Spiritual Discipline, Beth Moore, and Wineskins
February 12, 2013 § 3 Comments
So I’m trying to incorporate this whole “spiritual discipline” thing into my life—“discipline” being one of the most anxiety-triggering words that I can think of—by getting involved in a Bible study for women in my church.
One night, on the video, Beth Moore told us that if one of us was flirting with sin, God will “kick your butt.” And that if you don’t learn how to nip sin in the bud right from the point of initial temptation, the Bible says that God will let your sin be known to a wider and wider circle of people, as you continue to keep sinning. Umm, hello shame, nice to have you here to keep us all in line.
And this really bummed me out, because I had found most of Moore’s exegesis of James to be surprisingly un-exasperating. She works hard to make things relevant to her audience of women. But on this point, I thought she was pulling more from the text than what was there—the text in James chapter 4 said, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you,” and the rest she might have pulled from Matthew 18.
So I spoke up. I said to the group, “Was anyone else bothered by the way she characterized God here? It makes it seem like the only reason we should avoid sin is because we don’t want God to bring the hammer of wrath down on us.”
I instantly regretted saying anything, as my comment was met with a table full of faces twisted in concern. “The Bible says, your sin will find you out,” someone said. My ears and neck burned as the conversation turned to, “Have you ever hid a purchase from your husband?”
And I started to wonder, God, am I really so much more of a bad person than everyone else, that I am the only one who is terrorized by the thought that you would pull the weak out into the public square, to be punished for their sins?
And I stewed, and stewed, and tried hard not to roll my eyes at what I found to be trivial conversation because it wasn’t about MY THING. And then I took a more careful look around the room. These women, a generation or two ahead of my time, were—to use some very Christiany language—not of my “wineskin.” My feelings on the teaching might have been valid, but not for them, or at least, not for most of them.
It’s maddening and heartbreaking, to look out into my church body and know that the hearts of the parents and the children are not yet turned towards each other; it is astonishing and bordering on the unbelievable that one day, they will be.
This post is part of a series called “Charity Goes To Church.”
Two things, for what they’re worth.
1.I don’t really know who Beth Moore is, cos I’m not American. I don’t know if she’s middle America’s equivalent of the Pope and cannot ever be contradicted. But I thought your exposition on that particular passage was more sound than what she was saying. (Signed: the UK’a version of the Pope, Tanya Infallibility Marlow.)
2. I just love your grace. I know those Bibke studies, when it just feels like you’re going insane cos surely you can’t be the only one thinking this! I love your grace to see that what God is saying to them is not necessarily what God is saying to you. The word is eternal, but the Holy Spirit speaks to us in different ways through it.
Hi there
I think what Moore was trying to convey, is that God won’t leave you alone. He loves us too much and paid too great a price for us to remain unchanged. On the flip side, there does come a time when we can become so unrepentant that we harden our hearts to Gods Word.
As far as your group, I’m sorry that you felt humiliated and upset. I think they were trying to help you to make sure you’re in the clear before you disregard a biblical teaching, ya know??? That’s what sisters in Christ are for. We need to be accountable, and vulnerable before women we can trust. Women who will steer us in the right direction and ask us the tough questions.
I hope you’re well!
Shannon
Thanks Shannon!
I do agree that it is important for there to be accountability, honesty, and gentle love within a community of believers. This idea of “wineskins” that Jesus talks about in the Gospels helps us to understand, however, that not everyone is going to fit into the cultures and communities of the previous generation of Believers. My point is that even when I know that I come at my faith from a completely different paradigm than, say, Beth Moore or the lovely ladies of my church group–even if I don’t feel free to discuss the things about Christianity that I find most interesting and compelling–I can still find some value in fellowship with these people, because it teaches me to be gracious.
I don’t believe it is in God’s nature to punish his wandering children until they scamper back into the fold, tails between their legs. I feel like I can back that up with Scripture. But I also recognize that Moore is free to interpret Scripture in a way that makes sense to her, and if there are people who are brought closer to Jesus by this interpretation of Scripture, thanks be to God! But for others, it is an unnecessary stumbling block. It is to these folks that I would like to minister.