"The Scandalous Failure"

The heart of the matter is the scandalous failure to live what we (evangelicals) preach.-- Ron Sider, CT Magazine, April 2005, p. 70

Tomorrow I leave with a team for Africa that seeks to establish a new partnership ministry to care for those who are affected by the AIDS virus.  In many ways, the spiritual roots of this trip for me can be traced back to two writers: Ron Sider and Tom Sine. Their writings in the late seventies and early eighties deeply impacted the way I think of the gospel and our call to live out the faith we proclaim.

It seems providential to me that Christianity Today has just published an interview with Ron Sider that is about his latest book, The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience (we share the same publisher, Baker Books). In the interview, Sider argues that evangelicals have so bought into the individualistic values of our culture that widespread hypocrisy is rampant in amongst those who claim to be followers of Christ.  Most apparent is the lack of genuine life-transformation in our Christian communities that will point to the reality and power of Christ.  If you'd like to read an excerpt of the book, click here.

Readers of my books and this blog know that hypocrisy, individualism, Christian community, and life-transformation are "hot topics" for me.  So, as I prepare to leave for Africa tomorrow, I will add some additional "reflective grist for the mill" by excerpting some of Sider's comments.

Perhaps contemplating the challenge offered by Sider and the opportunity before us in hurting places of the world like Malawi will lead all of us to consider more deeply what it means to follow Jesus today.

The tragedy is that poll after poll...show that evangelicals live just like the world.  Constrast that with what the New Testament says about what happens when people come to living faith in Christ.  There's supposed to be radical transformation in the power of the Holy Spirit.  The disconnect between our biblical beliefs and our practice is just, I think, heart rending.

--Ron Sider, CT, April 2005, p. 70

Comments

[Steve Thompson]

When you reject the power of the Holy Spirit and the churches need for the spiritual gifts, what do you expect? Individuals and the whole body of Christ must have the fullness of Holy Spirit power to live a holy life and for the church to function properly. If you do not have all of the spiritual gifts operating in the church, the church will not be able to properly equip believers and they will be spiritually weak. This is the condition of todays church in the United States. It will only get worse. You cannot run the Christian church only by preaching to peoples minds. You must operate at the spiritual level or you will fail. The church currently is failing.

[Craig]

You quote:
"Sider argues that evangelicals have so bought into the individualistic values of our culture that widespread hypocrisy is rampant in amongst those who claim to be followers of Christ."
I would contend that the leadership of the Church is living exactly the same way too. The people are simply following their leaders. I am one of "them" leaders and I fail way too often to fight the gravitational pulls of our culture on my life.

[brad]

Tod,
I pray that bloggers and ultiamtely the leadership of the church begin to make a serious call for change in our ortho-praxis.
May the missionary Spirit of our missionary God fill your whole person,
brad