HUNGRY FOR GOD – THE DEVOTIONALIST GODVIEW

Luke 10:25-27

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 12/12/21

LAST WEEK WE BEGAN A SHORT, FIVE WEEK SERMON SERIES

ON A NEW PARADIGM OF CHURCH LIFE CALLED “GODVIEWS.”

EACH OF THE FIVE​​ DIFFERENT​​ GODVIEWS REPRESENTS

A​​ DIFFERENT​​ WAY OF UNDERSTANDING​​ GOD

AND APPROACHING​​ CHURCH.

EACH OF THE GODVIEWS IS​​ EQUAL​​ IN TERMS OF​​ IMPORTANCE

AND ITS HAVING BEEN​​ VALIDATED​​ BY​​ JESUS​​ HIMSELF.

USING THE GODVIEW PARADIGM,

WE CAN SEE THAT​​ UNITY​​ WITHIN A LOCAL CHURCH

IS ACHIEVED PRECISELY THROUGH THE​​ AFFIRMATION

AND​​ EXPRESSION​​ OF ITS​​ DIVERSITY.

IN THE GODVIEW PARADIGM,

CONFLICT​​ IS​​ NOT​​ SEEN AS SOMETHING TO BE​​ AVOIDED​​ AT ALL COSTS,

BUT AS SOMETHING TO BE​​ EXPECTED, EVEN​​ CELEBRATED,

BECAUSE IT IS HARD​​ EVIDENCE​​ THAT A CHURCH IS​​ ALIVE-AND-WELL,

AND EXPERIENCING THE​​ GROWING​​ PAINS​​ 

NECESSARY FOR​​ NEW​​ LIFE.

A LOCAL CHURCH NEEDS​​ ALL​​ FIVE​​ GODVIEWS TO BE​​ FULLY​​ ALIVE.

WE CAN TRUST GOD’S SPIRIT TO SEE TO IT

THAT ALL FIVE VIEWS ARE PRESENT WITHIN​​ 

ANY GIVEN LOCAL CHURCH.

I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT ALL FIVE​​ VIEWS

ARE REPRESENTED HERE AT COMMUNITY CHURCH.

A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE FIVE DIFFERENT GODVIEWS REVEALS,

FIRST OF ALL, THE​​ TRADITIONALIST​​ GODVIEW.

TRADITIONALISTS ARE THOSE DEEPLY COMMITTED​​ 

TO THE HISTORY AND TRADITIONS OF A LOCAL CHURCH,

AND BOUND-AND-DETERMINED TO SEE THESE HONORED

AND CARRIED​​ ON INTACT​​ AS THE CHURCH MOVES FORWARD.

DURING​​ PAST​​ CONVERSATIONS CONCERNING

AFFILIATION WITH THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST,

IT WAS THE TRADITIONALISTS IN OUR MIDST

WHO CONVINCED US THAT “INDEPENDENT” WOULD​​ ALWAYS

BE A CHOICE​​ HERE AT COMMUNITY CHURCH.

THE​​ CONFESSIONALIST​​ GODVIEW TAKES ITS NAME

FROM THE ROOT MEANING OF THE VERB “TO CONFESS,”

WHICH IN ANCIENT TIMES MEANT “TO​​ AFFIRM.”

CONFESSIONALISTS ARE PERSONS, LIKE MYSELF,​​ 

WHO HAVE A PASSION FOR UNCOVERING THE​​ TRUTH,

THE TRUTH ABOUT​​ GOD​​ AND THE TRUTH ABOUT THE​​ BIBLE.

OFTEN REFUGEES FROM CHURCHES​​ WHICH THEY THINK

GOT​​ IT​​ WRONG​​ ABOUT GOD AND SCRIPTURE,

CONFESSIONALISTS ARE STICKLERS​​ 

FOR SOUND THEOLOGY AND BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION.

THE​​ ALTRUIST​​ GODVIEW IS FOUNDED ON JESUS’ ADMONITION​​ 

TO FEED THE HUNGRY, CLOTHE THOSE IN NEED,

WELCOME THE STRANGER, AND BASICALLY EMBODY THE VALUES

OF JESUS AS EXPRESSED IN HIS PARABLE

OF “THE GOOD SAMARITAN,”

ONE OF THE CHIEF TEXTS UPON WHICH THIS GODVIEW IS BASED.

ALTRUISTS ARE PERSONS WHO, WHEN FACED​​ 

WITH A SITUATION OF NEED, ASK THE QUESTION

“WHAT WOULD​​ JESUS​​ DO?”​​ 

THEN THEY GO ON AND​​ DO​​ JUST THAT!

THE​​ ACTIVIST​​ GODVIEW IS BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION

OF JESUS’ LIVELY CONCERN FOR​​ SOCIAL​​ JUSTICE.

IN HIS PURSUIT OF JUSTICE, JESUS CHALLENGED​​ BOTH

THE RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENTS OF HIS DAY.

AMONG OTHER THINGS, JESUS TOOK ON​​ 

THE ECONOMIC INJUSTICES OF BOTH ISRAEL AND ROME.

CHRISTIAN ACTIVISTS IN OUR DAY,

PEOPLE LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., AND DOROTHY DAY,​​ 

DO THE SAME.

THE​​ DEVOTIONALIST​​ GODVIEW,​​ 

THE VIEW THAT WE WILL BE​​ HIGHLIGHTING​​ TODAY,

DESCRIBES PERSONS WHOSE​​ PRIMARY​​ APPROACH TO GOD

IS THROUGH​​ WORSHIP​​ AND​​ PRAYER.

DEVOTIONALIST CHRISTIANS FOLLOW​​ 

THEIR​​ FEELINGS​​ AND THEIR​​ HEART.

IF PRESSED TO​​ CHOOSE ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE THEMSELVES,

THAT ONE WORD WOULD BE “LOVE.”

THE FOLLOWING TRUE STORY CAPTURES

SOME OF THE MANY DIMENSIONS OF LOVE

CELEBRATED BY DEVOTIONALISTS.

IT IS A STORY ABOUT PHYSICAL BIRTH,

BUT CAN ALSO BE TAKEN METAPHORICALLY​​ 

AS A STORY ABOUT THE BIRTH​​ 

OF A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

JOSEPH WALKER WRITES:

“WE HAD OUR OWN MIRACLE LAST CHRISTMAS EVE.

LIKE THE FIRST CHRISTMAS MIRACLE,​​ 

OURS WAS A MIRACLE OF BIRTH.

ONLY OUR MIRACLE DIDN’T TAKE PLACE IN A STABLE;

IT HAPPENED IN A MODERN, STATE-OF-THE-ART HOSPITAL.

INSTEAD OF A MANGER FILLED WITH STRAW,

OUR CHRISTMAS BABY LAY DOWN HER SWEET HEAD

IN A COMFORTABLY WARM, CAREFULLY STERILIZED BASSINET.

AND WHILE THERE WERE NO CATTLE OR SHEPHERDS

TO ATTEND THE BIRTH OF OUR PRECIOUS LITTLE ONE,

THERE WERE PLENTY OF NURSES, GRANDPARENTS,

AUNTS, UNCLES AND COUSINS.

NOT TO MENTION THE WISE MAN/DOCTOR​​ 

OCCASIONALLY POLING HIS HEAD IN.

FROM THE EAST, AS I RECALL.

NOW, THERE ARE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BIRTHS

EVERY DAY ON THIS PLANET, AND THERE WAS NOTHING

THAT MADE OUR EXPERIENCE ANY MORE ‘MIRACULOUS’

THAN ANY OTHER.

BUT FOR ME, IT WAS A MAGICAL MOMENT OF TRANSFORMATION.

BEFORE MY VERY EYES, MY SON BECAME A FATHER,

MY WIFE BECAME A GRANDMOTHER,

MY DAUGHTERS BECAME AUNTS,

MY YOUNGEST SON BECAME AN UNCLE

AND THAT BASKETBALL IN MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW’S TUMMY

BECAME THE WORLD’S MOST ADORABLE GRANDDAUGHTER.”

I’M GOING TO PUT THIS ILLUSTRATION ON “PAUSE”

SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THE HISTORY

AND THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

OF THE DEVOTIONALIST GODVIEW.

WE WILL RETURN TO THIS POWERFUL STORY OF NEW BIRTH

TOWARDS THE END OF THE​​ SERMON.

DEVOTIONALIST CHRISTIANS RESONATE WITH​​ 

ST. AUGUSTINE’S​​ PRIMAL PRAYER:

“O GOD, YOU​​ HAVE​​ MADE US FOR​​ YOURSELF

AND​​ OUR​​ HEARTS ARE​​ RESTLESS

UNTIL THEY FIND THEIR REST IN​​ YOU.”

DEVOTIONALISTS CAN BE SAID TO HAVE HAD THEIR BEGINNING

IN WHAT CAN BE CALLED THE​​ FIRST​​ REFORMATION OF THE CHURCH,

WITH THE FOUNDING OF THE​​ MONASTIC​​ MOVEMENT IN THE 300’S.

DISILLUSIONED AT WHAT THEY PERCEIVED​​ 

AS THE COLLUSION OF CHURCH AND​​ EMPIRE,

AND THE​​ DILUTION​​ OF THE CORE VALUES OF JESUS,

MANY CHRISTIANS MOVED TO THE DESERT

IN ORDER TO CONCENTRATE ON PRAYER AND WORSHIP.

TODAY,​​ A GOOD NUMBER OF​​ CHRISTIANS ARE FINDING​​ 

THE CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER AND GREGORIAN CHANT

OF THESE EARLY CATHOLIC AND ORTHODOX MONASTICS

TO BE HIGHLY CONDUCIVE TO A VITAL LIFE OF PRAYER.

ANOTHER BRANCH OF THE DEVOTIONALIST GODVIEW

TRACES ITSELF TO THE CENTURY AFTER​​ 

THE​​ THEOLOGICAL​​ REFORMATION OF THE CHURCH​​ 

BY MARTIN LUTHER AND JOHN CALVIN.

FEELING THAT THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION

WAS TOO MUCH OF A​​ HEAD-TRIP,

THESE EARLY PROTESTANT DEVOTIONALISTS

STROVE TO MAKE RELIGION A MATTER OF THE​​ HEART.

THEY EMPHASIZED WHAT THEY CALLED​​ 

A​​ PERSONAL​​ RELATIONSHIP​​ WITH GOD​​ 

THROUGH JESUS IN THE SPIRIT.

EARLY PROTESTANT DEVOTIONALISTS WROTE MANY​​ LOVE​​ SONGS

TO GOD AND JESUS AND THE SPIRIT.

THIS STRONG DEVOTIONALIST SLANT CAN BE SEEN​​ 

IN THE “CONTEMPORARY” WORSHIP SERVICES

OF MANY PROTESTANT AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES,

WHERE STRONG POSITIVE​​ EMOTION​​ TOWARD GOD

IS NOT SOMETHING TO BE​​ FEARED,​​ 

BUT SOMETHING TO BE​​ EXPRESSED​​ IN MUSIC AND PRAYER.

HISTORICALLY,​​ AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHURCHES​​ 

ARE OVERWHELMINGLY​​ DEVOTIONALIST IN ETHOS,

WITH STRONG FEELINGS BEING EXPRESSED

NOT JUST IN WORSHIP AND PRAYER,​​ 

BUT IN SERMON-DELIVERY AS WELL.

AS A SEMINARY STUDENT IN CHICAGO,

I FOUND THE MAINSTREAM CHURCHES NEAR THE UNIVERSITY

VERY MUCH INTO WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE​​ 

RIGID LITURGY AND ABSTRACT, OVERLY-INTELLECTUAL SERMONS.

SO SEVERAL OTHER STUDENTS AND MYSELF​​ 

FOUND OURSELVES WORSHIPPING​​ 

IN AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONGREGATION

WHERE THE MUSIC WAS WILD,​​ 

THE PRAYERS HEART-FELT AND EMOTIONAL,

AND THE SERMONS AT LEAST AN HOUR LONG,

SLOWLY BUILDING UP TO A CRESCENDO

OF PRAISE AND AFFIRMATION.

THE GREAT STRENGTH OF THE DEVOTIONALIST POSITION

CONCERNING​​ GOD​​ IS THAT IT IS BASED ON ACTUAL

EXPERIENCE​​ OF GOD.

NOT SATISFIED WITH KNOWING GOD MERELY​​ INTELLECTUALLY,

THE DEVOTIONALIST INSISTS ON HAVING A PERSONAL​​ RELATIONSHIP

WITH A PERSONAL GOD.

AND BEING IN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD –

JUST AS BEING IN AN INTENSE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

WITH ANYONE – BRINGS OUT ALL SORTS OF​​ FEELINGS:

AWE, GRATITUDE, LOVE, JOY, GUILT, SORROW, RELIEF,​​ 

DISAPPOINTMENT, AND SOMETIMES EVEN ANGER.​​ 

IF THEY HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

FOR QUITE SOME TIME,​​ DEVOTIONALISTS​​ ARE FINELY TUNED

TO ALL THE INS-AND-OUTS AND GIVES-AND-TAKES​​ 

THAT GO WITH ANY IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP.

OF ALL THE DIFFERENT GODVIEWS,

THE DEVOTIONALISTS HAVE WHAT WE WOULD CALL

THE HIGHEST​​ LEVEL OF“EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.”

DEVOTIONALISTS BRING​​ THEIR STRONG FEELINGS TO​​ CHURCH.

THEY WANT TO EXPERIENCE WORSHIP​​ 

WHICH INVOLVES THE​​ WHOLE​​ PERSON.

IF A “WHOLE” PERSON ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE

CONSISTS OF BODY, MIND, SOUL AND SPIRIT,

THEY WANT TO EXPERIENCE WORSHIP AND PRAYER

WHICH INVOLVES THE​​ BODY,​​ SOUL, AND​​ SPIRIT,

AS WELL AS THE​​ MIND.

DEVOTIONALISTS OFTEN BRING A MUCH-NEEDED

FEELING-SENSE TO THE MANY DIFFERENT​​ GROUPS

WITHIN ANY LOCAL CHURCH.

THEY ADD A CRUCIAL AFFECTIVE DIMENSION

TO BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETINGS, BIBLE STUDY,

THE BENEFIT SHOP, AND THE WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION.

AS WITH EACH DIFFERENT GODVIEW POSITION,

THE GREAT STRENGTHS OF THE DEVOTIONALIST

HAVE THEIR OWN SHADOW-SIDE:

THEY CAN BECOME SO EMOTIONALLY DEPENDENT ON GOD

FOR CERTAIN FEELINGS

THAT WHEN THESE FEELINGS ARE NOT PRESENT,

THEY FEEL THAT GOD HAS ABANDONED THEM.

THEY CAN DEFINE “LOVE” IN A SHALLOW WAY

IN TERMS OF FEELING-GOOD,

RATHER THAN IN THE MORE CHRISTLIKE WAYS

OF COMMITMENT AND SACRIFICE.

THE BIGGEST TEMPTATION FOR MANY DEVOTIONALISTS

IS TO MAKE THEIR FEELINGS INTO​​ ABSOLUTES.

THUS, OTHER CHRISTIANS WHO ARE NOT AS EMOTIONAL

ABOUT THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AS THEY ARE,

ARE OFTEN JUDGED TO BE SECOND-RATE CHRISTIANS,

OR NOT CHRISTIANS AT ALL.

THE SHADOW SIDE OF​​ THE​​ DEVOTIONALIST IN TERMS

OF MAKING CERTAIN​​ FEELING​​ STATES​​ INTO ABSOLUTES

OFTEN MEETS THE SHADOW SIDE OF THE CONFESSIONALIST

IN TERMS OF MAKING CERTAIN​​ DOCTRINES​​ INTO ABSOLUTES.

WHEN THIS HAPPENS – WATCH OUT!

THE HEIGHTENED FEELINGS FURTHER INTENSIFY

THE HEIGHTENED DOCTRINES AND VICE VERSA,

AND SOON YOU HAVE A JUDGMENTAL SECT ​​ 

CLAIMING THAT IT IS THE​​ ONLY​​ TRUE EXPRESSION​​ 

OF CHRISTIANITY.

IT’S​​ INTERESTING THAT THERE ARE OVER 30,000 SUCH SECTS

WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION TODAY,

ALL OF THEM CLAIMING TO BE THE ONLY “TRUE” CHURCH.

FEELING COUPLED WITH DOGMA

AND DOGMA COUPLED WITH FEELING

MAKES FOR A VOLATILE AND DANGEROUS COMBINATION.

BUT LET’S RETURN TO OUR OPENING ILLUSTRATION

AND END ON A POSITIVE NOTE.

JOSEPH WALKER CONTINUES:

“THERE WERE SOME EXTRAORDINARY MOMENTS

DURING THAT LONG AND . . .​​ WELL, ALMOST SACRED​​ 

CHRISTMAS EVE.

NO, WE DIDN’T HAVE HERALD ANGELS HARKING IN THE HEAVENS,

OR A NEW STAR OVERHEAD TO LIGHT THE WAY TO BABY BECKY.

BUT WE DID HAVE EIGHT-YEAR-OLD JON,

EXCITEDLY TELLING EVERYONE, ‘I’M AN UNCLE! ​​ I’M AN UNCLE!’

WE HAD​​ TWO GRANDMOTHERS – ONE A VETERAN,​​ 

ONE A FIRST-TIMER – TAKING TURNS MONITORING​​ 

THE HOSPITAL STAFF TO MAKE SURE​​ 

THEY WERE TAKING PROPER CARE OF ‘THEIR’ GRANDDAUGHTER.

AND WE HAD TWO FAMILIES COMING TOGETHER

AT THE NURSERY WINDOW TO ‘OOH’ AND ‘AHH’​​ 

AT THE LITTLE DARK-HAIRED BUNDLE

WHO REPRESENTED THEIR CONFLUENCE.

FOR ME, HOWEVER, THE MOST PROFOUND MOMENTS

INVOLVED MY SON: THE JOY IN HIS EYES

AS HE HELD UP HIS DAUGHTER FOR ALL THE FAMILY TO SEE;

THE TENDER CONCERN ETCHED ON HIS FACE

AS HE OVERSAW THE POKING AND PROBING

AND ASSORTED TEASING OF LITTLE BECKY;

AND THE PEACEFUL CONTENTMENT​​ 

THAT EMANATED FROM HIM AS HE SAT IN A HOSPITAL

ROCKING CHAIR HOLDING HIS SWEET, SLUMBERING CHILD.

I HAD GONE TO GET HIM SOME FOOD –

HEY, A GUY’S GOTTA EAT, EVEN ON CHRISTMAS EVE –

AND I TOOK IT TO THE HOSPITAL ROOM

WHERE THE NEW LITTLE FAMILY WAS HEADQUARTERED.

NEW MAMMA JENNY WAS RESTING COMFORTABLY

AFTER HER ORDEAL, AND JOE WAS HOLDING BECKY.

FOR A MOMENT, I STOOD SILENTLY AND WATCHED MY SON​​ 

CRADLE HIS BABY IN HIS​​ STRONG ARMS.

AT FIRST, ALL I COULD SEE WAS THE TOP OF JOE’S HEAD,

AS HE BENT TO HER, EXAMINING HER, STUDYING HER,

KISSING HER LITTLE HANDS AND CHEEKS.

THEN HE LOOKED UP AT ME, AND I COULD SEE

THE TEARS THAT WERE STREAMING DOWN HIS FACE.

‘YOU WERE RIGHT,’ HE SAID AS A TEAR

DRIPPED OFF HIS CHEEK AND FELL SOFTLY ON BECKY’S HAND.

I HESITATED. ​​ I HAD LECTURED JOE​​ ABOUT SO MANY THINGS

THROUGH THE YEARS; I WASN’T EXACTLY SURE​​ 

WHICH THING I HAD BEEN RIGHT ABOUT.

‘I WAS?’ I ASKED.

HE GLANCED DOWN AT BECKY, THEN BACK AT ME.

‘THIS. . .THIS. . .FEELING,’ HE SAID.

‘IT’S OVERWHELMING. ​​ I’VE NEVER FELT ANYTHING LIKE IT.

IT’S LIKE. . .LOVE. . .SQUARED. ​​ TO THE NTH DEGREE.’

I UNDERSTOOD. ​​ I WAS FEELING THE SAME FEELING

FOR MY CHILD – AND MY GRANDSHILD.

AND IT MADE ME THINK THAT PERHAPS​​ 

THAT IS TRULY THER ESSENCE OF CHRISTMAS.

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT A CHILD,

AND IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT PARENTS –

HEAVENLY OR OTHERWISE.

IT’S ABOUT LOVE.

SQUARED.

MIRACULOUSLY.” ​​​​ (End quote)

IT’S CLEAR THAT THE ‘LOVE’ WHICH OUR AUTHOR,​​ 

JOSEPH WALKER, IS TALKING ABOUT

IN NOT​​ JUST​​ A​​ FEELING,

BUT A MANY-DIMENSIONAL REALITY​​ 

THAT INCLUDES CARE, COMMITMENT,

AND A READINESS TO SACRIFICE​​ 

IN​​ ADDITION​​ TO​​ ITS INTENSE FEELING COMPONENT.

THIS IS THE FULL-BODIED GOSPEL LOVE EMBODIED IN JESUS.

DEVOTION TO​​ THIS​​ KIND OF LOVE​​ 

IS GREAT STRENGTH OF THE DEVOTIONALIST,

AND THEIR GREATEST GIFT TO THE CHURCH.

SO WE​​ THANK​​ GOD​​ FOR THE DEVOTIONALISTS IN OUR MIDST,

WE​​ THANK​​ GOD​​ FOR THEIR HAVING A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

WITH GOD THROUGH JESUS IN THE SPIRIT.

WE​​ THANK​​ GOD​​ THAT THEY ARE​​ IN​​ LOVE​​ WITH GOD

AND NOT IN THE LEAST EMBARRASSED ABOUT IT.

AND WE​​ PRAY​​ TO​​ GOD

THAT SOME OF​​ THEIR​​ WARMTH AND ENTHUSIASM

WILL RUB OFF ON THE​​ REST​​ OF​​ US,

AND THAT WE WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE

A CHURCH WITH A​​ HEART​​ AS WELL AS A​​ MIND.

AMEN.

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