A little more grace, Nancy

I don't know how many of you caught Nancy Grace's show where she talked about the Winkler case, but we did. In the first place, I don't like her. So, I guess that prejudice influenced me right off the bat. But, she got some no-name Southern Baptist pastor to comment on what the church of Christ is. Isn't that a bit like asking a Hindu to talk about Muslims? Or, Catholics to talk about Jews? I mean, come on. What kind of reporting is this? Check out the transcript below.


TRANSCRIPT:
NANCY GRACE: A well-respected and much beloved minister in the Church of Christ, Selmer, Tennessee, gunned down in his own home. His wife, according to many reports, has confessed to police. They say whodunnit is not the issue, it`s why she did it. That is the question.
I want to go to pastor Tom Rukala, joining us tonight, a special guest, a Baptist minister. I`ve been researching the Church of Christ. I don`t know that much about it. What can you tell me?
PASTOR TOM RUKALA, BAPTIST PASTOR: Well, the Church of Christ is a relatively new church. It was started about 150 years ago by Alexander Campbell (ph). And it's, unfortunately, a very legalistic sect, and they tend to use methods of intimidation and pressure tactics. They claim that they are the only ones going to heaven, and all other people are condemned to hell. So in case…
GRACE: Uh-oh, I`m in trouble. But I already knew that.
(LAUGHTER)
GRACE: Now, wait a minute. What more can you tell me?
RUKALA: Well, they claim that if you`re not baptized by one of their ministers, that you`re doomed to hell, even if you`re a believer in Jesus Christ, which, of course, breaks completely from the traditional Christian view that all those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved because we`re saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again. For the Church of Christ folks, that`s not enough. You have to be a member of their narrow sect. It`s a very exclusive group. And if you're not a member of their sect, you`re condemned.
GRACE: You know, Pastor, you keep saying “sect.” “Sect.” You make it sound like a cult.
RUKALA: It kind of is a borderline cult, unfortunately. I don`t want to make it out to be some kind of Hare Krishna group, but it has cult-like characteristics and…
GRACE: In what sense?
RUKALA: Well, in the sense of the exclusivism, the attitude that they are the only ones who know the truth. The tactics that they use are sometimes just — not only un-biblical but unethical, and they can be very ungracious, unfortunately.

So...the CofC was called a cult on national TV. Now, I have some issues with certain attitudes displayed by some members of the CofC, but I don't think these exclusivist attitudes are limited to this one group. There are members who feel exactly as this guy said, but I know a lot of CofC members who absolutely do not feel this way. To characterize the entire group like this was irresponsible and downright wrong. Ms. Grace displayed the antithesis of responsible journalism here. She sold her birthright for sensationalism and it did nothing to shed any light on the Winkler case which was supposedly what her piece was about.

It made me mad. It made me sad. She was attacking something dear to me...even though that something has warts. Just present the facts, ma'am. But get the facts straight.

Why I haven't blogged

Every now and then, you must indulge my urge to share pictures of my family. We were blessed last weekend by a visit from our son-in-law Jarrod and our grandson Levi from Honduras. Big sister Sol (who turns 3 today as a matter of fact) and mommy stayed behind...not because they wanted to, but because Sol's adoption is not yet official, and because of that she cannot leave Honduras. So, in the meantime, we must see them separately. What a blessing family is and we pray for the time when we can all be together officially and legally as one family.

Comfort Zones

Familiarity. Family. Comfort. These words are rattling around in my head today as I consider some of the recent responses I've read to the C of C tag (see post below.) If you'd care to join in the train of thought, please see Whacking Brasco for some of my brothers' thoughts. The question that I'm considering is "How do we choose our community of faith?" and "What causes us to stay there, or to leave?"

The questions that were posed in the tag that pertain to this are "3 Reasons to stay in C of C" and "3 Reasons you would leave". And really, for the questions I'm considering, you can substitute any body of faith, not just C of C. A lot of responses as to the reason to stay, involve the first three words of this post, familiarity, family, and comfort. It is very true that community is a large part of any church, especially evident in the NT church, but my struggle and question is, is that what determines our choice and is that what determines why we stay? I know that a large percentage of people join a church because someone they know goes there. But, think back. Nothing could be more of an icon of family and familiarity than the Jewish community in the NT. But, believers in Jesus were called out of that comfortable and familiar environment to one that opened them up to criticism, persecution and rejection. Gentiles as well were called out.

I remember a conversation with my mom when I was in my argumentative teen years. I was arguing about the influence of family on what we believe and I told her that if she had been born in India and raised a Hindu, that is what she would believe. She denied it, emphatically, and said that somehow she would learn the truth, and change her religion. I don't know...maybe she would. But somehow, that question still plagues me. We've heard all the rhetoric about "you shouldn't inherit your faith" and that's absolutely true. But what about inheriting our church?
Do we stay where we've always stayed because of family or comfort? Or do we stay because we sense the Spirit of God is there and believe that body is searching diligently for God's way?
Are we all on equal footing since none of us have it all right? Is there any reason to be at this place or that place as long as we are seeking Jesus? Are feelings of familiarity, comfort and family adequate in choosing a community of faith? I don't know.

And what about the folks who have no religious background. If they begin to seek out a body of believers, what's their criteria? They have no family or familiarity to fall back on. Hopefully, it won't be marketing techniques that determine their choice. But what will?

I have far more questions than answers. Alas, I always seem to.

C of C Tag

I love games. I love challenging games. So when my daughter tagged me, I have to play. My responses will be a little different because well, I'm just a little different.

Three Reasons you stay in Churches of Christ:
Let me just say from the get-go that "Churches of Christ" as is meant by this tag is obviously referring to the denomination. I know, I know, those of us who grew up in Churches of Christ know what comes next. So, I won't even go there. Suffice to say that when I say "church of Christ" (note the small "c"), my definition of it is the church universal. There is just one church in my mind. This one church belongs to Christ. And I'm not talking about the denomination.

1. I "stay" in the church of Christ because like Peter's plea to Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life". This does not mean however, that I worship with a body of believers with "Church of Christ" on the sign out front. I don't. I worship with a body that identifies itself as a community church.

So, that probably negates this question for me, knowing that it is the denomination that it is referring to. I attended Churches of Christ my whole life up until January of 2005 when my husband and I felt called to minister in this community church setting. It has been and continues to be one of the greatest blessings of my life. (P.S. There's a lot more to this story as you can well imagine!)

Three Reasons you would leave Churches of Christ

I suppose I can answer this one a little more fully, since in effect, I have left.

1. Frankly, I got tired of waiting. Waiting for the tide to turn, so to speak. All my life I have felt that certain aspects of the C of C were at the best, well- intentioned but poorly executed, and at the worst, just downright wrong. I contented myself to do what I could do (bloom where planted), but all the while feeling frustrated at the slowness of it all.
2. I began to loathe our worship.
3. I despised the country-club atmosphere.

Three professors and/or courses who have influenced your thinking:

I'm not academia, so I'm going to answer this one in a slightly different way.

1. My dad: My dad was an elder in the C of C all my growing up years. But, he was not your typical elder in the C of C for his generation. He was a free-thinker. He didn't buy into all the crap (can I say that?). He was highly intelligent, and could see through things that others chose not to think about. For example, he told me that as a small boy growing up in a tiny Southern town in TN, that his church had a few blacks in attendance. And that they were made to sit in the back, and could not take communion out of the same containers as the rest of the white congregation. He said that he instinctively knew that that was wrong. Even though that was the culture of the day, he knew somehow that it was just not right. Yeah, my dad. He taught me that I don't always have to think the same as everybody else...that maybe there's more than one way to look at a question.
2. My mom: My mom was one of the best Christian examples I had set before me. She was constantly looking for ways to help people...all people, any people. She was an easy touch for all those missionary fliers looking for funds. She was a true elder's wife and took it very seriously. She was visiting people, looking out for people, cooking for people, buying groceries for people. And all the while, she truly believed that the C of C was the only way to heaven. She truly thought that if you were not a member of "the C of C" that your salvation was, if not suspect, at least a little shaky. But she did not have a heart full of malice that we normally associate with that line of thinking. She truly loved people and did all she could to make their lives more comfortable. She read her Bible every single night. When she was in the hospital following a severe auto accident, she had someone read to her. I admire her self-discipline and her humble spirit. She always was looking for the good in others and bore the brunt of some of our jokes because of that trait. My mom taught me that even when I disagree with someone's theology, I better not write them off...they just might understand more of the important stuff than I do.
3. My kids: I have to say now that my children have reached adulthood (a time I thought on certain days would never come and now has come all too quickly), that they are teaching me too. My children are a continuance into the future, of things I have taught them and attitudes I've shown them. They come from a different world than I. Therefore, they have a different culture. I don't always agree with them, but I listen to them. They are tuned in to our culture today in ways that I cannot....simply because I am from another time, another place. They have insights into matters that I struggle with. I value their input. My girls have taught me that times change, and I need to work hard to discern the things that stand the test of time...the important and everlasting things.

Three academic books which have shaped your thinking

Academic books??? If by that question you mean some guy or gal's book with some unpronounceable name (usually German), then you're out of luck. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I haven't had much inclination to do this. However, I will list some books that have shaped my thinking.

1. The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity- C. S. Lewis
2. The Jesus I Never Knew and What's so amazing about grace? - Philip Yancey
3. Hind's Feet on High Places - Hannah Hurnard (thanks, Jen for remembering)

Three C of C/Stone-Campbell books which have shaped your thinking

1. The Church in Transition - Jim Woodruff
2. Reviving the Ancient Faith - Richard Hughes

Two are all I can think of. Bruce took his library to the church building so I can't go peek.

Three hopes you have for the future of Churches of Christ:

1. That somehow they can separate their ideas of "salvation issues" and matters of opinion. Not every question boils down to "a matter of salvation". All truth may have been revealed, but I for one don't think we have cornered the market on it, no matter what body we identify with.
2. That wanting to learn to love like God will become of paramount importance.
3. They they will begin to recognize the greater church at large, and want to work together to show the world Jesus.

Three fears you have for Churches of Christ

1. That fear will cripple their ability to change.
2. That elderships will self-perpetuate.
3. Somehow believing the notion that being a good American citizen is equated to being a believer of Jesus.

Three challenges we will face in Churches of Christ in our generation:

Easy. I'll just copy Jen...because she's absolutely spot on.

1. on the issues of gender and sexuality
2. on the relationship of theology and science
3. and in interfaith dialogue

Sorry, Jen, but you nailed it...couldn't think of anything else.

Three bloggers you tag:

1. Ally
2. Scott
3. Tracy

There it is. I hope it's not overly simplistic or rude. Much could and needs to be said about these topics. I value both my upbringing and the loving examples of Jesus that I've seen lived out before me in Churches of Christ. I have seen some of the most loving, grace-filled people who in turn, nurtured my faith. And, I have also seen the most wretched examples of hate-filled venomous vipers covinced they were doing the will of God. My family has been loved greatly in Churches of Christ, and has been hated greatly in Churches of Christ. It grieves me to think that the negatives have unduly influenced my children...I hope not girls. I hope you know that people fail...all people fail, no matter what body of believers you identify with. But, God is faithful, love never fails and He will lead us to places where we can work alongside with Him in whatever tasks He sees fit to give us.