11 November 2005
I've Got It!
Okay, here it is. I heard a guy say yesterday that he thinks the reason 60% of the students who actually attended chapel yesterday weren't really "into" worship is because we don't allow students self-expression. My gut wanted to say, "What are you talking about?" but I remembered that I choose to express myself without worrying what people say. I've never had to worry about that. Who I am has rarely gone against the grain. It's not that I'm a people-pleaser. I just like to study hard and get good grades. I like to dress well. I like to hang out with people. I like to worship God. I like music. I like watching some sports and playing others. I'm married to a great girl. None of this rubs people the wrong way, so they let me express myself freely. But what about other people who don't like what I like? I'm hosting a young man on campus today with hair down his back and a grizzly beard. Being raised open-minded, I will probably get along well with him without any regard to those things. However, I'm going to have to have the "Cut your hair and shave!" talk with him in his interview today. Let's NOT talk Bethany here - let's talk our culture. (This isn't a BBC issue - it's a culture issue, believe me.) Why does our east coast evangelical Christian -founded on freedom of religious expression, I remind you - choose to bind people to fitting the "Christian" image? What is the Christian image anyway?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
that is a great question Lynn, and one that I've been struggling with in the last few months. It is these 'bondages' (as I call them), these "Christian ideas" that have kept me from finding out who God is, while they were trying to tell me. And it's not just the Atlantic District's culture...
I realize that some people thrive in a place like that, finding God and a relationship with him that explodes! But I find myself fighting resentment for those years of being told what to think, not how to think...sometimes I'm not even sure what/whom I am mad at...crazyness is what it is...someday God will break through the crap I've buried down so deep
maybe I am crazy
I wish they would have let ME grow a shaggy beard at Bethany. Though I would have settled for Sunday laundry, I think.
In defense of the college, I came to really appreciate some of its more "ridiculous" standards over the years, as it gave me a chance to practice submission and allow God to work with me in that area.
In defense of the Christian culture... well, there is no defense. It's unfortunate that God has told us not to judge, but then we go and create quasi- or (neutrally) non-biblical standards just to give us an EXCUSE to judge. It is also unfortunate that it tempts those individuals who want to live for God but express themselves in ways that are counter-cultural to do the latter under the guise of freedom in Christ, but actually develop an attitude of rebellion that isn't pleasing to Christ. Or, to fall to pride at being "more enlighted" or "more spiritual" than their brothers and sisters who abide by the culture.
But when I say "brothers and sisters", I'm not referring specifically to YOU, Lynn and Judy :)
as Nata said, rules like that at college do have their good points-like teaching submission and allowing for growth in a future minister.
I must say though, Morgan and I have enjoyed a freedom here in Alaska from "Christianese" expectations and molds that we are supposed to live by as Wesleyans.
People here don't care. They just love Jesus. It's really helped us work through some of our legalistic and judgmental mentalities that we have had toward certain areas of question. It's now not a matter of right or wrong on issues of debate, but "where is your heart in it all"? For example, when we first moved here, we had a young couple over, and their house warming gift was a case of good old Alaska brewed beer. Now how we reacted back then was much different than how we would react now. Back then, coming out of Bethany, it was a shock to even see it being offered from "church people". But they were so innocent in their gift, and I'm afraid I may have offended them by my probably obvious shock and the way I declined.
I understand the need for denominational rules and guidelines, but I wish that we could be free in our Christian culture to be led more by the Spirit and less by "Christian" guidlines and regulations.
Hear, Hear! I am now a West Coast Gal and definitely fit in our here more than back east. The Christian culture out here is a lot more liberal. And people are in general way less judgemental as a whole. Of course, in the 60's the hippies were in abundance here and maybe that lends to a more artsy, expressive, and open culture. None the less...Christians here are "free". And yes if you visit someone's home they may serve you wine or good old Kokanee beer, hehe. Anyways..I think "Mrs Roach" is right about teh heart issue too. I know when I am taking my freedom and abusing it in my walk with God. And when I cross that line is displeases God and I feel like a real jerk!! Anywoos...good luck back East. Revolutionize the culture ya'll, but be careful not to go too far..(whatever that may mean)
Good points Lynn! Unfortunately even though the South has great weather, they can be a little bit Old school. We still wear suits and our choir has a dress code. Parkway has toyed with the idea of not wearing suits, but they can't make up their mind. They didn't wear them in the summer, but then we came back to them in the fall. I like dressing up, but now that I dress down for work I really enjoy being comfortable.
I have no comment on the hair because one of my greatest mentors, Pastor Dave in Buffalo had a pony tail for years! But I wouldn't want to be the one to inform him that he needs to chop it off.
as a person who had to continually enforce the rules at bbc (whether i agreed with them or not) some of these topics were issues that people didn't deal with very well.
i think you have to adapt to your current culture in order to be the 'bigger' person; wearing a suit on sunday is ludicrous in many churches, but that wasn't the issue: the issue was "will you obey this rule placed over by your authority?" People got the two confused, or deliberately chose not to think along those lines in order to get their own way.
I love my church--me and pastor tom never wear suits, and most church members bring Tim Horton's into the sanctuary for morning worship every sunday; we're quite laid-back. but i would have been in the wrong had i not wore a suit as a BBC student because i was disobeying those that God placed above me.
This is awesome dialogue, but I want to clarify that this is not merely a BBC issue. It's not even solely an Atlantic District issue. (My childhood and junior high years were spent in the Kentucky District...scary.) Pigeon-holing people into being Christians according to our image is a time-honored tradition in Western Christianity. Take our missionaries, for example. How many stories have I read about early missionaries teaching tribes to cover themselves before trying to help them understand the gospel? Though I consider myself open-minded, how many times have I assumed something about someone's spirituality, simply because of their appearance? Do we look at well-dressed people and assume, "Oh, they think they have it all together?" Do we look at poorly-dressed people and say, "What a lazy slacker?" What about people dressed in black with greasy hair - skaters or goth...or neither? In a way, there's no escaping this, but I long for freedom of self-expression. Confession: A lot of this comes from conversations people have had with me in which they've said, "I just didn't think you could be real." Why not? Is that because my self-expression looks like something "too normal?" Anyway, enough kvetching. Back to the real world...
i think many in our generation recognize the folly of trying to churn out christians that all look and act the same by legislating behaviour. just look at everyone's replies. no one thinks it a good thing. everyone is finding their own way through it. mrs. roach...you're not crazy. i'm going through the same stuff. and now i'm struggling with the arrogance thing (i'm right and they're wrong...). it's insane.
but i think there is hope. we will, if we can get our own judgmental habits worked out, hopefully be a positive influence wherever we are (east or west coast). i'm trying to learn this...but it's freakin hard.
i was at church on sunday, and the church i'm attending is in a poorer part of town. as i read this post and the comments, i was thinking back to sunday, and how i have a tendency to place people in categories by how they dress. there was a family that looked like their clothes were an older style and didn't quite fit right, so i assumed they would go in the "poor" category because they probably got those clothes from the sally ann... hopefully i don't act that way toward people, but you never know - if i think it...
I would just like to say something a tad off topic:
It seems like alot of us "grads" from BBC are dealing with similar issues. And its almost comforting. IT is hard right now trying to sift through the issues, but it also gives me hope that things will be different in the future because WE are the future/present leaders in the church. I just want to say to everyone keep being real..and keep digging, because God wants to reach this generation and obviously He wants to use YOU. Peace my BBC friends!
This is a very difficult and interesting topic Lynn, one I dealt with daily at Bethany, and frequently independent of it.
I don't know what the image is, or why certain believers cling to that specific mold in their mind, but I can say that being different from their mentality causes scarring seperation within the church and between Christians. If I, an intelligent yet modified Christian woman, feel isolated and undesired by fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, how can we expect to minister to unbelievers like me? When did our culture become so rigid and exclusive at the expense of building the kindgom?
I will say I have never been more chastised than my years at Bethany. It is not submission but assimilation they seek. I submit to my authority (Honest! I'm not that stubborn!) when the requirements are fair, just and apply to all across the board, not to a rule in place for the sake of a rule.
Maybe with this issue..BBC can't help but be pulled into it BECAUSE BBC is a huge representation of Christianity is it not? I mean its a center for bringing up and sending out "Christian" leaders. Thus the standards and attitudes set by BBC guidelines influence the IDEA of what Christianity is all about. And those who come out of the BBC environment probably will ooze of BBC Christianity? Although from the blogs of many BBC grads..I have a feeling its doing the opposite in some regards... BBC aside. I'm really enjoying hearing everyone's comments. Its good to be challenged..i miss that!
Post a Comment