1 Corinthians 3:10-15

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (Today's New International Version)

I had the privilege of going on a pastors' retreat the last 2 and ½ days. Thank you EUCC! The retreat was in a quiet and comfortable resort at the Lake of the Ozarks. I had the indoor pool to myself each morning before breakfast. I had forgotten how good a swim is for your knees and legs. The food was good if somewhat heavy and my roommate did not snore. Just about perfect. If only this hay fever season was not such a bad one!

The retreat program was presented by a well-known and respected academic theologian and teacher. He has published many books. His Bible knowledge was excellent and his presentation skills quite good. He is apparently considered a leader in the school of “process theology.” He has led churches and trained many new pastors. He was a self-declared progressive and an enthusiast of “postmodernism.” I spent some time with him across the restaurant table and he seemed to be a kind and openhearted person.

I enjoyed his talks and participated in the question and answer sessions. I found that he spoke my language, the language of the Bible, but I had an uneasy feeling that many words had different meanings for him than for me. A good example is the statement from Ephesians 5:23, “Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.” Our speaker referred to this as one of the metaphors used to described the church. I have never seen this as a metaphor. The risen Jesus Christ has a physical body, that “sits at the right hand of the Father.” Jesus Christ also has a spiritual body, the Church, of which he is Head, Lord, and Savior. Seeing this as a metaphor and seeing it as a Truth have greatly different implications for how we live in the Church.

On another occasion, referring to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, he stated that he did not know what happened on those occasions, but that something must have happened. Rather than believing in the resurrection and ascension of Jesus as real events, progressives see them as a subjective experiences of the disciples which are significant only because of their impact on the development of the Church.

The speaker mostly operated in the “No-Jesus” zone. Christ was mentioned fairly frequently, but the name “Jesus” came up occasionally. The speaker was also frequently filling out his talks with non-Biblical materials from history, science, non-Christian religions and popular culture. I would cautiously say that he was using this material as independent sources of ideas and beliefs rather than as illustrations of Biblical concepts. As a postmodernist, he was accepting of beliefs that I would label as spiritually dangerous. Books like “The Secret” were subject to only mild criticism. Various “New Age” meditative and healing practices were held up for praise. There was no distinction between Christian and non-Christian practices and traditions. The speaker also lead us in our final communion worship. His prayers were very fluid and eloquent, but many of the expected elements of the communion prayer were absent. Throughout his presentation the word “sin” was rarely used and the passion of Christ was underplayed. He did not make any of the expected references to Jesus, “born of Mary, our sister in faith, Christ lived among us to reveal the mystery of your Word, to suffer and die on the cross for us, to be raised from death on the third day, and then to live in glory.”

I would have to say that our leader represented “progressive” Christianity at its best. He effectively conveyed the open and inclusive aspects of the progressive approach. His is certainly a dynamic faith, constantly open to new ideas, beliefs, and practices. Because he uses the Bible and generally follows the broad outlines of Christian belief and worship, his approach is superficially similar to confessional Christianity. However, he consistently selects and interprets scripture and tradition in ways that are consistent with the progressive agenda. In my opinion it is his progressive agenda, not his faith in Jesus that drives his work in the Church.

I believe his is building up the Church, but he is the builder Paul referred to who is using “wood, hay or straw” rather than “gold, silver, or costly stones.” I say this because he is using worldly materials rather than the Word of the living God. He spoke a great deal of religion and spirituality. We tend to assume that religious and spiritual words are Godly words. We tend to believe that talk about God must come from God. Yet there a kind of religion and spirituality that leans to heavily on the wisdom of created things rather than the Wisdom of God. Even though God created the world, the world is not God. We can learn something about God from the world, but we cannot learn what is necessary for salvation. That can only be learned from the revelation of God through his Son, Jesus the Christ of the Living God. The famous “Theological Declaration of Barmen” puts this very well.

“Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we have to trust and obey in life and in death. We reject the false doctrine, as though the church could and would have to acknowledge as a source of its proclamation, apart from and besides this one Word of God, still other events and powers, figures and truths, as God’s revelation.”