Trust Your Instinct About the Church – Interview with Fr. Kenneth Tanner (TAW041)

The Apprenticeship Way with Marc Alan Schelske

Episode 041 – Trust Your Instinct About the Church – Interview with Fr. Kenneth Tanner.

After everything that’s happened in the past year, are you wondering about whether there’s a place for you in the church? Are you asking questions like “Where do I fit? What I’m seeing around me doesn’t look like Jesus. What do I do? I love Jesus. I want to follow Jesus, but if these other Christians are any indication, I don’t even know if I’m Christian anymore.”

Have you had those thoughts? Well, I can tell you from my own experience, and stacks of emails in my inbox, that you are not alone. In this interview with Father Kenneth Tanner, we’ll talk about steps you can take.

Show Notes

• What should we say to people asking these questions?
  • “Yes. This doesn’t look good.”
  • “You are not alone.”
  • “If you’re alarmed by what you see in the church in America, you have good spiritual intuition.”

• How do we fix this problem of feeling alienated?
  • Admit we have a problem. Our Christian movements and leaders have to admit there is a problem if we want to fix it.
  • Face our amnesia. Most of us have no attachment to the history of Christianity, and some of us have forgotten the testimony of folks who encountered Jesus throughout history. (Not just Biblical history) The historical church in Africa, Asia Minor, and Ireland for instance have much to teach us. If we forget our history, we won’t really know our identity.
  • Listen to the words of our Lord in Matthew 25. Instead of looking to the institution, go to the margins. Jesus says that He will meet us there among the poor, the sick, the hungry, and those who are oppressed. By talking with, being in relationship with, we will be changed and encounter Jesus. Historically, Christians were the most impactful when they went to the margins and served people. This is where we’re off track, trying to amass influence and power for our team.
  • We need the grand reorientation of our minds and hearts to begin to see the world and other human beings the way the Human God does.

And then Fr. Tanner just started preaching the gospel. Here’s some quotes:

“God loves the world. God made the world in love. It’s because God loves the world that he doesn’t seek to escape the world. He enters the world. He decided to become human, forever identifying himself with every human person.” – Fr. Kenneth Tanner.

“Christians must fundamentally begin with the revelation of God that we have in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the one who reveals the Father.” – Fr. Kenneth Tanner.

“Jesus always only brings life. He never brings death. He only always brings healing and not disease. He only always brings liberty and not oppression.” – Fr. Kenneth Tanner.

“We only come to the point where realize we’re ready to embrace the judgement of God when we understand his character. Perfect love casts out all fear.” – Fr. Kenneth Tanner.

• Where can we find hope?
  • By looking to the broader tradition of Christian history. Listen to faithful Christians from every tradition. In order to see the full picture of Jesus, we must listen to the broad range of traditions—particularly the Christian East of the first 800 years of Christianity.

And much more including thoughts on God’s wrath & Judgement, cancel culture, spiritual intuition, the controversies around how to respond to COVID-19

You can also watch and share the video version on Youtube.

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