IS THE CHURCH BEING A FRIEND TO THE WORLD OR A FRIEND OF THE WORLD?

 

Courtesy of Abolish Human Abortion in Ames Iowa

This week, I've seen the extremes of where the American Church is. One good via a pair of Christian Universities. The other? Well, let me continue.

One of the two is from my Alma Mater, Arizona Christian University. Actually, when I attended, the school was Southwestern Conservative Baptist Bible College (also known as Southwestern College, which is easier to write and to speak). Since then, it has changed from being a small denominational Bible College on East Cactus Road in the Paradise Valley suburb of Phoenix. Now, it is a non-denominational Christian Liberal Arts College in Glendale. 

From two different sources, I saw a release from George Barna and the Cultural Research Center, dated August 31, 2021. I'm not going to give a detailed account (you can read it by clicking here), but I will mention that in it, it states between 6-9% American adults have a distinctly Christian worldview. While the report is discouraging, I'm encouraged that my Alma Mater was involved with this project. By the way, today, Becky heard of another Barna report on how many parents are actively making disciples of their children ... would you believe that's only 2%?😱

Are all Christian schools (whose health is not unrelated to the strength of the American Church) on board? Today, I've learned of another Christian University that is inaugurating their new president. Part of it is a prayer breakfast which states guests of all faith backgrounds will join in praying to the Lord for that Christian School. Uh, are they all praying to the same God? If that particular Christian School is training their students to go into all the world to preach the Gospel, wouldn't that put them in opposition to those inter-faith guests? 

Could this be what James is talking about when he writes, "Adulterers and adultresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God?"

Now, one of my favorite Christian songs is by a group called Liaison titled "Friend to the World." Is that encouraging what James is condemning? No - the point of the song is we have the only source of hope for the world (meaning the people in the world). The best way to be a friend to the people of the world is to oppose the ungodly patterns we live with. 

Are we trying to reach the world by fitting in? I mentioned one verse refuting that view - there's plenty of others that agree. 

James Lawson, a Christian cartoonist friend (you can see a review of his book Therapeutic Insanity by clicking here), told me that Christians should be living Sola Scriptura, that is, by Scripture alone. I say a hearty amen, though I don't believe that we'll be able to live it out consistently as long as we are in the flesh. If we attempt to live it out, we'll stick out, and the world will NOT approve.

I need to ask myself where I fall short from living out Sola Scriptura, where my worldview is reflecting the world's perspective as opposed to the Word's perspective, where I'm uniting with those from whom I should be divided from (and vice versa). How many will join me?  

CHRISTIAN COMIC BOOK REVIEWS PART 2 OF 2: SUBMITTING TO BE MORE VILE (THE ILLUSTRATED ADVENTURES OF JOHN AND CHARLES WESLEY) BY CHARLIE BABER

 

Yesterday I reviewed James Lawson's comics of Yakov BenTorah and his dog Mattix. Today, I'll be looking at a collection of Wesley Bros. comics by Charlie Baber. 

I fell in love with the premise immediately. Baber takes the Wesleys and puts them in a modern day setting along with other famous people in history. Well, maybe not always modern day - Baber places his characters in take-offs of Marvel Comics, Star Trek, and the like - previously I would never have thought of Tertullian as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

This graphic novel is arranged in thematic order as opposed to chronological. Some of them are a telling of the Wesleys' childhood and the origins of Methodism (though I doubt the real Nancy Wesley asked her mother for a cell phone). The other sections look at theology and church relations.

I'll admit that there are things I like about this collection and some I don't. For one is that while it is about Arminians by Arminians, it doesn't villainize Calvinists. George Whitfield is a regular character in the book as a friend, not as an antagonist. On the other hand, I can tell from the comics that I'm more conservative theologically and politically than they are. For example, there are comics that hint Baber has no problem with female clergy, and there are a few which give an impression that wokism is okay (one which is meant to be pro-immigration but comes across as anti ICE).

Wesley Bros. is a fun way to look at church history. Also, like Yakov BenTorah, there is a challenge to what Lawson describes as Couch Potato Christians, to return to our First Love. However, I have to stop short of an unqualified recommendation of the Wesley Bros.

Is there an artist (musician, novelist, cartoonist, etc.) that you have points of disagreement with but who still have a positive effect in your spiritual life or at least spur you on to thinking issues through? Is there a balance between being too inclusive and too exclusive in your theology?

 

CHRISTIAN COMIC BOOK REVIEWS PART 1 OF 2: THERAPEUTIC INSANITY WITH YAKOV BENTORAH AND HIS DOG MATTIX BY JAMES LAWSON

 

Have you ever seen a series of book reviews? Well, you have now. Today and tomorrow I'll be introducing two different books that have a few things in common:

1. They're both listed as "Graphic Novels".
2. Technically, they're not "Novels" but are collections of cartoons by the author.
3. They are both are Christian, and neither is typical Christian fluff.
4. Neither will be everybody's cup of tea, partially due to humor and partially due to theological reasons.

 Today, I'll start with Therapeutic Insanity by my friend James Lawson is a clever and humorous look into Christianity. The main characters are Yakov BenTorah (which is the author's name in Hebrew) and his Dog, Mattix (another play on words - I'll see if you can figure it out).

The blurb states this isn't for couch potato Christians and challenges those who don't trust Scripture alone. Now, he does have views that are not typical, and some may not agree with everything he says. But it does call for us to think things through.

There will be times you'll be rolling on the floor laughing your head off, there will be times you'll be ready to challenge the author to a theological debate, and there will be times you will give him a hearty amen. I highly recommend this book. 

I've also been following Lawson's Facebook page, and I trust he doesn't mind if I share a couple of my favorites by him.

Lawson's Facebook page is titled Reformed Christian Comic Books. Hence, expect Reformed Theology in the comics. But at James' heart is a desire for the Chruch to return to the five Solas of the Reformation - The Bible Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, in Christ Alone, To the Glory of God Alone -and I agree.

Have you seen any Christian comics you especially like? Any cartoon that have challenged your faith? 

Tomorrow, I'll be sharing about another collection of Christian comics that have some similarities ... and some major differences.