Radical Christianity

     When we lived in the Denver area, we attended a very conservative Baptist church. So conservative, in fact, that the older members were unwilling to expand outreach in case the church would outgrow the 75 year old facility.  Changing locations or significantly altering the building would have been unthinkable.  The pastor felt some remorse over not being able to evangelize, but wanted to be faithful to those who "stayed by the stuff".  The reference is from the life of David when some of his warriors were too tired to go to battle, but stayed behind to guard the loot of previous battles instead. One of the pastor's favorite songs was "The old book and the old faith are the rock on which I stand. . ."  While that fit in well with the old building and old membership, I remember thinking how radical Christianity seemed to the religious conservatives of the time the church was beginning.
     This year in BSF we are studying Acts and I am struck again with the brash clash between the newborn church and centuries of Jewish tradition.  Though God's plan of salvation through faith in Christ has been in place since the beginning of time, 2000 years ago the old book and the old faith were written in Hebrew.  To the conservative Jews of the time, the doctrines of freedom from the Mosaic law and Gentiles as equals within the church were daring and possibly dangerous.
    It's easy, and much more enjoyable to figure what other people are doing wrong but I, too, have been susceptible to the desire to canonize my long held opinions and  TWIDT, The Way I Do Things. I am a big believer in tradition, but if tradition trumps teachability, it is simply well ordered sin. Now that the canon of scripture is complete, radical Christianity is not about changing doctrines, but it is still about changing lives.  I should be standing on the rock, but not with my hands in my pockets. If my life isn't being radically changed, I might as well be under the rock.