Sometimes I hear people pine for the good old days when the Adventist church was characterized by a wonderful zeal and a pure commitment to the proclamation of Jesus and his end time message.
According to Ellen White, such mythic purity never existed.
In 1893 she wrote, "It is a solemn statement that I make to the church, that not one in twenty whose names are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner" (GCDB, February 4, 1893 par. 9). To paraphrase: 95 percent of church members were in a state of damnable spiritual corruption.
Perhaps one might argue this was late in the development of the church--by 1893 James White had been dead for 12 years. Surely things were better when the church was younger. Maybe. In 1867, EGW wrote, "Names are registered upon the church-books upon earth, but not in the book of life. I saw that there is not one in twenty of the youth who knows what experimental religion is. They serve themselves, and yet profess to be servants of Christ; but unless the spell which is upon them be broken, they will soon realize that the portion of the transgressor is theirs" (1T504, repeated in MYP 384). Again, just to make sure you get the math: in 1867 ninety-five percent of the young people on the church books were lost.
These statements apply to the laity. What about the clergy, the men and women who lived in poverty and devoted their lives to preaching the three angels messages.
"Every minister should study closely the manner of Christ's teaching. . . . There is not one in twenty who knows the beauty, the real essence, of Christ's ministry. They are to find it out. . . . Then all this tame sermonizing will come to an end; for frequently this is an exhibition of self, rather than the fruit that the teacher bears who has been at the feet of Jesus and learned of Him" (6MR 72; PaM 281.2).
So back in the good old days, 95 percent of the preachers did not know the real essence of Christ's ministry. Their preaching was an exhibition of self. Ninety-five percent of the young people were damnably self-absorbed. Ninety-five percent of the church members were as "verily without God" as common sinners.
So, without apology, I am boldly in favor of a church that is different from the church of the pioneers. I advocate progress, change and reform. The church of 95 percent failure is not a trustworthy model for our life today.
(Doing the research for this blog entry reminded me of the evils of Messages to Young People. The tone of that book was consistent with the notion that 95 percent of Adventist youth were damned. No wonder my teenage religion was characterized by fear and anxiety.)
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5 comments:
If we are to accept EGW's condemnation of the church and its lack of true spiritual character we should hear more of her words and advice and even study her works to seek the truth that she has to reveal to the 95%. Why do we not hear more of here being used in our ''modern'' church?
How many Christian's in EGW's time had read and understood their bibles. How many people had access to a Stong's Concordence or were able to do word searches on their computers, listen to live sermons broadcast from across the country? How many people could read, what was the average life span and how many people had running water or indoor bathrooms? It was a totally different environment and society in those days and most people could only learn from what the heard their preachers preach, unlike ourselves. Now, instead of preaching what the Ten commandments actually mean, we can share God's character and his love, the essence of the Gospel.
Sticks and stones. I myself have achieved perfection no more than had 95% of the church of 1867. Those words of condemnation from EGW can't really help me. Only Jesus and His grace can get me through this. I have no desire to try to relive the growing pains of the early church. No desire for the agrarian economic system of the 19th century or to relive Victorian social mores. What I need are practical suggestions about how a city boy like me can learn to live a better life in todays world.
Life is always complicated. Children are always simple. To yearn for the past is not to understand a previously simple life but to miss childhood. It doesn't matter if you're talking about a secular society or the metaphor of an infant church. it's hard, because if truth is progressive we must inevitably leave the understanding of our ancestors behind us. If we move fast enough we might even leave behind our extant elders. It's a lovely tension isn't. How do you know if you're the child who misunderstands the world to be simple or have a truth that has already progressed?
(With all due respect) You people sound like Joel Osteen & Leonard Sweet combined.
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