tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23841849.post-70111839361533651092008-03-14T19:22:00.002-05:002008-03-14T19:47:08.186-05:00I know it has been a while, but here goes another post. In some reading lately, I came across an Ablaze document titled "<a href="http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/World%20Mission/ACC_Booklet.pdf">Covenant Churches</a>." I figured this would be interesting to peruse. I found a new word in there that is troubling. It is "incarnational." No, not "incarnate" as in "incarnate God." Here is a quick quote:<br /><br /> The cross of Christ heralds the incarnational, expansionary<br /> movement of the reign and rule of Jesus Christ in the hearts<br /> and lives of people also today.<br /><br />The usage of "incarnational" becomes problematic when you consider other english words with the "-al" ending. Those words usually mean "act of" or "being" such as confessional (act of being in confession), functional (having function) , and internal (being inside). What does "being incarnate" mean? Let me pull another variation of incarnate used.<br /><br /> This “Gospel imperative” spoken to the disciples as the<br /> representative leaders of the church summarized the<br /> will of God that the reign and rule of Jesus Christ in the<br /> hearts and lives of people on earth (the kingdom of God)<br /> be incarnated, expanded, and lived out in communities of<br /> the faith, confession, and mission.<br /><br />Catch the use? Since incarnate means "embodied in flesh" and "personified," and include that with the Christian verbiage about Christ as the Incarnate God, you are opening up a place of confusion. Are we "little incarnate christs"? Or are they trying to mean "living in the way of Christ"? I think the intention is probably the latter, but the lack of clarity leaves this too dangerously close to the edge. Creating new words in english is a dangerous proposition, as it is in any language.<br /><br />I won't even start on the legalistic tone of the document. There are Baptist/Pentecostal type calls for service and the insinuation of a requirement to do something. This is not going to help churches expand the ministry. What helps is the Word of God spoken clearly and taught properly. Anything else is a weakened place to start missions from.VirginiaLutheranshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01102531413899821654noreply@blogger.com