Reformation and Restoration is Still Incomplete

Over the past month and a half, dozens of my brothers and sisters in Christ have gathered on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm to discuss William P. Young's modern classic, The Shack.  I am thankful that so many of my fellow sojourners are willing to engage with this writing and try to grow in their faith and understanding through this interaction.  None of us are completely on the same page with one another on every issue, but because we all acknowledge that we're on a spiritual journey and that none of us has it all together (either morally or theologically), we have chosen to extend grace to one another (and Young) and give one another the benefit of the doubt.  Its amazing how much better dialogue goes when we assume the best of others, rather than the worst.

For too long, conservative Christians have shied away from exploring writings or ideas that challenge some of their preconceived notions.  I believe that much of this reluctance is driven by fear.  It seems that we are afraid that if we go down certain paths, we're on a slippery slope that leads to who knows where.  And how would we know if we aren't even willing to give theses paths an honest look?

I have no problem with someone starting down a spiritual line of thought, only to turn around and go back in the other direction once they are convinced that the path won't be fruitful.  However, to dismiss the journey out of hand before its even begun causes me to wonder if the individual may not be very secure in their faith to begin with.

As the Protestant Reformation celebrates 500 years (give or take), I think its a good time for all of us to consider what we believe, and even more importantly, why we believe what we believe.  One of the ideas that the reformers tried to promote was that the church should always be reforming.  In my faith tradition, which comes out the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement, we've tried to continue to go back to Scripture in order to more faithfully become the people of Christ.  Sadly, some of the time, we've failed to follow the paths where Scripture leads when it conflicts with what we've always been taught.  If the reformers felt that we should always be reforming, I believe the restorers would have equally felt that we should always be about the task of restoration.  News flash - the task of reformation and restoration will never be complete for any of us, individually or corporately, or for the world, creationally, until we are enjoying our resurrection lives in God's renewed creation in the age to come!  So rather than fearing change, we should embrace it, knowing that growth, maturity, and transformation cannot happen any other way.

I pray that God will give us all the grace, humility, and open hearts and minds that we need to fully become the people he's recreated us to be through Christ and his Spirit. - Shay