Wednesday, October 20, 2010

What is progressive?



"...although I must preface that I only have a vague idea of what I'm talking about, doesn't the very term "progressive theology" describe a t...heology which is unbiblical? Since when did the meaning of the Bible change so quickly that we had to run to keep up? A Biblical theology will always be stationary, not "progressing" in whatever direction the current culture is pulling it. The very barest description of biblical theology possible is simply that it does not progress; it's like a stone pillar in the middle of a vegetable soup of ideas and feelings. It is what I (a Lutheran) can agree on with my grandmother (a Presbyterian), my friend (a Catholic priest), my other grandparents (Assemblies of God), my aunt (a Baptist) and any number of other christians, both in the present and going back through
history. (Melissa Anne Tregilgas)




The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From Heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.

She is from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.

The Church shall never perish!
Her dear Lord to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish,
Is with her to the end:
Though there be those who hate her,
And false sons in her pale,
Against both foe or traitor
She ever shall prevail.

Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed:
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song!

’Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till, with the vision glorious,
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won,
With all her sons and daughters
Who, by the Master’s hand
Led through the deathly waters,
Repose in Eden land.

O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee:
There, past the border mountains,
Where in sweet vales the Bride
With Thee by living fountains
Forever shall abide!

1 comment:

Pastor Bob said...

I've thought progressive means a belief in progress. In this case those who have this believe system would think that the future will be better than the past as we progress from a less enlightened time to a more enlightened time. I suspect that some of these folks also believe that technology also brings progress.

However given the nature of the current beliefs of progressives they often think that technology has put us in a mess and humans need to "fix" the environment.

In the church this would also include a belief that through progress in the understanding of Scripture (or in choosing what parts of Scripture are relevant today) and theology and ethics brings about a better, less oppressive church. It also manifests itself in a curious phenomenon that says to you and me that when we are more enlightened we will think like they do. We are less enlightened and need to change to be like them.

Of course we believe they need to need to become more orthodox.