Got Theology?

What’s up fam? Haven’t gotten around to our discussion much because as usual there’s been a lot happening at CLF. For the as of yet uninitiated CLF stands for Christ Liberation Fellowship. As far as I know we are the only Christ Liberation Fellowship our denomination (PCA). And of the 2500 to 3000 churches in the City of Brotherly Love, Sisterly Affection and ever-losing sports teams we may be the only one named Christ Liberation Fellowship. That name has certain advantages. For instance we occupy a prime place on the Google search engine. It also can spark a good discussion liberation theology.

And that is a topic on the minds of many lately. If you didn’t know by now Senator Barack Obama is a member of a church that espouses a system of belief known as Black Liberation Theology. Black Liberation Theology teaches that God’s primary purpose is to provide political, social, economic as well as spiritual liberation for the poor and marginalized. Moreover, it holds that freedom from political and social oppression was the point of Jesus’ life and ministry and is now the center of the gospel. Many of us may not be familiar with churches who hold this as their primary theology. It is called Black Liberation Theology because liberation is has been the one overriding theme of black people and black life since being brought to America to serve as perpetual slaves.

Among other things this means that Barack Obama is not only the first black candidate to have a realistic shot at winning the nomination of one of the major political parties but he may also be the first black candidate who did not attend what we normally understand as a traditional black church. This along with a few excerpts of a message preached by Rev. Wright several years ago has the country and the church talking about this theology which has been active in its present form in the black church for about forty years.

Like most other evangelicals I believe that Black Liberation Theology misses the mark regarding the central theme of scripture and the person and work of Jesus Christ. That doesn’t mean that those who promote this theology have nothing valuable to say concerning God’s concern for the poor and powerless. It does remind me however of something I wrote in my very first post. On May 7, 2007 the inaugural post of Blaque Tulip contained these thoughts regarding my view of theology:
‘There is something we believe about scripture (or how God communicates) God, mankind, sin, salvation, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the church, etc. These beliefs while not said affect how we think, live and relate to God here and now. The issue isn’t whether or not you have a theology, but if you have one that is biblically derived, biblically driven, God honoring and Christ-centered.’

Oh why did we settle on the name Christ Liberation Theology? Because in a sense I too am a proponent of liberation theology. I believe and therefore planted a church whose mission is to promote Jesus Christ, the one who loves and has liberated us from our sins by his blood and has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

To Him Who Loves Us…
Pastor Lance