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For those of you with access to AToday (a subscription based blog and journal), I will quote one of the Bloggers: <BR> <BR><blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1><b>quote:</b></font><p>The Real Remnant <BR>Posted January 6th, 2009 by David Person <BR> <BR>The older I get, the more uncomfortable I am with SDA remnant theology. I don't like its exclusivity, this idea that we alone reflect the standard for who will be saved. <BR> <BR>We've made our doctrines are the filter. Salvation, in a sense, comes through us. Too bad for our friends and family members who are Baptists, Catholics, Episcopals, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc. who don't get on the Sabbath-clean meats only-2300 day prophecy-train with us. It's been nice knowing them. Let's dip our fingers in the water to cool their tongues when we get to heaven to ease their torment in the flames. <BR> <BR>The Sabbath after Christmas Dr. John Nixon, senior pastor at the Collegedale Church on the Southern Adventist University campus, was the guest preacher at the Oakwood University Church where I was worshipping. His sermon (which can be found at <a href="http://www.oucsda.org" target=_top>www.oucsda.org</a>) gave me some comfort. <BR> <BR>"We are guilty of the same conceit as ancient Israel when we interpret the remnant the way they interpreted covenant, in a totally exclusive and self-focused way." Nixon said. "When we say that the Seventh-day Adventist organization constitutes the remnant, so that all of our official members are in -- no matter how we live -- and all other Christians who are not official members are out -- no matter how they live -- we make a mockery of remnant theology and turn it into our private possession." <BR> <BR>Put that way, our remnant obsession seem absolutely narcissistic and theologically flawed, not to mention patently offensive. It shows that our remnant theology has been about us, not about God. <BR> <BR>"When we interpret keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus in a purely technical way, based on regulations, instead of spiritually, based on relationship," Nixon continued, "we misrepresent the Savior who taught that all of the law and prophets are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " <BR> <BR>Our remnant obsession is an extension of the cultural legalism that permeates Adventism. I doubt I'm the only 40-plus, born-and-bred SDA who grew up with the explicit and implicit understanding that who I am is defined by what others see, not by what they feel and experience through their relationships with me. <BR> <BR>Hence, I practiced the don'ts of Adventism: Don't eat this, don't go there, don't wear this, don't listen to this, don't say this, and absolutely do not ever believe this, or this, or that, and definitely not this or that. <BR> <BR>Rarely did anyone direct me to love unconditionally or explain that God loved me unconditionally, no matter what I did or didn't do. <BR> <BR>And it would be years before I understood that, remnant SDA or not, I would need God's unconditional love just as much as my Baptist, Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian friends -- and my Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, and neo-pagan friends -- if not more. <BR> <BR><!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote> <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.atoday.com/content/real-remnant" target=_top>http://www.atoday.com/content/real-remnant</a> <BR> <BR>But, if you go to <a href="http://www.oucsda.org" target=_top>www.oucsda.org</a>, and to the archives and to 12/27/2008 and John S. Nixon's sermon, you get a whole difference feel for what Pastor Nixon from the Southerna Adventist Collegedale Church was trying to say to this predominently Black Church at Oakwood College. Note in the next post my response to Blogger David Person, who is an editorial writer and columnist at The Huntsville Times, the host of "WEUP Talk," a daily call-in talk show on WEUP-AM and writes occasional op-eds for USA Today. David graduated from Oakwood University where he majored in communication, and minored in theology. David's blog addresses current events and social issues from a Christian perspective, including looking at the two greatest commandments and social justice applications of our faith. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:weuptalk@aol.com">weuptalk@aol.com</a>. [See the next post] <BR> <BR>(Message edited by Bob_2 on January 21, 2009)
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Re: The Real Remnant <BR>On January 10th, 2009 [Bob Sands] says: <BR>David, being loved unconditionally does not save one. I had a friend that had a son that was loved unconditionally but kept getting drunk and ending up in jail, only to phone for Mom to come bail him out. Her therapist, told her she was an enabler, and to next time ..... Next time he called, she said son, you will have to spend the night, we will be down in the morning to assist you in resolving YOUR problem. <BR> <BR>Salvation is more than unconditional love, obedience is involved. However, the salvificness of the do's and don'ts have gotten pretty long for Adventists. Sabbath, vegetarianism, etc. Adventist's don't feel comfortable even worshipping in another denomination's church. I remember taking my Mom to a Presbyterian Church and she couldn't sing their hymns or even stand or sit when the worship liturgy required. She was afraid of worshipping the "wrong" God. <BR> <BR>Ask yourself, what is salvific to you an SDA. Then you will see the problem. That list, as far as Jesus is concerned, is pretty short. <BR> <BR>Regards, [Bob Sands] <BR> <BR> <BR>[Next post reply, immediately following] <BR> <BR>Re: The Real Remnant <BR>On January 10th, 2009 [Bob Sands] says: <BR>David, I listened to Nixon's sermon at Oakwood with amazement. How fresh his ideas and insights. However, I came away with a different impression of the talk than you did. <BR> <BR>1. The Messiah - Is Jesus Christ, not Obama or anyone in Washington. Timely because of all the talking heads on the news referring to Obama as Messiah-like in his rhetoric and in his following. Nixson's sermon is a reminder mainly, to look to the right place for the Messiah. <BR> <BR>2. The Jews failed in their unbelief and killed the Savior because they believed the kingdom would come by violence and Christ said, "NO, it will come this way." With His crucifixion, and with humble beginnings unlike the rhetoric of our new President. <BR> <BR>3. His final story was powerful, the little boy who wet his pants and the little girl's empathy and intervention because she had experienced the embarassment of wetting her pants, was so powerful, when you see the ridicule transferred to her from him, as Christ has done with our sins. What a fresh powerful example. <BR> <BR>Certainly a cautionary note about exclusivism of the SDA church was cautioned against but was not the main topic of the sermon, but Christ our Savior, and talking, IMO, to a Black congregation, not to expect Obama to be the Messiah, to keep our eyes on the correct, real Messiah, Jesus Christ, and to not expect SDA exchatology to play out necessarily as we have it outlined. <BR> <BR> Regards, [Bob Sands]
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What was your impression of John Nixon's sermon???
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