Another Blog, Really?

I was a bit of a late entry into this whole social media scene. Basically, I just wanted to keep track of old friends, share interesting anecdotes from my own experiences, and brag about the grandkids. However, it soon became obvious that many people like to disclose insights into their religious beliefs and convictions. At times, that is a source of great encouragement. Other times, it can be rather distressing. Many times, it is simply perplexing.

I have been concerned for years about the authority, power, and witness of the church in America. In too many settings, the teaching of sound biblical doctrine has been neglected, and the results have been predictable. The church has embraced the commodity mindset of the culture. People begin with their needs/wants and shop for a church accordingly. Like the big box stores, mega churches have crippled smaller churches. Like the online marketplace, people are turning to the Internet for even greater personal convenience. Many have simply left the church due to apathy or disillusionment and feel no particular sense of danger in having done so.

In the meantime, some believers appear to be unconcerned about disclosing for the world to see the coarseness of their dialogue, the impropriety of their amusements, the cruelty of their humor, and the anger in their hearts. Divorce is too common in the church, as are affairs and a plethora of other sexual misbehaviors. Criminal behavior is not novel. Simple forgiveness seems much more challenging than it ought to be. Material greed is cloaked as sound theology.

Many are captivated by the glory of grace, but not so much by the cost of discipleship, the practice of purity, or the essential spiritual disciplines that bring about personal growth. I am embarrassed for some of my friends by some of their posts, not because I cannot handle it. I have done plenty through the years to make a prude blush. Rather, there seems to be a mindset afloat on the waves of Christian thought that suggests that the pursuit of relevance and relatability in the eyes of the world is more pressing than the pursuit of holiness in the eyes of God.

Sustaining Our Savor

            “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.  - Matthew 5:13

I still remember something I read many years ago in a century-plus-old commentary. It seems that what we call "salt" never actually loses it saltiness. Humidity may render it hard to get out of the shaker, but it never ceases to be salty. Salt devoid of saltiness is not a part of our experience.

The salt used in ancient Palestine was obtained from marshes along the seashore, not from clean salt water. It, in fact, COULD lose its saltiness. When this occurred, a cursory reading of the text might lead one to conclude that such savorless salt was utterly useless. Look closer. It still had one valuable function. "It is no longer good for anything EXCEPT to be thrown down and trampled under people's feet." Such salt was used to treat pathways and roads, because it had the capacity to destroy any potential for fertility, and as it follows, any potential for life.

So, is this a big thing? What is the danger of the savorless salt of a professed Christian's witness? Simply put, it is TOXIC. He or she will do more harm than good in the cause of the kingdom. Such salt is scattered to the end that drawing others to Christ is rendered impossible. It grieves the Spirit. It brings the ancient faith under reproach and subjects it to ridicule. It scandalizes the Name of Jesus. If you would harden rather than nurture the hearts of others toward the Gospel, live out in their presence some insipid distortion of Christianity - a legalistic strain, a licentious sort, a cost-free variety, a materialistic kind - anything but the real thing should do.

What to Expect

How can I tell you what to expect if I am not certain myself? Many sites are authored by those who have set themselves up as watchdogs over all things doctrinal. If I gravitate toward such a "curmudgeon-y" extreme, trusted loved ones have been instructed to reel me in. Still, if something sufficiently agitates me, I will surely chime in. It may be to address blatant falsehood, but not always. From time to time, I run across things that seem benign enough. Without attacking the source, I may wish to encourage the reader to think through all of the consequences of embracing some piece of input; hook, line and sinker.

I am not a fiercely political animal. However, the Christian lives in the world and has as much freedom to address the age and the culture as anyone else. In fact, he has a greater responsibility to speak truth to falsehood. If something vexes me, I may speak to that as well. Still, if I take a strident posture or assume a meanness of spirit that undermines my overall theme of Sustaining our Savor, I invite you to lovingly call me back to the advertised objective.

About the Author

I am a 32-year veteran of pastoral ministry in the local church. When my last ministry came to a close, I chose not to seek anything too similar. I stepped away from the pulpit ministry and told my friends that I was going to spend a little time in Arabia (see Galatians 1:17) while I reoriented. That seemed like a cleverly vague thing to say at the time. After all, no one really knows what Paul was up to in Arabia, and I had no idea what my own life would look like.

In the meantime, friends and mentors have regularly told me that I need to write. Some have come close to scolding me for not doing so. I have an active mind. I am a notorious over-thinker. Whether anybody chooses to read or not, I am the kind of fellow who finds a degree of peace in muddling though the untidy clutter of my thoughts, hopefully, to put something lucid into words.

Your feedback is welcome. Just keep it respectful. I also love the dialogue that follows when people have questions about faith, the Bible and this strange age in which we are living.

Karl Crouch