"I don't want balance, I want it all"

Adrian Warnock wrote: Why should I have to choose, for example, between being enthusiastic about theology and being charismatic?
Why shouldn't we have churches that are every bit as concerned about doctrinal accuracy and knowledge as John MacArthur, that love relational intimacy with Jesus as much as John Arnott, see miraculous healings that are every bit as dynamic as the ones the tele-evangelists claim to have seen, are as full of vision and purpose as Rick Warren, as skilled in leadership as Bill Hybels, as humble and committed to spiritual maturity as C. J. Mahaney, as relevant to practical life as the author of any self-help book you can think of, that impact social needs in the model of Shaftsbury, tackle political issues like Wilberforce, preach with both the passion for souls of Spurgeon and the passion for God's glory of John Piper, that hear from God as clearly as any modern prophet, are as aggressively missional as Mark Driscoll, have the apostolic drive of Terry Virgo, and yet somehow still feel as comforting as my wife's homemade apple crumble with custard?
Maurice McCracken is writing on similar lines: Am I charismatic yet? His observation? That we need both a strong doctrine of the regeneration of the heart and a strong doctrine of the depravity of the heart. Is it so unreasonable to believe that God is at work in me, and to simultaneously be suspicious of myself, always scrutinising myself with the scriptures? Let's have both.

Love the people. Love the word of God.

A couple of things I've stumbled upon thanks to Justin Taylor:
Keller and Powlison: Should You Pass on Bad Reports?: "You never have all the facts. And you never have all the facts you need all at once. You are never in a position to see the whole picture, and therefore when you hear the first report, you should assume you have far too little information to draw an immediate conclusion... when you hear a negative report about another, you must keep it from passing into your heart as though it were true. If you pass judgment based on hear-say, you are a fool. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check out the facts. Go to the person. Hear other witnesses... take pains to maximize boots-on-the-ground interpersonal relationships."

Mark Driscoll notes a conversation with Wayne Grudem: "...every issue ultimately hinges on one’s view of the inerrancy, authority, and truthfulness of Scripture in every way. He encourages all young Christian leaders to make sure that deep within them is a love for and trust in every word of Scripture as God’s perfect revelation to us."
Love for people. Love for the word of God. The two go together.

Is Cultural Relevance a Fallacy?

There is a great danger, therefore, in only letting the Bible say what our culture will allow it to say. If we write off anything we disagree with as merely cultural in its time, then the Bible will never challenge our own cultural assumptions. We will capture the Bible within the gravitational field of what we already think or are prepared to hear. If Jesus had decided he could only say what was culturally acceptable then he wouldn't have been crucified. He wouldn't have been offensive enough.
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