Below, I’ve posted two noteworthy links. The first link contains an article by Dr. James Denison which deals with the significance of Lent on the Christian Calendar. Lent may seem like an anomaly to many Baptists, yet these 40 days of introspection provides such a wonderful preparation for Easter. The second link is a video showing a 1984 interview with Dr. T.B. Maston. My wife and I will be leading a Lenten Bible study of Dr. Maston’s work in the latest collection entitled Both-And: A Maston Reader. Dr. Maston postulated that, perhaps, “the outstanding weakness of contemporary Christianity is ethical or moral. There are many factors contributing to this weakness, but a major one is the tendency to separate faith from daily living, theology from ethics” (from Biblical Ethics, page xi). The Lenten Study will be on Wednesdays at Noon, beginning February 22.

This study, then, will highlight the pressing need for reflection upon Christian ethics during Lent. Maston’s approach to Christian ethics highlighted the fact that there are usually no quick fixes, especially when it comes to issues of money, sex, and power. Decision-making for the Christian usually becomes an issue of “both/and,” rather than “either/or.” Accordingly, we’ll talk about Maston’s approach to the Bible, his theology, and how to apply this theology to world issues such as race relations, economics, politics, stewardship of life, war, and the family and sex.

\”Lent for Baptists\” by Dr. James Denison

1984 Interview with Dr. T.B. Maston

I’m not sure if Ed and his wife would care particularly about my interest, but I would have a few pastoral observations and theological reflections about this interesting concept and event.

1.  It is refreshing to see and hear about a pastor addressing one of the problems of the Christian life: human sexuality and marriage. The author of Hebrews used some rather strong language in the Bible about faithfulness in marriage (Hebrews 13:4), and Paul plainly asserts a Christian sexual ethic in 1 Corinthians 7. My conscience raises a red flag, however, at the notion that eros (erotic) love could ultimately flame the embers of agape (self-sacrificial) love in a marriage. Perhaps the Youngs have inadvertently, but nonetheless honestly communicated that the quantity of sexual love in a marriage highly impacts the quality of the marriage. It seems to me that the opposite may be true. Agape love should be given preference in the marriage.

2.  Are there less spectacular methods of addressing intimacy in marriage these days than staying in bed on a roof in front of a web cam? I understand the push for high drama and fundraising in church these days, but I personally grow fatigued by the tendency in many churches towards the eye-grabbing. Jesus serves as our model and example at this point. He spoke honestly and candidly about intimacy in marriage (Matthew 19:6), and quoted Scripture (Genesis 2:24). Jesus’ words actually seem to elevate marriage and “oneness” in marriage to a level of intrigue, mystery, and even argument. His words seemed to cut the hearts of the Pharisees who came to test him at this point in the Bible. For instance, we cannot definitively explain “oneness” in all of its biblical sense except to say that marriage is a covenant, and our marriages ought to take into consideration the whole of Christian discipleship, including our calling as ministers and the impact of our marriages upon the Kingdom of God. In other words, sexual intimacy in marriage may be more about living on the narrow way of Jesus than about trying to ascending to a more glamorous, culturally-expected point of fulfillment.

3.  We (pastors and others) must be careful when recommending any kinds of “fixes” to marriages and/or to our mates. After a few years of visiting with people who have unique and difficult struggles in their marriages, I’ve rarely come across or delivered easy answers. In fact, I’ve read a great many books on marriage and sex, but only a few have resonated with me–the predominant one being The Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Christian Reflections on Money, Sex, and Power by Richard Foster. Foster helps readers to understand how different aspects of our lives are interconnected, especially money, sex, and power. That is, a book about Christian sex only (although helpful) may serve more as a band-aid than as a curing surgical procedure. I honestly don’t have the education or tools to do surgery on some marriages, and a pastor must know when to refer.

4. Lastly, some questions seem to be in order for the consequences of following given advice. What if the sexperiment doesn’t work for some people? Will those couples be viewed as “less spiritual” than the folks in the success stories. Will they be told that they didn’t read the Bible well enough or that they didn’t pray hard enough to keep their marriages at a satisfactory level. Who will be blamed for failure? the husband or the wife? How does the church treat those members who have qualms about not participating in a sexperiment?

Incidentally, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is preparing for a Conference on Sexuality and Covenant in April for those who may be seeking an alternative way to converse and educate themselves in this intriguing ethical topic. You may read about it here.

The following links to a piece by Dr. Roger Olson, an esteemed Professor at Truett Seminary in Waco. In the article, Dr. Olson clarifies what soul competency means for church polity. I hope you enjoy it.

Truth, Authority, and Roles