Language Problems

As the Shiloh Church Bible study groups work to develop a model for defining Progressive Church theology, the groups have had to constantly struggle with language. The problem is not that our language is either too coarse or too practical. Instead, the language that we have used in attempting to formulate the theological model has been too steeped in the traditional church.

To describe a link between God's will, defined as the archetype that is established in Christ as a way of life, and our commitment and devotion to it, our groups used the term "discipleship." To refer to the link between our devotion to God's will and actions that demonstrate God's will in the world, we used the term "apostleship." Neither term, it seems, is particularly helpful in developing a theology that reaches far beyond the confines of the traditional church. As the theology pushes the traditional church from the safety and security of its traditional patterns, so must the language that we use represent that expansion.

So apostleship and discipleship do not work.

These are not our only linguistic hurdles, however. The model differentiates between a world of law and a world of call. In law, we simply do as directed in the religious models of the past. We are to be obedient and repeat the rituals, orthodoxies and acceptable behavior that the religious institutions have dictated. In call, we are free to interpret for ourselves what God wants of us, listening not to the religious institutions but to the indwelling spirit. Does the secular world embrace or even understand a world of call? Are there not better terms to indicate a life wherein we understand that every person is empowered, equipped, called and sent to achieve God's purpose in the world? Terms like "responsibility" and "duty" do not work. They belong to the world of law and rely on guilt and shame in order to function there.

By the way, there may be a problem with the terms "Progressive Church" or "Progressive Church Theology." Shiloh's Bible study groups have discovered that there is considerable push back, particularly from the traditional church, for the term "progressive." Some find it insulting. They tend to prefer the term "Emerging Church" or "Emerging Church Theology."

I support the use of "Progressive Church" and "Progressive Church Theology" because I firmly believe that the church-that-will-be is currently caught at the cusp of a next-step in the church's spiritual evolutionary process. A step forward in the spiritual evolutionary process if progressive. It moves the church onward and forward...toward. The terms "Emerging Church" or "Emerging Church Theology" lack the evolutionary flavor that the term "Progressive" includes.

If you want to get in on the discussion, helping us to work out the model of Progressive Church theology, I invite you to be a part of Shiloh's Bible @ Boston's program through September. Each Wednesday in September, we will meet at Boston's Bistro and Pub, at the corner or North Main and Dogleg Road from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., to discuss the developing model.

As most readers of The Shiloh Insider are aware, Shiloh's Bible study groups began with the basic assertion that Faith is fidelity to God's will. We moved from there to define what it is that we mean by God's will. We then discussed our commitment and devotion to that definition of God's will. After deciding that the purpose of the Church is intimately related to fidelity to God's will, we continued by defining faith as acts that reflect that devotion and commitment.

The model is not yet complete, perhaps because it is still taking shape in the needs and demands of the cultural evolution in which we find ourselves. Come to Boston's in September to join the conversation. Or, attend our twice-weekly Bible studies, Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.