The Great Dividing Range is a fitting metaphor for The Great Divide (the sacred-secular divide) in Christian consciousness and action exposed in a 30-page booklet written by Mark Greene of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (licc) (http://www.licc.org.uk/).
The Sacred-Secular Divide (the SSD)
In any case to put it briefly, it is the deep division, between things regarded as sacred: morals, prayer, church attendance, Lord's Day, bible studies, serving in the church, church worship, evangelising1; as opposed to secular (profane) things such a work, school, university, recreation, holidays, clubs, TV, novels, politics, ordinary family matters, gardening, and workaday week.
Of course, a legitimate distinction can be made between the various things above but not using the SS distinction because both terms are loaded with unhelpful freight.
Greene is intent on showing not only what the SSD is about and its devastating effects upon Christian discipleship but to enthuse his readers to break out of the confines of today's narrowly-conceived Gospel.
Today's gospel turns us into church attenders, and evangelists outside church; one former friend of mine called this 'the flat gospel'. This gospel does not call us into all-of-life discipleship but to church life, evangelism, and devotional piety. But doesn't Christ rule over the whole universe (Col 1.16-17)? How can we confess this as the truth and yet live as a people in which our ministries are compressed into only a few slots of the week?
The 168 Hour-Week
Each of us has 168 hours per week for living (24 hrs X 7 days). If we allow 56 hours for sleep, 7 hours for showering, personal attention, and another 10 hours for church-related activities, we have 95 waking hours left.At heart, this booklet is about those 95 waking hours and how our discipleship is related to them.
SSD And Holy Hierarchies
The SSD, according to Greene (p. 11), leads us to believe that really holy people become missionaries.2 The not-so holy get to be pastors and those even less holy or of lesser use to God get a (secular) job of some sort.
Even within the categories of sacred and 'secular' vocation hierarchies occur. In the secular category, teachers, nurses, counsellors, doctors, tend to rank above business people; the former are the 'caring' professions, the latter just make products (and it is implied money).
But don't we need both? Product-making provides jobs and produces goods that people might need. It creates wealth and therefore taxable income allowing a government to provide services to those in need.
None wishes to denigrate the institutional church. It has a vital calling before the Lord. It has a right to be supported; only notice, it is supported financially by the tithes and offerings (in the main) of those who are in secular callings!
Now here's the rub: how many times are those with these secular callings ever prayed for in our churches? How many sermons are ever preached that have anything remotely to do with these callings? Very few I think because even our way of interpreting scripture is influenced by the SSD.
Even within the categories of sacred and 'secular' vocation hierarchies occur. In the secular category, teachers, nurses, counsellors, doctors, tend to rank above business people; the former are the 'caring' professions, the latter just make products (and it is implied money).
But don't we need both? Product-making provides jobs and produces goods that people might need. It creates wealth and therefore taxable income allowing a government to provide services to those in need.
None wishes to denigrate the institutional church. It has a vital calling before the Lord. It has a right to be supported; only notice, it is supported financially by the tithes and offerings (in the main) of those who are in secular callings!
Now here's the rub: how many times are those with these secular callings ever prayed for in our churches? How many sermons are ever preached that have anything remotely to do with these callings? Very few I think because even our way of interpreting scripture is influenced by the SSD.
A Crucial Point: What Greene Is Not Saying
Greene is not urging us as tradesmen, schoolteachers, counsellors, mothers, to become evangelists in our work places as such. His urging us, on the contrary, to do our jobs in these callings and professions so that in all our doing we are working as 'to the Lord' (Col 3.17, 23-24).
So if you were an accountant, you would not only be honest with your clients and be subject to the rules and regulations that govern your profession but you might also meet with other Christian accountants and seek ways to do your accountancy in the light of (say) Romans 12 which says,
Hence, Christianity needs a new spiritual Reformation to get back on track and to recapture its whole-life mission in the world. We need to repent of our worldliness and see Christ as the King of all things.
We must repudiate 'churchianity' which sees the local church as the hub of God's activity in the world. The local church is important and unique in what it is called to do: preaching of the Word, and right administering of the sacraments. But there's a lot more to life than this!
You may be home and 'retired' but we live in families, we vote, we have neighbours and friends, we go to church or maybe have a church in our home, we spend money at the local shops. All these contacts are potential areas where we might influence others to see the glory of Christ. Each area of one's life beckons us to be a disciple of Christ and discover with others (strongly recommended) what that means.
The task is not burdensome but it's important. Our job is to point to the accomplished, finished divine Work of Christ's death and resurrection. Christ has dis-empowered the 'principalities' (Col 2.15) and the Lord God is reigning in the heavens with the earth as his footstool (Isa 66.1)
Our job as Christ-followers is to be 'salt' and 'light' (Matt 5.13-16) in the world, and rest on the finished work of Christ as we everything 'to the Lord' glorifying (2 Thess 1.10-12) His Name in all we do.
So if you were an accountant, you would not only be honest with your clients and be subject to the rules and regulations that govern your profession but you might also meet with other Christian accountants and seek ways to do your accountancy in the light of (say) Romans 12 which says,
And be not conformed to this world but be ye [plural] transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God (Rom 12.2).At present, accountancy like many (if not most) professions, trades, schooling systems, media, news media, government and politics, artistic expression, lies in bondage to worldly values and the spirit of disobedience.
Hence, Christianity needs a new spiritual Reformation to get back on track and to recapture its whole-life mission in the world. We need to repent of our worldliness and see Christ as the King of all things.
We must repudiate 'churchianity' which sees the local church as the hub of God's activity in the world. The local church is important and unique in what it is called to do: preaching of the Word, and right administering of the sacraments. But there's a lot more to life than this!
Preparing For Action
We can buy Greene's3 small booklet and maybe get one other Christian interested and study it together. You don't need to be in a profession or an academic post to start to try out some of the initiatives Greene suggests.You may be home and 'retired' but we live in families, we vote, we have neighbours and friends, we go to church or maybe have a church in our home, we spend money at the local shops. All these contacts are potential areas where we might influence others to see the glory of Christ. Each area of one's life beckons us to be a disciple of Christ and discover with others (strongly recommended) what that means.
The task is not burdensome but it's important. Our job is to point to the accomplished, finished divine Work of Christ's death and resurrection. Christ has dis-empowered the 'principalities' (Col 2.15) and the Lord God is reigning in the heavens with the earth as his footstool (Isa 66.1)
Our job as Christ-followers is to be 'salt' and 'light' (Matt 5.13-16) in the world, and rest on the finished work of Christ as we everything 'to the Lord' glorifying (2 Thess 1.10-12) His Name in all we do.
1. For evangelicals, all non-church callings can be justified in the light of evangelism but this is not adequate. To restrict 'real' Christian work to church work, and lay evangelism is a major reduction in the Church's mission in the world for Christ.
2. I once believed this statement and was going to leave my first job to become a missionary until my parents urged me to take another course.
3. Not that I accept everything Greene says but his booklet is a good place to start along with the other materials he mentions.
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