A couple of sites to pass along in case you miss them in the sidebar:Fixed Point & Seeking 7: This type of ministry/conference is what I am passionate about (but, oriented and focused on the military context). This blog is my attempt at being part of equipping military believers for bold Christian leadership where they serve. To that end, I believe that equipping the organization's leadership is the most effective way to impact the military culture they operate in and induce transformation in the hearts of the people that comprise the military society they guide. Here is what they say they are about, "Seeking 7 is an initiative to mobilize a generation of Christians with the requisite boldness to proclaim and defend the Gospel in an increasingly hostile world." I want to be part of something like that!
Magnify the Cross in the Military: Isn't this what it is all about? I am in the process of drafting a post that describes Christian counseling as leadership. Counseling and leadership are synonymous for the military leader - Biblical counseling and godly leadership are synonymous for the Christian military leader. Here is an excerpt from the link: "teaching them how to emphasize the supremacy of Christ and his cross in counseling troops. Even though he is specifically speaking about the military chaplain, these are truths that all believers are called to live out."
While I applaud your motivation, the way you are portraying this may require either explanation or revision. While, from a Christian perspective, "you need Jesus" may be a correct answer to life's ills, that does not mean it is an appropriate answer from a military leader, or even a military Chaplain, in every situation. There are circumstances when it is absolutely permissible, but also situations when it would undoubtedly be inappropriate.
ReplyDeletePastor Noriega implies a Christian counselor putting Jesus first might experience some hardened hearts (and to make an omelette you may have to crack some eggs), but that is not always an option for a military member. If they come seeking Christian counseling or ask for a spiritual perspective, then the faith of the counselor (or leader) is certainly fair game. But military Chaplains and military leaders have jobs to do that do not directly involve proactive evangelism, and by volunteering to put on the uniform they volunteer to perform that function.
It is not a "compromise" of our faith to faithfully fulfill the role to which we have voluntarily committed. I also believe we can live a life of evangelism (more accurately, "life evangelism") that can draw men to Christ without having to proactively pronounce it.
I'm a firm believer in a Christian military member fully integrating their faith and their profession, but your implication that Noriega's statements are supportable gives me pause because taken at face value, they may not be permissible. In any situation, if we feel the need to violate the rules of our profession in order to live out our faith, then we may need to re-evaluate our positions in both.
Thanks JD. Good post and much appreciated. This forum is all about dialoging on such things. And while I may espouse one perspective others are welcomed and necessary. This lends itself to a post I am writing on our options of being a closet, covert, or careful Christian in the military. I hope to see more comments from you and others who have different views on how to functionally do "life evangelism" as military leaders.
ReplyDeleteOther perspectives may be welcome, but there may be times when you need to make a value judgment about which one is best. In the least, it might be helpful to see a discussion about the relative values of differing perspectives. Resolution or discussion of those differences will be beneficial to your most interested readers.
ReplyDeleteTry this link for a perspective on life evangelism: LtCol Tom Schmidt's Truth with Feet