamper us in growing to the maturity of faith that God desires for us.  The reason for mentioning these problems of orthopraxy—right living—is not to irritate anyone, at least in my own ability.  If the Holy Spirit irritates your spirit, that is an altogether different manner.  The job of each believer is to edify one another.  Edifying means “building up”, like spiritual exercising, more than teaching facts.  At this time, I am not hearing others communicating this*, so my responsibility to my fellow believers is to do so for the benefit of all.  What you do with it has to do with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

            You…

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on radio, as these blips were, as I said previously, created as 2 minute radio commentaries