Straws In Ecumenical Winds Of Change

As winds of change sweep steadily across Christendom, we draw attention to some of their recent effects.

The apostle Paul's Spirit-given warning in 2 Timothy 4:3,4 is startling in its relevance to these current trends:

'For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths' (NASV).

Restless desire for something different, however bizarre, seems to motivate certain changes; and wholesome scriptural doctrine which is thought to be too restrictive is discarded in favour of teachings which cater for the desires of the flesh and of the mind.

One feature which illustrates this trend is the projection of a different concept of God, breaking away from the perspective of maleness in the Godhead and introducing the idea of a female aspect to the divine Being. Doubtless this reflects to some extent at least the feminist trends in modern western society - accumulating for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires.

A report from Canada highlights this aspect of change in connection with the revision of hymn books by three main Protestant denominations the United Church of Canada, the Anglican Church and the Presbyterian Church. The United Church is Canada's largest Protestant denomination. The leader who heads a committee appointed to revise their hymnbook has said: 'Our work is to reduce the emphasis on God as male and add yet many other images and metaphors of God, including God as mother.' As a result 'Mother God' is frequently used instead of 'heavenly Father'. Thus the opening line of one hymn reads: 'Dear Mother God, your wings are warm around us'. In another hymn the Holy Spirit is referred as a 'she'.

Such concepts must surely involve a turning away from scripturally revealed truth and turning aside to myths and fables. For any true knowledge of God derives from His Self revelation, whether through 'the things that are made' (Rom. 1:20), through the Person of Christ (John 1:18), or through the written Word of God as mediated to believing hearts by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13-15; 17:8,17). Holy Scripture consistently speaks of God in terms humanly understood to have a male connotation. Scripture also reveals that within the Godhead there has been from everlasting a unique Father-Son relationship. Human understanding of the divine Being is at best very limited. However, when Scripture so fully endorses the male concept of God the Father and God the Son, how can there be liberty to introduce a female concept of Deity? That surely must be mere human imagination substituted for divine revelation - a turning aside to myths.

This basic spiritual malaise, deriving from a low view of Scripture pervades many of the traditional denominations committed to the ecumenical movement. Largely served by leaders who have abandoned the truth of the verbal inspiration of God's Word, there is a form of godliness without effective spiritual power (2 Tim. 3:5). Forsaking the fountain of living waters, they have hewn out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, which can hold no water (Jer. 2:13).

The United Church of Canada last year commissioned an expert to report on its condition and prospects. The report described it as 'a denomination in demise', with the likelihood that it will shrink to a mere one eighth of its present membership within fifty years. Differences of opinion between its leaders and members were identified as a major problem. Most members wanted much greater priority given to spirituality and worship, whereas the leadership had become engrossed in addressing social and global issues. Another problem centred on the Church's approval of the ordination of homosexuals, although twenty per cent of members and six percent of leaders disapproved. Only thirty-eight per cent of members felt that the Church had a significant influence on their personal spiritual life.

All this makes sad reading. Yet how predictable the outcome when revealed truth of inspired Scripture is replaced by religious philosophy. The apostle Paul's stirring challenge to Timothy is equally relevant today:

'I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the quick and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching' (2 Tim. 4:1,2).

unknown | Sept 1995
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