Friday, September 15, 2006

A rich reaction

My friend David Bryan linked to and posted this quote from Rich Mullins. I commented on it, and here's a generous chunk o' my latest...

[In the middle of leading a chapel service at Wheaton College]
"You guys are all into that born again thing, which is great. We do need to be born again, since Jesus said that to a guy named Nicodemus. But if you tell me I have to be born again to enter the kingdom of God, I can tell you that you just have to sell everything you have and give it to the poor, because Jesus said that to one guy too...[And he paused in the awkward silence.] But I guess that's why God invented highlighters, so we can highlight the parts we like and ignore the rest."

-Rich Mullins

As for highlighters, Rich Mullins was right that we humans pull 'em out to suit our own desires, but the context in which he said it, ie that being born again is great but not all that we need to do to have eternal life, is heresy. If I'd known he'd said sthg like that before now, I'd never have bought any more of his music or attended his concerts or anythg (kinda like I intentionally avoid Phillips Craig and Dean, since they're Oneness and thus heretics). Were I in charge at Wheaton (and had I the courage), I would've at that very moment stepped onstage, said "thank you, Rich," proceeded to refute what he'd just said, never invited him back, and encouraged other seminaries/Christian schools to do the same.
At least you can't say I'm soft on perceived heresy...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I personally ignore the book of Colossians, since it is clearly addressed to believers at Colosse--and I live in TEXAS!

Anonymous said...

I think you lose your salvation when you move to Texas. The only way to redeem yourself is to tithe to the Oklahoma University endowment fund. And say three Boomer Sooners every day. And then maybe someday God will deliver you to the promised land (north of the Red River).