Amazing Love - Quote by John Wesley

 
 

Filed In:

• Quotes
• Wesley

What's your theological worldview?

Several bloggers in the Methoblogsphere have linked to a web site. that, after asking a series of questions, attempts to determine what shapes your theological worldview. What is a worldview? Great question. ChristianWorldview.net has a pretty good definition...

"Everyone has a worldview. Whether or not we realize it, we all have certain presuppositions and biases that affect the way we view all of life and reality. A worldview is like a set of lenses which taint our vision or alter the way we perceive the world around us. Our worldview is formed by our education, our upbringing, the culture we live in, the books we read, the media and movies we absorb, etc. For many people their worldview is simply something they have absorbed by osmosis from their surrounding cultural influences."

I can't begin to stress how important it is to have a "Biblical Worldview"; that is, a worldview that is shaped/informed by the Truth revealed in the Bible.

A study done in 2003 by the Barna Group found that only 9% of born-again believers held a "biblical worldview". Barna defined "biblical worldview" as...

"believing that absolute moral truths exist; that such truth is defined by the Bible; and firm belief in six specific religious views. Those views were that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life; God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and He stills rules it today; salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned; Satan is real; a Christian has a responsibility to share their faith in Christ with other people; and the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings."

So let's review...

• "Worldview" is how we view the world around us.
• "Biblical worldview" is a view of the world based on Biblical truth.
• "Theological worldview" is a view of the world formed by a particular system or systems of religious beliefs and teachings

Anyway, I thought I'd give the quiz a try. Here are my results...

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.

What's your theological worldview?

Filed In:

• Theology

Antiwar Sermon Brings IRS Warning

This article in the LA Times is disturbing for a number of reasons. Regardless of the theological issues, all Christians; no, not just Christians, all Americans should agree that a person does not forfeit their first amendment right when they step into the pulpit.

"The Internal Revenue Service has warned one of Southern California's largest and most liberal churches that it is at risk of losing its tax-exempt status because of an antiwar sermon two days before the 2004 presidential election. "

While I may not agree with all of Rev. Regas' theological assertions, I do however feel that he should be able to speak without fear of reprisal from the IRS. Although the content of his sermon did seem to favor Senator Kerry and would obviously affect the decisions of the congregation, I can't help but ask, 'what's wrong with that'? You have here a man being faithful to his convictions. If he's wrong, let the listeners decide. At least he's addressing the issues from a Christian perspective. His conclusions may be different from yours and mine or you may agree with him completely. Either way, a minister should not have to worry about the church losing it's tax exempt status when he faithfully exercises his first amendment right. See this page at the Center For Reclaiming America website for more information.

Filed In:

• News

Take the Politics Test

Ok, so it doesn't have much to do with Methodism, but it is kind of interesting. I can't decide if it's accurate, but it is... interesting. Take the quiz and see for yourself.

I am a Social Moderate (41% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (35% permissive) I am best described as a: Centrist Link: The Politics Test

Methodist Rulings Reinforce Traditional Church Policy on Homosexuality

It seems that the most obvious thing to write about today would be the recent decisions by the United Methodist Judicial counsel regarding homosexuality and the church. In an article on ChristianityToday.com, Kevin Eckstrom says...

The twin rulings represent a major setback for liberals who advocate greater inclusion of homosexuals in the nation's second-largest Protestant denomination, and served to reinforce church policy on homosexuality as ironclad.

I should be happy, right? So why do I feel so heartbroken? Don't get me wrong, I agree with the decisions. I agree with our "Discipline" that says...

The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.

But it also says that all persons are of "sacred worth". Knowing this, I can't help but feel sympathy for those that are hurting because of these decisions. While this may drive us closer to "schism", it is still my prayer that God would mend the divide between us, as He draws us closer to Himself.

Filed In:

• News
• UMC