Epic

Behind Fences; A Round-About Way of Examining A Serious Question

I have a routine. Every evening after I get home from work I change clothes and sit in the recliner to watch television for a half hour or so until dinner is ready. I always watch reruns of Home Improvement on TBS. What a great show! Wilson is the eccentric neighbor who lives next door to Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor and in almost every episode they have a conversation over the fence.

One of the oddities of the storyline is that we never get to fully see Wilson's face. We see him from the nose up, with the rest of him hidden behind the fence. This oddity plays out in other ways throughout the show as well, but it began with the backyard chats. Another piece of this is that the only time you see others with Wilson, in his backyard, on the other side of the fence, they are almost just like him in their eccentricities. This got me to thinking about something.

I am passionate about church planting and am excited to see different associations and networks being formed to facilitate planting through scouting of planters, assessments, funding, and coaching. I've had the privilege of interacting with a couple of these organizations and the people who comprise and lead these organizations are awesome men of God. But I have also seen something that really bothers me.

Some of these associations and networks live behind a fence and only certain people are allowed behind that fence. Everyone else will have to remain on the other side, experiencing only a small portion of the whole body. I'm being cryptic, so let me cut to the chase.

There's a great organization out there called Acts 29. A friend of mine from many years ago is one of the leaders of this organization. The organization began with the folks of Mars Hill in Seattle which is pastored by Mark Driscoll; another pastor and author for whom I have tremendous respect. Acts 29 is doing very, very good work with church planting. I attended a boot camp and a couple of networking gatherings while I was in the midwest. They know how to plant churches and do it very well.

But, if you are not a calvinist and do not hold fully to reformed theology, they will not partner with you in a significant way. If you are more Wesleyan & Arminian in your theology (as I am) then you will find yourself on the other side of the Acts 29 fence. The conversation will be friendly, enjoyable, and helpful at times, but you can't shake hands through a fence.

I've found a couple other associations who have erected the same reformed/arminian fences and though I respect the different perspectives we all have of the T.U.L.I.P., I wonder why it is that we allow those perspectives to divide us into camps as we carry out the most important work on the planet; leading people from death to life.

John Wesley and George Whitefield were very close friends. In fact it was Whitefield who encouraged Wesley to follow his heart and go into the streets and coal fields to preach the gospel to the common man rather than confining himself to the hallowed cathedrals of the Anglican Church. Wesley was arminian in his theology. Whitefield was calvinist. They had their share of debates and even penned some heated correspondence to one another. But they worked together in allowing God through them to bring to England one of the greatest revivals in history. Wesley himself, though remaining arminian in his theology, said once that he "was a hair's breadth away from calvinism."

I wonder if we can do the same? The differing opinions aren't significant enough to give the enemy the opportunity to carry out a "divide and conquer" strategy against us.


"I (George Whitefield) am very well aware what different effects publishing this letter against the dear Mr. Wesley's Sermon will produce. Many of my friends who are strenuous advocates for universal redemption will immediately be offended. Many who are zealous on the other side will be much rejoiced. They who are lukewarm on both sides and are carried away with carnal reasoning will wish this matter had never been brought under debate.

The reasons I have given at the beginning of the letter, I think are sufficient to satisfy all of my conduct herein. I desire therefore that they who hold election would not triumph, or make a party on one hand (for I detest any such thing)—and that they who are prejudiced against that doctrine be not too much concerned or offended on the other.Known unto God are all his ways from the beginning of the world. The great day will discover why the Lord permits dear Mr. Wesley and me to be of a different way of thinking. At present, I shall make no enquiry into that matter, beyond the account which he has given of it himself in the following letter, which I lately received from his own dear hands:"

My dear Brother (G. Whitefield),

I thank you for yours, May the 24th. The case is quite plain. There are bigots both for predestination and against it. God is sending a message to those on either side. But neither will receive it, unless from one who is of their own opinion. Therefore, for a time you are suffered to be of one opinion, and I of another. But when his time is come, God will do what man cannot, namely, make us both of one mind. Then persecution will flame out, and it will be seen whether we count our lives dear unto ourselves, so that we may finish our course with joy.

I am, my dearest brother, Ever yours,

posted by Bill @ 7:34 AM