Bad Theology Hurts the Church

Bad Theology Hurts the Church

My personal opinion is that the churches biggest problem in our world is bad theology. The notion that bad things happen because God is punishing rather than realizing the fact that our world is infected by sin and so bad things happen. The conclusion that those who seem to be tremendously blessed are blessed by God, and those who are on the bottom of society must have done something for God to punish them. The idea that since God is not preached in our schools, then that's why school shootings happen, rather than understand that forcing children to pray, read bible verses, and forcing them to act Christian doesn't change the hearts of children. "Keeping God in school" does not make a difference as these shootings happen at Christian schools as well.

Theology Matters

I have been told by many, "Theology is just way to far above my head, and I just can't understand it," or, "I really don't understand all that theology stuff, but I have the bible and that's what I focus on." Simply put, theology is what you think about God, and what you think about God and you believe it, then your life will reflect those thoughts. So essentially theology is how you think about God and how that is shown in your life. That is why theology matters. 

If we buy into this notion that God deals out punishment to those who are disobedient, then it can naturally be assumed that the opposite is true. That God blesses those who are obedient. As we are in this time of Lent, doesn't those last statements speak directly against the celebration we come to hope for in Easter? If we believe, say these comments, or post them on Facebook, isn't that just showing what we truly believe about grace, mercy, and love? 

If we fall into the trap that God isn't welcome in schools, so that must be why these shooting happen, we must not believe that God's presence can go anywhere. God obviously hasn't left the schools. If we believe that our human institutions have limited God's work in these places, what is our theology of missions? 

It's obvious what we do in terms of missions. We send missionaries into those places that God is not welcome and we allow God to work according to his will. Do we not send Christian students into non-religious schools everyday? Where is their witness, where is God's love? Ask the children how they are living like Christ in a place that they are not welcome. I have talked to public school Christians, I was one, I was a youth pastor, and now as a pastor, these kids are allowed to pray in school, and they are allowed to have beliefs and live out there faith.  Institutionally, the school is not allowed to be Christian for the sake of other religions, but that doesn't stop the children from living godly lives. "But it is easier to speak about God when we are in a safe pro-Christian atmosphere." Yes, it probably is easier, but is that what we are called to do? Do we not send Christians to hostile lands? Do we not believe that we are not the owner of our lives, but belong to God so that we will partner with him in his mission for the world? 

What are we teaching when we teach bad theology? If we don't tell our children that they are missionaries in a public school, then will they show love to the outcast, shamed, or invisible? If we don't tell our children that they are allowed to speak their faith in places that it is hard, will they have a harder time when they grow up and are called to speak their faith in their workplaces? I have several stories of that too. 

Theology; The intersection of Faith and Life

What we believe matters. Do we actually live like we are saved, do we live like we are children of God, do we live like we know the gospel? Do we look at others, as we believe God looks at us? Do we live like pharisees when we say we have the gospel? Does our political views agree with our Christian life? Do we listen to the bible when it speaks about the poor or listen to the government when it shuts down aid? Do we seek to help the stranger, but more worried about the life we have, that is God's anyway, because what if I get hurt?

When our what we say that we believe, but it doesn't show up in our lives, then it is just empty words rather than faith. When the ones who sit in the pews do not actually live the life that they say that they believe, then our church doesn't live the life that God desires. It is more important to live a life faithful to God, than one that is comfortable for you. When we say, "God is not welcome there" or "God needs to show up" or "Where is God" ask yourself, "Where did I bring the love of God," "Where did I show up so that people saw God," and "Where did God tell me to be?" 

Hopefully the answer isn't Facebook, hopefully it isn't "I didn't hear him," and hopefully we didn't say, "It would have been uncomfortable."