In worship recently
we have been working our way through the book of Galatians. Paul's letter to the Galatians addresses
offenses to the gospel. In particular
Paul asks who has bewitched them that after beginning with the Spirit, they are
now trying to attain their goal by human effort (Gal. 3:3)? It is the difference between Law and grace
through faith. Galatians 2:16 says,
"know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in
Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be
justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing
the law no one will be justified."
There is not
time in worship to share the following reading that speaks to this subject in a
fun way - so I offer it here. Enjoy!
There are two visions of life,
two kinds of people. The first see life as a possession to be carefully
guarded. They are called settlers. The second see life as a wild, fantastic,
explosive gift. They are called pioneers. These two types give rise to two
kinds of theology: Settler Theology and Pioneer Theology1.
According Wes Seeliger in his
book Western Theology, the first kind, Settler Theology, is an attempt to
answer all the questions, define and housebreak some sort of Supreme Being,
establish the status quo on golden tablets in cinemascope. Pioneer Theology is
an attempt to talk about what it means to receive the strange gift of life. The
Wild West is the setting for both theologies.
In Settler Theology, the church
is the courthouse. It is the center of town life. The old stone structure
dominates the town square. Its windows are small and this makes things dark inside.
Within the courthouse walls, records are kept, taxes collected, trials held for
the bad guys. The courthouse is the settler’s symbol of law, order, stability,
and—most important—security. The mayor’s office is on the top floor. His eagle
eye ferrets out the smallest details of town life.
In Pioneer Theology, the church
is the covered wagon. It is a house on wheels, always on the move. The covered
wagon is where the pioneers eat, sleep, fight, love, and die. It bears the
marks of life and movement—it creaks, is scarred with arrows, bandaged with
bailing wire. The covered wagon is always where the action is. It moves toward
the future and doesn’t bother to glorify its own ruts. The old wagon isn’t
comfortable, but the pioneers don’t mind. They are more into adventure than
comfort.
In Settler Theology, God is the
mayor. He is a sight to behold. Dressed like a dude from back East, he lounges
in an over-stuffed chair in his courthouse office. He keeps the blinds drawn.
No one sees him or knows him directly, but since there is order in the town,
who can deny that he is there? The mayor is predictable and always on schedule.
The settlers fear the mayor, but look to him to clear the payroll and keep
things going. Peace and quiet are the mayor’s main concerns. That’s why he
sends the sheriff to check on pioneers who ride into town.
In Pioneer Theology, God is the
trail boss. He is rough and rugged, full of life. He chews tobacco, drinks
straight whisky. The trail boss lives, eats, sleeps, fights with his people. Their
well-being is his concern. Without him the wagon wouldn’t move; living as a
free man would be impossible. The trail boss often gets down in the mud with
the pioneers to help push the wagon, which often gets stuck. He prods the
pioneers when they get soft and want to turn back. His fist is an expression of
his concern.
In Settler Theology, Jesus is the
sheriff. He’s the guy who is sent by the mayor to enforce the rules. He wears a
white hat, drinks milk, and outdraws the bad guys. The sheriff decides who is
thrown into jail. There is a saying in town that goes: Those who believe that
the mayor sent the sheriff, and follow the rules, they won’t stay in Boothill
when it comes their time.
In Pioneer Theology, Jesus is the
scout. He rides out ahead to find out which way the pioneers should go. He
lives all the dangers of the trail. The scout suffers every hardship, is
attacked by the Indians. Through his words and actions he reveals the true
intentions of the trail boss. By looking at the scout, those on the trail learn
what it means to be a pioneer.
In Settler Theology, the Holy
Spirit is the saloon girl. Her job is to comfort the settlers. They come to her
when they feel lonely, or when life gets dull or dangerous. She tickles them
under the chin and makes everything okay again. The saloon girl squeals to the
sheriff when someone starts disturbing the peace.
In Pioneer Theology, the Holy
Spirit is the buffalo hunter. He rides along with the covered wagon and
furnishes fresh meat for the pioneers. Without it they would die. The buffalo
hunter is a strange character—sort of a wild man. The pioneers never can tell
what he will do next. He scares the hell out of the settlers. He has a big,
black gun that goes off like a cannon. He rides into town on Sunday to shake up
the settlers. You see, every Sunday morning, the settlers have a little ice
cream party in the courthouse. With his gun in hand the buffalo hunter sneaks
up to one of the courthouse windows. He fires a tremendous blast that rattles
the whole courthouse. Men jump out of their skin, women scream, dogs bark.
Chuckling to himself, the buffalo hunter rides back to the wagon train shooting
up the town as he goes.
In Settler Theology, the
Christian is the settler. He fears the open, unknown frontier. His concern is
to stay on good terms with the mayor and keep out of the sheriff’s way. “Safety
first” is his motto. To him the courthouse is a symbol of security, peace,
order, and happiness. He keeps his money in the bank. The banker is his best
friend. The settler never misses an ice cream party.
In Pioneer Theology, the
Christian is the pioneer. He is a man of daring, hungry for new life. He rides
hard, knows how to use a gun when necessary. The pioneer feels sorry for the
settlers and tries to tell them of the joy and fulfillment of life on the
trail. He dies with his boots on.
In Settler Theology, the
clergyman is the banker. Within his vault are locked the values of the town. He
is a highly respected man. He has a gun, but keeps it hidden in his desk. He
feels that he and the sheriff have a lot in common. After all, they both
protect the bank.
In Pioneer Theology, the
clergyman is the cook. He doesn’t furnish the meat. He just dishes up what the
buffalo hunter provides. This is how he supports the movement of the wagon. He
never confuses his job with that of the trail boss, scout, or buffalo hunter.
He sees himself as just another pioneer who has learned to cook. The cook’s job
is to help the pioneers pioneer.
In Settler Theology, faith is
trusting in the safety of the town: obeying the laws, keeping your nose clean,
believing the mayor is in the courthouse. In Pioneer Theology, faith is the
spirit of adventure. The readiness to move out. To risk everything on the
trail. Faith is obedience to the restless voice of the trail boss.
In Settler Theology, sin is
breaking one of the town’s ordinances. In Pioneer Theology, sin is wanting to
turn back. In Settler Theology, salvation is living close to home and hanging
around the courthouse. In Pioneer Theology, salvation is being more afraid of
sterile town life than of death on the trail. Salvation is joy at the thought
of another day to push on into the unknown. It is trusting the trail boss and
following his scout while living on the meat provided by the buffalo hunter.
The settlers and the pioneers
portray in cowboy-movie language the people of the law and the people of the
Spirit. In the time of the historical Jesus, the guardians of the
ecclesiastical setup, the scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees, had ensconced
themselves in the courthouse and enslaved themselves to the law. This not only
enhanced their prestige in society, it also gave them a sense of security. Man
fears the responsibility of being free. It is often easier to let others make
the decisions or to rely upon the letter of the law. Some men want to be
slaves. After enslaving themselves to the letter of the law, such men always go
on to deny freedom to others. They will not rest until they have imposed the
same oppressive burdens upon others. Jesus described them this way: “They tie
up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not
willing to lift a finger to move them” (Matthew 23:4).
Jesus wanted to liberate His
people from the law—from all laws. Under His Word we become free, people of the
Spirit; and the fellowship of free people grows up, as in the New Testament,
beyond all kinds of theological disagreement. Paul writes in Galatians 5:1, “It
is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves
be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” If we are not experiencing what Paul
calls in Romans 8:21 “the glorious freedom of the children of God,” then we
must acknowledge that His Word has not taken sovereign possession of us, that
we are not fully under the sway of His Spirit.
1Ideas taken from, “Western
Theology” by Wes Seeliger. Pioneer Ventures Publishers, Houston, TX. 1973 and summarized
by Brennan Manning in Lion and Lamb,
Chapter 3 – “Freedom Under the Word.” pp. 37-41 (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H.
Revell Co. 1986)
