Monday, May 31, 2010

A Weird Church Dream

Last night I had a weird dream related to the church. Here's what happened:

In the dream I heard a knock at our front door. When I opened it, I saw Al Mohler and Mark Dever standing there. These are two heroes of mine, so I was excited - at first. However, it soon became apparent that they were here to confront me about my changing beliefs on the church. In particular, Mohler and Dever came to my house to both defend the traditional/institutional church and to tell me where I am wrong about the church.

It was unpleasant to say the least. Both of these men are far smarter than I am. Also, it was two against one. I don't remember the specifics of their arguments, but I do remember just wanting to get out of the situation. The dream felt like it lasted for a few hours. I was mighty relieved when I woke up.

Now, I'm not much into interpreting dreams. My undergraduate degree in psychology was enough to prove to me that Sigmund Freud was a nutcase. Interpreting the details of dreams is basically a waste of time.

I do, however, think that this dream shows one thing for sure: I've been thinking about people's reactions to my changing views of the church.

I have been anticipating some push-back from the establishment regarding what I now believe the church ought to be. I've already experienced some, and I'm sure more is on the way. When a pastor of a traditional church begins to challenge the way the establishment "does church," others in positions of power within this structure will push back. No doubt there.

Apparently I am a little worried about this. Maybe this is why I dreamed about it. It's interesting that it was Mohler and Dever that showed up. Maybe it's because I just saw them both at T4G, they are both Southern Baptists, and they both are very established within the traditional church framework.

I'm not sure what is going to happen in the near future, but if this dream has any basis in reality, I'm guessing that others who fall in line with Mohler and Dever will really come calling.

3 comments:

Arthur Sido said...

I know what you are saying. I have experienced a lot of push-back from friends as well, some who are pastors of traditional churches and some who attend the church I used to pastor. On the other hand, I have "met" lots of people that I would never had interacted with online and read lots of books I never would have touched. Staying in the status quo is always easier.

BTW, the dream would have been funnier if Al and Mark were dressed like mormons, complete with matching suits and nametags, and had introduced themselves like this "Hi, we're missionaries from the Institutional Church of Jesus Christ".

Aussie John said...

Eric,

I applaud your courage in voicing your conviction. There are very many who share what you have come to understand.

My own disappointment is that I didn't come to a clear understanding about these issues until just prior to my health failing.

Seldom do the things we imagine/dream, come to fruition. In fact, the very opposite may occur, to which many similarly like-minded brethren can testify.

You may find that,like them, all of a sudden, you have become nonexistent, and no longer a member of the "club".

Eric said...

John and Arthur,

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm not really sure what to expect. As far as my pastor-friends are concerned, I think some will understand while others will not. I hope we can have some fruitful dialog. As for Mohler and Dever, I still count them my heroes in many ways. However, as far as the church is concerned, we have fundamental disagreements.