I have known John Armstrong for 8 years or so. I like him because he's kind of a spiritual rebel. He likes to poke and pull in areas that need it. Still a little traditional but a good man.
And his heart; he has a passion for Jesus that is hard to deny.
He had an open house forum for friends of his and people who have supported his ministry in Wheaton IL last night. I was there. I thought I would probably be the token charismatic. But, I discovered afterwards that there were a few of us there included in the 25 or so attendees.
John is an intellectual, reads lots of books and uses terminologies I don't understand.
I have wondered why I stay connected with him, why I read his blog, why I send him scathing emails from time to time and he scathes me back (we still love each other). I think last night I started to understand the plan of God in all this. His purpose in ministry is to begin and maintain viable dialogs with various Christian traditions and practices. He kept using the word dialogically and I didn't know what that meant until well into the evening when he used it and, I who am well trained in interpreting tongues, decided it meant to have a conversation which included dialog. In fact there were lots of big theological buzzwords used that fell on less than academic ears and were lost.
I'm a simple person theologically. I don't read many Christian books any more. I look to my left and there's a big black one I pretty much use as my theology textbook. It's 66 books in one.
He is having these dialogical conversations with Catholics and Emergent church leaders. There is another facet of the body of Christ not yet engaged by reformed traditional Christians. The Pentecostals. Yet globally we are the fastest growing and most dominant expression of Christianity, Particularly in South America, Africa and China.
Pentecostals are as conservative in our views of social issues as any reformed, we are as passionate about the Gospel, we approach the Scriptures as inerrant, accurate and the living word of God. We believe in the Godhead of Jesus.
SO, we have more in common than not with our older brothers. Yet, when I mentioned what must be the most important Pentecostal leader in all of the Chicagoland area he was barely familiar with him. Those in the Pentecostal community see him as the overarching Apostle for the whole Chicagoland area. There is a gulf. Johns ministry is "dialogically" breaching gulfs. This one needs breaching.
John's a good man, I appreciate him. I hope to introduce him to other Pastor friends I have. His message needs to be heard.
I support him but I don't understand him much of the time. I'm not sure many actually do. Some of us are not seminary trained and don't speak the academic languages but we Love Jesus with all our heart. You can baffle us with your lingo quickly.
Maybe that's part of the gulf that needs breaching.
No comments:
Post a Comment