The One True Way
I read the July 2006 article here - http://www.barnabasministry.com/index.htm - and was fascinated. He talks of “One true way-ism” as it were. He brings up some terrific points, including a paragraph that talks of the relentless pursuit of one true ways. Take a look:
Never-Ending Pursuit of One-True-Ways
As an attempt to get around some of the problems with one-true-wayism (such as addressing known problems with the system), people involved in this can get caught up in a treadmill of always pursuing the latest one true way. This goes beyond a reasonable periodic inventory of beliefs and practices that characterize a healthy spiritual system. It becomes either a game of spiritual one-upmanship, where the objective is to always be the best or latest, or a form of restless, persistent spiritual tinkering. The former is a symptom of pride more than of spiritual nobility, and the latter reminds me of an old saying we had in the defense business: "In the history of any project, there comes a time to shoot the engineers and get on with production."
I think that this is something that I have to constantly guard my heart against. I seem to have an insatiable appetite and consistent discontent in what I see as what should or should not be practiced in today’s modern Christiandom. I am always looking for the “right” way to think and worship and praise, and so forth. The irony is that while I am consistently looking for these things, I continually pray, read, and share my faith on a regular basis. I think that there is a pride in me that wants to always be right, and that I suffer from its effects in my relationship with my current church. I find flaws in dogma, leaders, interpretations, and practices. I also think that there is a part of me that gives in to fear. I had at one point given my life and soul to a particular way of thinking, and it turned out to be as distructive as what Brother John here in this article describes; not only in my life, but in the life of hundreds of thousands of people. I don’t want to allow myself to trust again, for fear of getting demolished, so I put up my guard and assume that my own understanding will help me see the light in the end. This is pure fallacy. Moreover, the pride is sin and dissatisfying to the Master, so of which I must repent. I have also come to realize that I don’t go to church in faith that the church is “true”, which is a part of that afore mentioned sin. But the scripture also says that if we don’t do it in faith, it is sin. So, ergo, I must repent.
I also think that this article is good for its mention of the fact that Christianity is a flexible as the difference of people that are Christians. This couldn’t be more true. John suggest that perhaps there is no pat answer for what is the one true way, and that the pursuit of the one true way is a fallacy; that there is no such thing as the one true way.
I appreciate this article immensely and feel as though I need to read it a few more times to get the best of it. I’d love to hear your thoughts?
Never-Ending Pursuit of One-True-Ways
As an attempt to get around some of the problems with one-true-wayism (such as addressing known problems with the system), people involved in this can get caught up in a treadmill of always pursuing the latest one true way. This goes beyond a reasonable periodic inventory of beliefs and practices that characterize a healthy spiritual system. It becomes either a game of spiritual one-upmanship, where the objective is to always be the best or latest, or a form of restless, persistent spiritual tinkering. The former is a symptom of pride more than of spiritual nobility, and the latter reminds me of an old saying we had in the defense business: "In the history of any project, there comes a time to shoot the engineers and get on with production."
I think that this is something that I have to constantly guard my heart against. I seem to have an insatiable appetite and consistent discontent in what I see as what should or should not be practiced in today’s modern Christiandom. I am always looking for the “right” way to think and worship and praise, and so forth. The irony is that while I am consistently looking for these things, I continually pray, read, and share my faith on a regular basis. I think that there is a pride in me that wants to always be right, and that I suffer from its effects in my relationship with my current church. I find flaws in dogma, leaders, interpretations, and practices. I also think that there is a part of me that gives in to fear. I had at one point given my life and soul to a particular way of thinking, and it turned out to be as distructive as what Brother John here in this article describes; not only in my life, but in the life of hundreds of thousands of people. I don’t want to allow myself to trust again, for fear of getting demolished, so I put up my guard and assume that my own understanding will help me see the light in the end. This is pure fallacy. Moreover, the pride is sin and dissatisfying to the Master, so of which I must repent. I have also come to realize that I don’t go to church in faith that the church is “true”, which is a part of that afore mentioned sin. But the scripture also says that if we don’t do it in faith, it is sin. So, ergo, I must repent.
I also think that this article is good for its mention of the fact that Christianity is a flexible as the difference of people that are Christians. This couldn’t be more true. John suggest that perhaps there is no pat answer for what is the one true way, and that the pursuit of the one true way is a fallacy; that there is no such thing as the one true way.
I appreciate this article immensely and feel as though I need to read it a few more times to get the best of it. I’d love to hear your thoughts?
posted by P. Allan Frederick at 8:11 AM
2 Comments:
In deciding to surrender myself to this way of thinking, I have come to much greater terms of peace with my home fellowship; particularly with our minister. This is a long, complicated sinerio, but at last I feel as though much of the constant inner turmoil I experience has subsided. I feel as though my mind is much clearer. THis is a good thing. I am ready for school to start, and my mind and spirit feel fresh and renewed! Fantastic. If you get a chance to read this article, I'd really like to hear from you and gather your thoughts...
I just reread the article, and here is something that hit me hard this time, "At what point can somebody quit having to define what a Christian is and just be a Christian? One true wayism makes the way more important than God, so the way is always the focus. It's like we are bored with Jesus."
That seems to fit me to the te`. I don't get bored with Jesus when I am reading my bible everyday, or close to it; but when I start skipping my bible study, I get bored and start looking for the "One true way..."
Post a Comment
<< Home