Matt Pritchard » Godliness

Fear, Hypocracy, and Me

Matt — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 13:27:00 +0000

While reading The New Friars by Scott A. Bessenecker (review forthcoming), I ran across a great quote from Tolstoy:

“Everybody wants to change the world and nobody wants to change themselves.”

As those who know me are well aware, I often fail to adhere to the theology I so strongly purport. I am a theologian who is all about a theology of action, but most of the time I find myself just writing and talking about it, not doing it. In fact, to be completely upfront, I am often trying to convince myself as much as I am trying to convince those I talk with.

The reality is that I know that Christ calls us to suffer, to leave those things to which we cling and cling to him, but I am so afraid. My heart desires to chase after the Master with reckless abandon, but my body says, “Why? You love people. You serve the poor. You proclaim the Gospel. Certainly that is enough.” And, though I live in a society and church that says my body is right, I know it is lying to me. Still I continually give in.

I am a hypocrite. But please do not let my hypocracy dampen the Truth of what I say, for they are two separate issues. The question is not if I do what I say, but if what I say is True. It is my prayer that you may inhabit the Truth of God with great boldness and zeal!!!

The Courage to Get it Wrong: Humility and Church Movement

Matt — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 12:15:00 +0000

I was talking with my friends Aaron and Amy Graham of Kaleo Ministries last night about living in community, movements of the church, you know, the stuff I love to talk about.

It occurred to me during this conversation, just how much I want to start a movement–to see the Church transformed to that which Christ intended. How arrogant of me to 1) think I could do such a thing and 2) think that I’m somehow better than all those who have tried before, that our generation gets it and will somehow succeed where every generation before us has fallen short. It seems that real movements in the church (I’m no Church historian, so chime in with more information) don’t start off as movements at all, but rather are born from people seeking to be faithful to scripture and the Holy Spirit. We worship a God who time and time again uses the micro to change the macro (I just can’t get away from econ, can I?); who uses the small, the weaker, often the unwilling, to transform the greater, the stronger.

Seeking large scale Church reform, though tempting, is seeking one’s own glory–is idolatrous. If we as a people, as a generation of believers, would seek to be about the Father’s business in our lives, loving the unlovable, seeking to hear and obey, than our communities would be transformed–certainly not easily and not without much suffering, but in amazing ways. I don’t have to start a movement (nor should I). It is readily apparent as I travel and meet people that God started the movement long before I did (and will continue it long after I am gone). That there is a calling on our generation (not sure if it is unique to our generation) and that there are groups and individuals all around this country and world seeking to inhabit this calling. Christ is moving in His bride with boldness! We are a movement that cannot and should not be contained by a vision statement, not connected by x statements of belief, not beholden to a five-year plan, but rather a movement convened and ordained by the Holy Spirit Himself. We are the Church. We must encourage, even demand, from one another that we seek after God with reckless abandon, for it is when we seek after Him that we see His Kingdom break forth on earth, that we see His bride in greater glory.

But here’s the thing, we’re going to get it wrong, like the generations before us we are going to fail to fully manifest the vision God has placed on our hearts. We must have the courage to grow and mature, to look back and see where we have been wrong and to move forward with new zeal in the face of knowing we will once again fall short of perfection.

And as our kids mature we must not only tell them, but show them the story of the God of Abraham working today to help them to, not simply rest on the word we have received, but to listen and obey His voice themselves. We must have the courage to not only allow, but encourage them to tear down the asherah poles and high places built by us, as we did for our fathers.

What exciting times we live in. The Kingdom is alive and among us! Praise be to God!

Mudhouse Sabbath: An Invitation to a Life of Spiritual Disciplines

Matt — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 22:22:30 +0000

Mudhouse Sabbath: An Invitation to a Life of Spiritual Disciplines

Rating: 5 out of 5

Author: Lauren F. Winner

Year: 2007

Publisher: Paraclete Press (MA)

ISBN: 1557255326

Lauren Winner delves into her Jewish roots to explore 11 spiritual practices that help us understand the character of God.