Nonconformist Chronicles

A Revolution in Churches of Christ

A revolution has been occurring in churches of Christ. It's presence is strong in the pulpit, as evidenced by the blogs and facebook posts of my preaching colleagues. The revolution has trickled down into the pews (or chairs), but isn't nearly as widespread there. Or maybe it is, but fear of conflict and strained relationships keep many in the closet. So a host of frustrated preachers have waited many years for the rest of the church to catch up. 

This revolution rejects the past legalism and sectarianism that sadly characterized our movement for many years and still does in some places. The revolution is critical of a hermeneutic that employs command, example, inference, and arguments from silence as the last word on establishing biblical authority. It refuses to read the New Testament as a legal text, pattern, blueprint, or checklist recognizing that the literature is far richer and more multi-nuanced than that. The revolution is not a rejection of biblical authority, but an approach to establishing it that respects the diversity of genres, cultural contexts, and the occasional nature of the New Testament documents.

I first heard warnings about the so-called "New Hermeneutic" back in the early 90s. While a gross misnomer, the term was a label given to "change agents" who employed a non-legalistic reading of the Scriptures. From the start of the controversy I felt that I had come into the Stone-Campbell Movement for such a time as this. I accepted the legalistic and sectarian approach in the earliest days of my Christian walk, but soon rejected the approach once I learned to think for myself. It has been a most liberating shift. 

Perhaps "Reformation" is a better word than "Revolution." Every movement, like a family who lives in the same house for decades, should periodically sift through accumulated clutter and discard excess baggage. In churches, this is called Reformation, the term most commonly used by the Campbells to describe their nascent movement. 

This blog began over seven years ago as yet another voice echoing the call to reform. Since then I have posted only sporadically about whatever topic struck my fancy at the moment. My blog traffic and reader interaction has gradually suffered. 

So I now return to the beginning as I chronicle the journey of a nonconformist. I not only promote nonconformity to secularism, but to traditionalism, legalism, and sectarianism. Some changes will include posts that are more autobiographical, shorter posts, more frequent posts, a more accessible prose, fewer protracted series, and hopefully more attention to spiritual formation. So join me as one more voice heralds the reforming of hermeneutics, vocational ministry, and our own lives.  

Hallowed Halls of Non-Conformity

The heroes of history have usually been non-conformists. They are the people we admire and maybe wished we had the courage to emulate. They refused to accept the status quo. They refused conformity to the hard-line establishment.

Jesus of Nazareth was the quintessential non-conformist, refusing to fit in with the corrupt religious establishment of his day. He ignored anti-scriptural traditions. He placed love over ritual and "relaxed" the law when it conflicted with human need. He offended all the leading parties.

Christ-followers are likewise to be non-conformists. While in the world, we are not of it (John 17:14-16). We don't fit in. We're different.

Paul was a non-conformist, insisting that fellow Christ-followers not be conformed to the pattern of this world (Rom. 12:2). In his allegiance to Christ, Paul bucks the established system. He refused to bind his traditions upon others. Life might have gone easier had he simply complied with the legalistic Judaizers. Paul's insistence upon justification by faith, and not by works, became the rallying cry of Luther's Reformation.

Martin Luther, a non-conformist priest, bucked the system in his rejection of indulgences, penance, transubstantiation, pilgrimages, relics, and anything else that might hint of salvation by works. The Protestant Reformation was launched and Luther is considered brave and heroic.

Our nation was founded upon the non-conformist positions of our Founding Fathers. Men like Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Adams thought it contrary to the God of Nature that humankind be in bondage to tyranny. They brought forth a new nation in which conformity to the bondage of state religion would not be required of its free citizens. This was a radical concept in the history of civilizations.

In the fertile soil of this new nation were planted additional seeds of religious reform. Brave men like Thomas & Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone rejected creeds and confessions as tests of fellowship. They took the Reformation's sola scriptura beyond what Protestants had formerly considered.

In their day, the non-conformists were considered rebels, rabble rousers, and even heretics by the establishment authorities. It's typically in hindsight that "heretics" are finally viewed as "heroes." 

Then, after several generations, the non-conformists' ideas and interpretations are either canonized, corrupted, or both. In time their followers stop calling for reform and start demanding conformity. Forgetting their own non-conformist roots, they slander and persecute the next generation of reformers. Terms like "change agent" are thrown about quite liberally by conservatives. But in time, many of today's "heretics" will be tomorrow's "heroes."

Legislation or Transformation?

People who grew up in conservative churches will sometimes offer strikingly similar accounts. They tell of going to youth classes where the focus was not so much on specific Bible passages or on discipleship, but the studies were more topical in nature.

Topics might have ranged from whether one should go swimming at the public pool, to whether social drinking or attendance at the prom are permissible, to what constitutes modest apparel. The legislation handed down was not so much based on what the Bible actually said, but on what some believed the Bible must imply by what it says. It was legislation based on inference.

Now I'm not saying that the above topics are of no relevance. Parents should think through and talk through these issues with their kids. But it is not the church's job to legislate where there is no express statement of Scripture.

The goal of Christian education has too often been the promotion of conformation as opposed to transformation. We want our kids to grow up and be nice moral people. So it was communicated that the way to be a nice moral person was by conformity to legislation.

The problem with emphasizing legislation over transformation is that wrong notions are communicated. One might assume that "As long as I don't drink, dance, or wear mini-skirts, I must be a good Christian" or "As long as I attend church I must be a good Christian."  One might conform to legislation without pursuing transformation.

And where is the motive for obedience to God unless one is being transformed? Rules alone do not change people--at least not long term.

So what does it mean for the church to opt for transformation? It means that we aim our teachings straight for the heart. We emphasize Jesus--his life, his teachings, his compassion, and his lordship. We focus on the ultimate cost of his very life on the cross. We announce God's unconditional love for us which led him to give his Son on our behalf.  

People become disciples of Jesus by coming to know him. Our teaching should be saturated with the gospel of Christ. Now that doesn't mean we never teach morality, but any appeal for godly living should never be divorced from the gospel.

Remember the reason Paul gave for offering our bodies as living sacrifices. We are to do this "in view of God's mercy" (Romans 12:1). This mercy was demonstrated at the cross. If the centrality of the cross is eclipsed by arbitrary legislation, there is no real motve for godly living.    

It is the gospel message that transforms. Change does not occur through the mere imparting of rules. We need more than rules. We need a relationship with the risen Lord.      

Why Nonconformist Chronicles?

On this first post of my new blog I'll start by explaining the title. Why is it called Nonconformist Chronicles?

Do I mean by this an anti-establishment "no-one-can-tell-me-what-to-do" attitude? Do I mean a unique outward appearance that makes everyone sit up and take notice of me? Do I mean an in-your-face expression of my individualism which communicates that I march to the beat of my own drum? I went through all these phases in my earlier life, but adulthood means putting away childish things.

By nonconformity I do not imply a contempt for community permitting me to worship the idol of self. I am speaking of the biblical nonconformity of Romans 12:2, where Paul says, "Do not be conformed to this world."

Conformity means being poured or pressed into a particular mold. There are many types of molds. There are molds for candy, modeling clay, and plaster. The substance goes into the mold and is shaped into an exact replica of the mold itself.

Conformity is allowing oneself to be pressed into the world's mold. One is putty in the world's hands to be shaped and formed by what the majority values.

What the world values is self; individual rights, individual expression, and individual choice. So ironically, to be a nonconformist means that you are not a rugged individualist who needs no one and answers to no one. But the nonconformist resists being poured into the world's mold of selfish independence.

The true nonconformist is not an isolated individualist, but plays a vital role in the community and puts the needs of the community's members ahead of self. The context of Romans 12-13 defines this nonconformity:

• A nonconformist does not live to please self, but to please God (12:1).
• A nonconformist does not exalt self by minimizing the contributions or abilities of others (12:3-4).
• A nonconformist lives interdependently among the community of faith in which "each member belongs to all the others" (12:5).
• A nonconformist honors others above self--even enemies (12:10-16).
• A nonconformist respects authority as God-ordained. The nonconformist is a good citizen and an honest tax payer (13:1-7).
• A nonconformist is not self-indulgent, participating in drunkenness, sexual immorality, etc. One resists going along with the crowd (13:12-13).
• A nonconformist does not live to oneself, but recognizes accountability to God (14:7, 12).

Jesus is the ultimate nonconformist in that he did not live to please himself (Rom. 15:1-4). He refused to be pressed into the world's mold of selfish individualism. To follow Jesus is to walk in the footsteps of nonconformity. I do not claim to have mastered this walk for it is lifelong and progressive.

The only way to resist conformity to the world is to be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2). Transformation begins with the inner life.

There will always be institutional religionists who vehemently denounce conformity to the world. But as means of resistance they offer their own brand of outward conformity, deemphasizing the priority of inner transformation. Jesus also refused to be pressed into their mold. I'll continue to address this in a near future post. Stay tuned.