Steve Chalke Interview

The Wittenburg Door has interviewed Steve Chalke.  I thought it was interesting, though the message of "empowerment" always concerns me.

I reached a stage where I felt that so much of the theology I grew up with just didn't relate to my life at all. It just condemned me all the time, I felt guilty and useless, which I think in my teens or my twenties I kind of accepted. But I reached the point where I thought, "No, this is no good because if it's a condemning message that makes people feel bad about themselves then it robs them of hope." Slowly, I reached the place over years where I figured, actually, not only is this a non-empowering message, it's most importantly not the message of Jesus.

Comments

[Ted Gossard]

Yes Steve. I struggled with much the same thing over my life, and have yet to get rid of it all- i.e., the feeling, and I guess corresponding thinking of self-condemnation.

It is truly a battle we're in. I was given a copy of Schuller's "A New Reformation" and dumped that. And ended up dumping that pastor and denomination, which in itself was folly, since he and they tried to preach the full counsel of God. He knew I needed a proper kind of self-esteem.

As you say, this is a Jesus thing, as far as how we're to look at ourselves. Not as worms, but as his brohters and sisters. As people made in God's image that he invites to his table.

Thanks for this.
Ted