Another dose of mad ecumenism
Because sometimes, as dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we just need to be angry at each other...
Over at InternetMonk, Michael Spencer recently posted a response from Dr. Timothy George about Baptist theological perspectives on the Lord's Supper. After the discussion in the comments meandered into polemical criticisms of Baptist views, Michael offered this delicious rant:
***SIGH***
This blog has sponsored more posts on the Baptist view of the Lord’s Supper than any single source in evangelicalism. I’m bone-tired of being told I don’t believe in the real presence of Jesus. If your religion amounts to standing in church doors and saying we have more of the real Jesus in here than you do over there because of what’s written on a piece of paper or what some religious leader says, then I hope you get immense satisfaction from that view. Really, I am the first in line to say whatever you have to localize the “real” Jesus is completely fine with me. Have at it.
But don’t come here and tell me that I have less Jesus than you have, as if Jesus is a package of bacon. Don’t tell me I have less communion with Jesus than you have. Don’t tell me that the reality of Christ in my life is derived from my relationship to your church. Don’t tell me that “real” under your system is more “real” than “real” in my faith. Don’t tell me that I believe in the “real absence.” That’s insulting and offensive, as well as considerably unaware of what my tradition affirms about Christ.
Believe your thing, be happy about it, and talk about us poor protestants in private.
Here’s a mind bender. Why not just let me believe that being united to the one “in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” actually gets me across all the important lines? I won’t insist you come to my church and you won’t imply that unless I join yours I’m not in communion with God. Deal?
Yours in the non-baconian fellowship of Jesus...
Over at InternetMonk, Michael Spencer recently posted a response from Dr. Timothy George about Baptist theological perspectives on the Lord's Supper. After the discussion in the comments meandered into polemical criticisms of Baptist views, Michael offered this delicious rant:
***SIGH***
This blog has sponsored more posts on the Baptist view of the Lord’s Supper than any single source in evangelicalism. I’m bone-tired of being told I don’t believe in the real presence of Jesus. If your religion amounts to standing in church doors and saying we have more of the real Jesus in here than you do over there because of what’s written on a piece of paper or what some religious leader says, then I hope you get immense satisfaction from that view. Really, I am the first in line to say whatever you have to localize the “real” Jesus is completely fine with me. Have at it.
But don’t come here and tell me that I have less Jesus than you have, as if Jesus is a package of bacon. Don’t tell me I have less communion with Jesus than you have. Don’t tell me that the reality of Christ in my life is derived from my relationship to your church. Don’t tell me that “real” under your system is more “real” than “real” in my faith. Don’t tell me that I believe in the “real absence.” That’s insulting and offensive, as well as considerably unaware of what my tradition affirms about Christ.
Believe your thing, be happy about it, and talk about us poor protestants in private.
Here’s a mind bender. Why not just let me believe that being united to the one “in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” actually gets me across all the important lines? I won’t insist you come to my church and you won’t imply that unless I join yours I’m not in communion with God. Deal?
Yours in the non-baconian fellowship of Jesus...
Labels: Ecumenism
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