The Future Question: Brian McLaren.

A New Kind Of Christianity.

Wednesday Koinonia notes prepared by Leanne Thomas

What about the Future?

The Last Times?

Prophecy?

The Millenium?

The Second Coming of Christ?

Judgement Day?

Brian McLaren has little time for the usual ways the Future Question has been approached by churches in the past.  He says that the search for literal fulfilment of prophecy, dispensationalism and its future (eschatological) orientated cousins are a considerable source of concern when they affect the foreign and environmental policy of the world’s richest, most well-armed and consumerist nation in history. (pg 258, 259).

Participatory Eschatology….

The Future as three dimensional in time and space with

-         Creation as height

-         Liberation as length

-         Peacable Kingdom as breadth.

There is room for ever expanding multiple stories to develop.

The trajectory of this future is towards goodness, justice and peace and outworking of these depend on us working in conjunction with God and his/her Spirit in the world.  As people we can also choose to work against these outcomes.

“What does the future hold?”, asks McLaren, and he answers “…That depends.  It depends on you and me.”

   What about ‘The Second Coming of Christ’?

‘parousia’  Greek literally – ‘substance to come alongside’ – presence.

In AD 70 when the Temple and sacrificial worship was destroyed for all time – the new age had begun…  Christ ‘comes alongside’ through his Spirit.

“Our call… is not to wait passively for something that is not present (apousia), but rather to participate passionately in something that is present (parousia) – fully present, but not complete in its development, and so calling for our whole-hearted participation.” pg 267.

-              What do you think about this?

-              How does it affect your hope for the future?

This approach moves us from:

-              Resignation to a passion to do good.

-              Fear to courage.

-              Apathy to urgency.

-              Arrogance and aggression to humility.

It “…produces an ethic of anticipation…” pg 269.

-              Lesson from Jonah:  Can we live in a world where God loves both our enemies and us?

The  Final Judgement:

Not condemnation but ‘putting things right’…. reconciling, not merely punishing.

Not based on doctrinal belief – but on Christ-like actions.

“All the unloving, unjust, non-Christ-like parts of our lives ‘…(families, tribes, nations) – “…will be burned away…condemned and forgotten forever…” pg 274.

-              How do you feel about this understanding of ‘The Day of Judgement’?

-              How do you feel after this presentation of Participatory Eschatology? – defensive, encouraged, excited, afraid…..

-              “What do you think?” and, “How will you act?”