 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Introduction:
The Church and the Kingdom of God
Derek Poole
Comment:
A Question of Belonging
Peter Wilson
From
the Director
David Porter
Colosse
Michael Whitley
Revisiting
the Kingdom of God and the Church
David McMillan
Faith
and Practice - Baroness May Blood
Ruth Hutchinson
Ephesus
Heather Morrow
Lead
us not into temptation
Alan Wilson
Galatia
Priscilla Reid
CEPU...a
personal testimony
Ken Irvine
Econimail
- Fancy Models or Straw Dolls?
Book
Review
Ethel White
CEPU
- A PERSONAL TESTIMONY
In the last issue of Lion & Lamb Esmond Birnie
wrote an article about the work of ECONI describing the organisation as
an expression of Liberal Evangelical Post-Unionism (LEPU). Esmond sought
to contrast the characteristics of LEPU with what he defined as the more
traditional CEPU (Conservative Evangelical Political Unionism). In response
to that article Ken Irvine has written the following piece as a testimony
of one Conservative Evangelical Post-Unionist.
Some have described theories of the atonement as different windows on the Cross. There are numerous theories. No one theory, or a group of theories, or the total sum of all the theories will ever be able to sum up completely what was accomplished on the Cross. For me the substitutionary theory of the atonement is very meaningful and was at the heart of my conversion experience. This does not permit me to deny that others will see the cross through different windows or that the light of the Cross can shine on people in different ways. It would be difficult for me, if someone whose understanding of the Cross was seen through another window then proceeded to deny the substitutionary nature of the atonement. In a modern society the seriousness of sin is often ignored or denied. To know that on the Cross sin has been dealt with and the punishment, power and shame of sin has been laid on Christ is of crucial importance. The Church as a Prophetic Community
With such an emphasis on the importance of an individual relationship with God it is possible to have a very low concept of the church. The church and a personal relationship with God are not mutually exclusive. The people who heard the preaching of Peter were saved and added to the church. The church was to be ‘salt and light’ in the world. Too often the church has taken sides and compromised the truth for the sake of being popular. If, for instance, the church identifies with one particular political party, can it still speak the Word of God clearly and boldly if it would seem to go against party policy? Many church leaders have been criticised for speaking difficult words from the Bible to our community and they have been accused of taking political sides. The church can lose the right to speak when it becomes identified with a particular political philosophy. I remember well my theology being questioned and held up for ridicule because it seemed that I did not toe a particular party line. God has words for us to speak in Northern Ireland today. The vision I have is that the church as God’s agency will speak his word to all the people. ECONI has helped the whole process in thinking Biblically about political issues and has equipped people to deal with these issues sensitively. Where does the Christian belong?
One of the great privileges in being a Christian is that we become a part of God’s kingdom in the world. Being a member of God’s kingdom teaches me to put less weight on what is happening within worldly kingdoms. It is not that I do not have pride in my native country and do not have real struggles when its security is attacked and undermined. The question of identity is not being British or Irish (I probably feel a bit of both) but is in being a part of God’s kingdom. He has not promised this piece of land to me or mine, but he has given us a kingdom that will never be shaken and will remain and stand when others fall. Our citizenship is not of this world because as far as this world is concerned we are aliens and strangers. This leaves us with a difficulty - how to be good citizens of our country and yet not so tied in with everything in it that we put its importance above that of the kingdom. Forgiveness, Repentance and Reconciliation
It is a command of God to forgive. ‘If you hold anything against anyone, forgive...’ (Mk 11:25). Therefore, since the commands of God are not burdensome, it must be possible for us to forgive others. This command of God would seem to leave us without a choice; we must forgive. Forgiveness is not forgetting, minimising or ignoring. It is choosing by the grace of God to leave the whole judgement to him and seek his grace in helping us to walk in the forgiveness we have chosen. Forgiveness is not an emotion, it is an act of the will before God even when hurt and pain rise up, inside, causing us to question whether or not we have actually forgiven. It is not automatic, it may take time and is a process that leads to an ongoing decision of the will. Repentance is when wrong is acknowledged by the guilty person and there is a turning away from doing wrong and an apology given for the damage caused with a desire to make things right. If forgiveness has already happened in the life of the injured party then whenever the guilty person repents there can be reconciliation. If there is no repentance there can be no reconciliation, but if there is forgiveness then there can still be freedom for the injured person. Following on from this there has been a comparatively recent encouragement for people to repent of the wrongs of past generations. I am not sure that there is a Biblical warranty for anyone to repent of the sins of another. The sins of the past have an effect on the present. Does it bring freedom if I repent of my father's or grandfather's sins? The sins of the past have an effect on my perceptions and actions, but I wonder if I would be better repenting of what they have caused me to do rather than washing my hands of any responsibility and looking back to blame past generations. We need a way to deal with the past without absolving ourselves from the wrongs of today. Facilitating Active Listening and Open Debate
Where there are major areas of conflict it is important to facilitate people both to be able to express themselves and to help them know that they have been heard. We all need to take a journey in understanding people who differ from us. We are so used to sound bites and slogans. We are able to sum one another up from many of our perceptions and caricatures of each other. Every time I read James 3:13-18, which speaks of two different kinds of wisdom, I cannot help relating it to the whole political debate going on over the last fifty years. If we had a good dose of the wisdom that comes from above then I am sure it would facilitate real change. We have heard enough of the bitter envy and selfish ambition that is destructive and ‘of the devil’. My roots are in the protestant/unionist community. I understand the ethos and history. I understand the degree of feeling when certain words are used, yet I have heard from those whose backgrounds are totally opposite and have found that genuine dialogue is possible. Even though I am not a member of any political party, I have found myself explaining the whole unionist ethos and fears to those who would find them obstructive and irrational. I may not have agreed with specific policies formulated by unionism but I believe that as God has called Christians to be peacemakers, we can aid open honest discussion. A strong attitude of demand is witnessed on every side of the political spectrum. Surely there must be a Christian answer to this barrier to progress. Evangelicals and Roman Catholics
We cannot ask politicians to do things that we Christians are unwilling to do with others who profess faith in Jesus Christ. To deny the validity of their experience of Christ because of theological differences would be to go against all that we know of God’s acceptance of those who call upon him to be saved. So we have a unity in the Spirit with all who are Christians no matter what their denomination. We may not have arrived at a unity in the faith but the ministries that Christ has given to the church - apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher and evangelist - are for the purpose of bringing us to such a unity. There are many ways that we can join with Catholic brothers and sisters and it is my belief that we should take every opportunity to do this without anyone being asked to compromise their beliefs. There are many areas of co-operation in which we can stand together to present a Christian, caring response. It has been effective to have a joint approach to social, economic and political issues. Conclusion
It has been helpful to see the emergence of Evangelical Systematic Theologies such as that of Wayne Grudem. It holds fast to the Word of God yet it opens up various traditions which can be considered such as the Calvinistic, Arminian, Episcopal. We need to have such an openness to explore one another’s beliefs without giving up that which is precious. The evangelical church can either be apart from the problems in Northern Ireland or it can be a part of God’s answer to the problem. ECONI has encouraged dialogue and research and it has sought to help Christians think biblically about the conflict. Christians who are active in political parties or are regular voters for one particular party need to ask the question: “Where does the final authority rest?” It cannot be with a party or any political philosophy but only with God and his Word. Rather than less we need more of God’s Word applied in love in our society.
Ken Irvine is senior pastor of Kings Fellowship, Bangor, and director of CARE AND COUNSEL, a community outreach to the marginalised and vulnerable in Bangor. He is also a member of the ECONI Steering Group.
 |
||
 |
 |
|