Confessional Disdain!

[Irishcat922]

Why is it that whenever I bring up the Confession in regular conversation with reformed people, Pastors and Elders included, I feel a little snubbed? Especially in regards to worship and the Sabbath. Is Church the wrong place to discuss these issues? What is the right setting?

 

[Scott Bushey]

Originally posted by Irishcat922
Why is it that whenever I bring up the Confession in regular conversation with reformed people, Pastors and Elders included, I feel a little snubbed? Especially in regards to worship and the Sabbath. Is Church the wrong place to discuss these issues? What is the right setting?

Sean,
My guess is because they know little of what the confessions state. Many believe they are archaic and not applicable in many ways today.

 

[daveb]

I would agree with Scott and think that they either do not know the confessions well enough to engage them or they do not hold them in high regard and see them as not worth addressing.

I would think the Church would be the right place to discuss the issues.

 

[Irishcat922]

Yeah! But we call ourselves confessional Christians, I think it should be something we should be open to discuss within our Churches. I am not saying to argue, but valid concerns should be openly discussed, without causing dissension, mind you. I find most Elders seem to avoid the discussions, or change the subject.

 

[Ivan]

Originally posted by Irishcat922
Yeah! But we call ourselves confessional Christians, I think it should be something we should be open to discuss within our Churches. I am not saying to argue, but valid concerns should be openly discussed, without causing dissension, mind you. I find most Elders seem to avoid the discussions, or change the subject.

What do you discuss in church?

 

[LarryCook]

That sounds odd to me as new to the WCF as we have a Sunday School class working through it that I have attended for 2 years. We read the Cat. Question and then the Confession and then the proof texts and then discuss all of the above. Some paragrapghs seem to take months to get through while others move along quickly.

It is great learning.

Larry

 

[BobVigneault]

Many believers who call themselves 'confessional' simply mean that they have given a 'confession of faith''. These are the 'no creed but Christ' folks. 'I confess Jesus as Lord and so I'm saved.'

What we refer to as confessional they see as a dry, dead 'paper pope'. They prefer spontanaiety and the excitement of the latest purpose driven fad.

They disdain the foundation but love the view from the top.

Our confessions MUST be taught in Sunday/Sabbath schools.

The opposite of 'confessional' is post-modern sentimentality.

 

[wsw201]

Originally posted by Irishcat922
Why is it that whenever I bring up the Confession in regular conversation with reformed people, Pastors and Elders included, I feel a little snubbed? Especially in regards to worship and the Sabbath. Is Church the wrong place to discuss these issues? What is the right setting?

Sean,

It's pretty sad that this is happening. Church should be the exact place for this to happen and Elders should not shy away from it but should be engaging the congregation with the Standards as a tool for teaching. I hope this isn't happening in your church.

 

[Irishcat922]

I am of the opinion like Dave said, that perhaps many of them are not familiar enough with what the Confession teaches to engage in lively conversation about it.

 

[Charismatic Calvinist]

Originally posted by Irishcat922
Why is it that whenever I bring up the Confession in regular conversation with reformed people, Pastors and Elders included, I feel a little snubbed?

I empathize with you. Nobody wants to discuss the WCF where I am.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Confessional Christianity is not very popular in so-called Confessional Churches, let alone evangelicalism in general.

Loose subscriptionism plays right into the hand of "no Creed but Christ" theology.

Would that Confessional Christians would adhere to vows and not play fast and loose with words to get around doctrines that they disagree with.

 

[ARStager]

Larry:

I'm jealous. I think it's absurd that a church the size of ours (huge) has no ongoing catechism class. The "inquirer's class" is more of a "campus tour", so folks are certainly not getting reformed theolgy there. What's with this!!!???

 

[Puritan Sailor]

Originally posted by Irishcat922
Why is it that whenever I bring up the Confession in regular conversation with reformed people, Pastors and Elders included, I feel a little snubbed? Especially in regards to worship and the Sabbath. Is Church the wrong place to discuss these issues? What is the right setting?

What denomination is your church in?

 

[Irishcat922]

It's OPC Patrick, I think it is like Andrew says loose subscriptionism is the order of the day, and to suggest otherwise is probably viewed as narrowminded.