I have been thinking lately about this movement and am skeptical about it. I have been duped on more than one occasion in the past about "movements" that are anything but balanced. I've been taken for a ride and have taken others for a ride only to realize how duped I've been. My rule of thumb for such a group is: How are they taking the Gospel to those who do not know about Christ? Family stuff is nice - God has ordained families for the purpose of bringing godly seed into the world. This is what I read. Covenant theology upholds and supports this which is why I embrace infant baptism so wholeheartedly. But our primary purpose for existence is to spread the Gospel of Christ to those who do not know. We are commanded to impact the world. This means we must speak to the culture at large. Remaining cloistered in our small little church does not fit the bill, in my estimation, as if the rest of the world had some disease that we must protect ourselves from. The movie, "I am a Legend" comes to mind here.
-Joe
2 comments:
Joe,
How does the practice of whole families worshiping together equate to being cloistered in a small, little church? You make the family integrated churches sound like they are bunkers. Have the ones you experienced been this way?
Thanks!
Scott
Hi Scott,
I don't have problems as long as there is some form of active ministry that encourages the church to spread the gospel into the un-churched community. Help me Scott to understand things differently. My family is not involved in a lot our church has to offer - Youth Group, Sunday School after 6th grade etc for various reasons - we all worship together. But even in how we worship others pull away because we don't exactly fit in either. I want balance between "coming out and be separate" which means not copying the practices in the world of which the church can be accused of doing, but also being Christ like and opening our arms to receive others who disagree. I think my concern is articulated sufficiently in the post. "Small" is kind of besides the point. Being cloistered is. Families worshiping together is a good thing - but the movement is what I question. Implementing all the FIC proposes leaves difficulties unless you go out and start your own church and I have no reason to leave mine even though there are programs that are not conducive to our family mission goals but make perfect sense in order to serve those who are in this culture. So in answer to your question - yes there are churches affiliated with the FIC that I see as imbalanced. But that is my own narrow perspective coming from the outside and Presbyterian in my individual case.
-Joe
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