Colossians 3:1-17
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your* life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.* These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life.* But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive* language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal* there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord* has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ* dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.* And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (NRSV Oremus)
Christian Fundamentalism——-a JDB+ top ten list.
You might be a fundamentalist if:
1) You interpret the words, acts, and person of Jesus through the lens of St. Paul, rather than interpret the words, acts, and person of St. Paul through the lens of Jesus. (Jesus was not the one blinded on the Damascus Road)
2) Your life is conformed to beliefs and rationalizations about Jesus as opposed to being conformed to the life pattern of Jesus——in short—avoiding the cross rather than embracing the fact that the pattern given us by Jesus is: Go, Suffer, Be Killed, Rise. And this together with the command, “Love neighbor as self.” (not love a certain type of neighbor as self)
3) You somehow think that the USA is inerrant and infallible and that the Holy Bible indicates such a notion—-and that this nation is the last hold-out for Christianity in God’s universe. (take a look at Africa and ponder this a bit)
4) You are convinced that gender rather than giftedness is a qualifier for ordained ministry—–somehow missing that the first person to carry the gospel news to the disciples and Peter was a woman. (Refer back to #1)
5) You are convinced that perfected belief on your part equals earning free grace—-and you have 15 verses proof-texted and cherry-picked to prove it. (The Roman Road to Salvation tract in all its forms)
6) Your book shelf has nothing from Abingdon, Intervarsity Press, Paulist Press, Augsburg Fortrress, Fortress Press, Concordia, and nothing written by Stanley Hauerwas, Anne LaMott, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Brene Brown, Shane Claiborne, N.T. Wright, or Carl Braaten. (and this list could go on)
7) Your book shelf has lots written by middle class, upper middle class, white men from the 17th-20th century—and many from Moody Bible Institute. And somewhere deep in your heart you wonder if John Piper or Joel O’steen might be Jesus in disguise. (and this list could go on, too)
8) You buy into dispensationalism and love the Scofield Reference Bible. (and all such along this order, especially Darbyism)
9) You believe that marriage equality is a tremendous sin that has taken America closer to the gaping roaring mouth of hell but never pause to ask yourself questions like, “Do I make remarks, true or false, that blacken the character of another,” or, “Am I as activated over making my tithes and offerings as I am over human sexuality,” and, “Do I talk as much about God as I do my political party,” or even, “Do I pray for Obama or Boehner or Pelosi or Biden as much, perhaps even more than I trash them?” (Read the words of Jesus in the gospels and live into them—-Do unto others)
10) You are so offended by #1-#9 that you want to write a scalding retort, drop me from your friends list, get me saved, or God forbid—hope to dupe me into accepting as my personal lord and savior, your Jingoistic Jesus—thus illustrating that you cannot tolerate views or opinions that differ from your own.
preachtruthyoumoron 