What Are the Influences in Your LIfe?
Good morning, Jeff -
I'm concerned about something and I don't know if I should be; and if I should I'm not sure how to proceed. So, I'm reaching out to see if you can help me first determine if my concerns are warranted, and then make a determination from there.
So, here's what's going on:
Our church recently promoted and hosted a concert for Gungor. One of the lead members, Michael Gungor, also co-hosts a podcast many of our congregants support; it is called, The Liturgists.
Although I didn't attend the concert, I have listened to The Liturgists and I've encouraged others to listen as well. I hadn't heard of Gungor or The Liturgists until one of our spring Vesper services when our pastor mentioned that he listened and that it was a good podcast.
I initially was very interested and was pleased with much of what I heard. I've heard our pastor refer to Liturgists co-hosts Science-Mike and Micheal Gungor as "arm-chair theologians", and until recently, I would have agreed with him.
That's the background.
I knew Michael Gungor had been written about in the Christian new cycle for some concerns about his "walking away from his faith" and not supporting or pursuing the Evangelical model of Christianity. He was harangued by many from the Christian media for not supporting a literal interpretation of some Scripture.
None of that concerned me, but as I continued to listen to The Liturgists podcast, I noticed something in their theology wasn't sitting with me quite right.
When our church invited the band to come, and I saw many in our congregation take a more supportive stance toward the band and the podcast teachings, my concerns started growing. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, because it was subtle, but I was concerned because the band was now being used as a reach-out tool to our community, as The Liturgists were also helping to form and shape the theology of some of our congregants.
And some of these congregants aren't inclined toward serious, steady reading and study, but are open to listening to podcasts promoted (even if unofficially) by our church leadership and lay-leadership.
The Liturgists have been referenced as a basis for thought and ideas at several of our recent meetings that I have attended. So, they are influencing us individually and collectively.
In the most recent podcast, "Names," Michael Gungor starts with a long personal bio-like description of his faith journey from pastor's kid with weird hair in an evangelical church, to worship leader, to the worship leader at another bigger evangelical church, to band headliner, to world-traveling band headliner, to disillusioned band member, to nearly walking away from his faith.
He sites the lack of integrity found in the Christian music scene ("Christian musicians" singing one thing, but living an entirely different life). He found a way (though he doesn't initially describe exactly what the way was) back to "using some of the language" he used to use when living out his faith... and then he reveals what the way back included:
Michael has been following and studying the spiritual teachings of Ram Das He talks openly about Ram Das as a Jewish, Hindu, Near-Eastern Philosopher; and how studying his teachings helped Michael, "find Jesus" again. (He leaves out the part about how Ram Das was fired from Harvard for giving his students hallucenogenic drugs, or that he's bisexual, or that he continues to encourage the use of hallucenogenic drugs as a means to "find God").
Michael reveals that recently he was offered an unique opportunity to travel to Maui for a one-on-one, week-long spiritual retreat with this spiritual teacher. And that through this extraordinary opportunity he has found a new way forward in Jesus.
So as I was listening to the podcast I did a quick search for who this influential spiritual advisor and teacher was and what he believed. As a result of that quick search, my concerns have now grown about the influence this person has on our church community -- via the podcast and our promotion and support of his band.
I'm not someone who takes my theological cues from arm-chair theologians. I'm not as studied as you or other church leadership; but I enjoy a healthy diet of regular and consistent, strong spiritual teaching and leadership in my personal spiritual diet.
My concern is that for some in our congregation, this person and by extension his personal theology/belief system have been given the "green-light" by some who are in leadership and lay-leadership positions, and some of our lay-leaders may be at risk as well. The Liturgists may be a significant part of theological study diet.
I feel a certain sense of responsibility to right this ship because of the very supportive stance our church has taken here. And, I'm no longer comfortable with promoting Michael Gungor or his work in light of his new-age, pluralistic theological philosophy.
What are your thoughts?
Good morning, Jeff -
I'm concerned about something and I don't know if I should be; and if I should I'm not sure how to proceed. So, I'm reaching out to see if you can help me first determine if my concerns are warranted, and then make a determination from there.
So, here's what's going on:
Our church recently promoted and hosted a concert for Gungor. One of the lead members, Michael Gungor, also co-hosts a podcast many of our congregants support; it is called, The Liturgists.
Although I didn't attend the concert, I have listened to The Liturgists and I've encouraged others to listen as well. I hadn't heard of Gungor or The Liturgists until one of our spring Vesper services when our pastor mentioned that he listened and that it was a good podcast.
I initially was very interested and was pleased with much of what I heard. I've heard our pastor refer to Liturgists co-hosts Science-Mike and Micheal Gungor as "arm-chair theologians", and until recently, I would have agreed with him.
That's the background.
I knew Michael Gungor had been written about in the Christian new cycle for some concerns about his "walking away from his faith" and not supporting or pursuing the Evangelical model of Christianity. He was harangued by many from the Christian media for not supporting a literal interpretation of some Scripture.
None of that concerned me, but as I continued to listen to The Liturgists podcast, I noticed something in their theology wasn't sitting with me quite right.
When our church invited the band to come, and I saw many in our congregation take a more supportive stance toward the band and the podcast teachings, my concerns started growing. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, because it was subtle, but I was concerned because the band was now being used as a reach-out tool to our community, as The Liturgists were also helping to form and shape the theology of some of our congregants.
And some of these congregants aren't inclined toward serious, steady reading and study, but are open to listening to podcasts promoted (even if unofficially) by our church leadership and lay-leadership.
The Liturgists have been referenced as a basis for thought and ideas at several of our recent meetings that I have attended. So, they are influencing us individually and collectively.
In the most recent podcast, "Names," Michael Gungor starts with a long personal bio-like description of his faith journey from pastor's kid with weird hair in an evangelical church, to worship leader, to the worship leader at another bigger evangelical church, to band headliner, to world-traveling band headliner, to disillusioned band member, to nearly walking away from his faith.
He sites the lack of integrity found in the Christian music scene ("Christian musicians" singing one thing, but living an entirely different life). He found a way (though he doesn't initially describe exactly what the way was) back to "using some of the language" he used to use when living out his faith... and then he reveals what the way back included:
Michael has been following and studying the spiritual teachings of Ram Das He talks openly about Ram Das as a Jewish, Hindu, Near-Eastern Philosopher; and how studying his teachings helped Michael, "find Jesus" again. (He leaves out the part about how Ram Das was fired from Harvard for giving his students hallucenogenic drugs, or that he's bisexual, or that he continues to encourage the use of hallucenogenic drugs as a means to "find God").
Michael reveals that recently he was offered an unique opportunity to travel to Maui for a one-on-one, week-long spiritual retreat with this spiritual teacher. And that through this extraordinary opportunity he has found a new way forward in Jesus.
So as I was listening to the podcast I did a quick search for who this influential spiritual advisor and teacher was and what he believed. As a result of that quick search, my concerns have now grown about the influence this person has on our church community -- via the podcast and our promotion and support of his band.
I'm not someone who takes my theological cues from arm-chair theologians. I'm not as studied as you or other church leadership; but I enjoy a healthy diet of regular and consistent, strong spiritual teaching and leadership in my personal spiritual diet.
My concern is that for some in our congregation, this person and by extension his personal theology/belief system have been given the "green-light" by some who are in leadership and lay-leadership positions, and some of our lay-leaders may be at risk as well. The Liturgists may be a significant part of theological study diet.
I feel a certain sense of responsibility to right this ship because of the very supportive stance our church has taken here. And, I'm no longer comfortable with promoting Michael Gungor or his work in light of his new-age, pluralistic theological philosophy.
What are your thoughts?
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