This essay is a special collaboration with Ekstasis, CT’s imaginative NextGen project, and originally appeared in the Ecstatic Newsletter, an extension of Ekstasis on Substack. Together, we’re building a digital cathedral that offers space to ponder and lift our eyes to Christ in wonder.
Heavenly SportsI read with enjoyment David Holmquist’s “Will There Be Baseball in Heaven?” [Jan. 10]. His title reminded me of this good news/bad news story:Two preachers loved to play baseball. They made an agreement. Whoever died first would come back in spirit form and tell the living preacher if baseball was played in heaven. One died. He came back and said, “The good news is that they do play baseball in heaven. The bad news is you are pitching Friday.”Claude A. FrazierAsheville, N.C.Unfair review?I was appalled by Edith Blumhofer’s review of Jack Deere’s Surprised by the Power of the Spirit [Jan. 10]. The title, “Dispensing with Scofield,” prejudices the reader to perceive the book in an iconoclastic light, as does the accompanying cartoon. Instead of reviewing the book, the reviewer devoted more than half the space to explaining differences between Scofieldian dispensationalism—with its cessationist view of miracles—and Wimberian Pentecostalism—with its belief that God still works miracles—and then insinuating that Deere seeks to substitute Wimber’s hermeneutic, which the reviewer finds unacceptable, for Scofield’s, which the reviewer finds equally appalling. This bias reaches a climax with the reviewer’s rhetorical question: “In laying aside Scofield’s grid, has Deere replaced it with another that is equally or more manipulative in its use of God’s Word?” This embodies a fallacious assumption and casts a false aspersion.But Deere does not seek to develop a formal hermeneutic, as Scofield did. And he shows a deep reverence for and a scrupulous, thoughtful handling of God’s Word on every page.John J. Hughes Whitefish, Mont.Your review points to an issue that never arose in historic Christianity. Must we settle for either Scofieldism, or Pentecostalism, for that matter? Not at all. Even evangelical books like Why I Left Scofieldism, by William E. Cox, and A Search for Charismatic Reality, by Neil Babcox, point the way away from either alternative.There has to be another, indeed a better, way.Scott Robert Harrington Erie, Pa.Compassion and reasonAs a 30-year Southern California resident, I read with interest “The Alien in Our Midst” [News, Dec. 13]. Illegal immigration is a perplexing, paradoxical problem that compounds itself, particularly in a state that borders Mexico.The notion presented here, of “compassion versus reason,” is often used to debate illegal immigration issues and other seemingly moral, controversial issues. But compassion and reason are not dichotomous, polar opposites. Rather, the most reasonable, rational, truthful response is always the most compassionate response. To dichotomize these terms is to further perpetuate and cloud the problem.We cannot continue to think in terms of the most expedient action—usually considered the “compassionate” alternative, as with caring for and housing illegal immigrants—when the long-term result is a lie. This is not compassion, but an unwillingness to see to the heart of the matter—which is simply that no matter how badly we feel for our impoverished fellow man, our entire nation has suffered, economically, socially, and educationally, and will continue to do so when people are allowed rights and privileges without having to work for them.LuAnn CraikYorba Linda, Calif.“The Alien in Our Midst” rightly addresses the issue of immigration in the context of Christian compassion.As an American, I am thankful the United States remains a desirable destination for immigrants. The CT article did not fully consider the worldwide scope of would-be immigrants to the United States, however. U.S. consular officials daily face long lines of visa applicants around the globe, most of whom would like to move permanently to the U.S., usually for financial reasons. Perhaps instead of working to bring new immigrants to America, U.S. Christians should seriously consider leaving the comforts of home to renew the “graying” ranks of missionaries and other Americans overseas who labor to improve the lives of persons where they live.Russell P. IngrahamAmerican EmbassyBucharest, RomaniaTake Two Aspirin And Go To ChurchFor the most part, society has missed the role churches could play in solcing the health-care crisis. I’m not talking about applying theological principles to the social debate. I have in mind something more practical: All doctors should be encouraged to prescribe churches that can remedy parients of their ailments.Instead of expensive physical theraoy for those recovering from knee sugery, for example, why not prescribe a church that specializes in genuflection? These services weekly should keep the joints flexible.For those needing shoulder or arm exercise, a charismatic church is the way to go. Sinus trouble? A smells-and-bells Episcopal church should help clear things up. TMJ? Avoid those Methodist hymnsings, and try a silent Quaker tetreat.Fighting insomnia? Instead of traquilizers, a church where the preaching is longer than it is good (and where the pews are padded) is just the antidote.Blood pressure problems? Avoid potluck dinners and budger debates.With this plan, people would ger healthier, and church attendance would increase. Who knows, maybe people would actually pray about their problems. Ah, now we’re talking about a real solution.That Lutheran sex reportDavid Neff’s editorial about the report by the human sexuality task force of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America disheartened me [“How Lutherans Justify Sex,” Dec. 13]. Like so many others who have rushed to calm the furor caused by this report, he criticized the media for reporting on the controversial but missing the commendable portions of the statement. Have we sunk so low that orthodoxy is the “real” news?I am glad Neff sees the value of the traditional gospel-centered approach to the Scriptures in Lutheranism. Unfortunately, among the neo-Lutherans in the ELCA, “Was Christum triebt” has become a principle for playing one Scripture off against another. Neff adeptly spotted examples of this in the task force report, but he attributed it to inherent weakness in the Christological, evangelical approach to Scripture. In truth, the faulty conclusions of the task force stem from the neo-Lutheran aberration of the traditional Lutheran approach.Rev. Tim OswaldLiving Word Lutheran ChurchWindom, Minn.With all due respect, Neff did more to obscure the problem with the ELCA task force’s conclusions regarding homosexuality than to clarify them. The problem was not, as he asserted, that the task force considered the matter Christologically, but rather precisely that they did not consider the matter Christologically.The notion that one can be a “homosexual” requires that a person be turned inward toward the self, giving definition to him- or herself in isolation. Christ, on the other hand, can only be understood to turn us away from ourselves, and therefore away from death and destruction, toward his own life. It is in turning toward God in Christ that we recognize who we are as human beings created in God’s image, male and female.If it was Christology that led the ELCA task force to its conclusions, then it was a tragically impoverished Christology indeed.Phillip M. HofingaDuke Divinity SchoolDurham, N.C.The ELCA is one of several Lutheran bodies in the United States. Any doctrinal statements they publish represent their views, but not necessarily the views of all Lutheran churches in this country.Doug CoupFrazer, Pa.The task force’s feeble position on the homosexual issue may have been due in large measure to the fact that there were two homosexuals, one male and one female, on the committee. This is revealed in an editorial by Edgar Trexler in the December issue of The Lutheran.Gordon GinnFortuna, Calif.Good newsI read with interest the CT Institute article “Muslim Mission Breakthrough” [Dec. 13]. If even half the mission claims are true, it is still good news! However, I am uneasy about the so-called historic Assembly of God churches in southern Egypt sweeping “20,000 nominal Christians into the kingdom.” I smell a rat. Protestants have spent much time and money trying to “reconvert the converted” in Egypt. The Coptic Church has been there through centuries. Rather than trying to “convert” Christians, evangelicals should support and cooperate with the Copts, who trace their spiritual lineage to Saint Mark. They belong to the real historic church in Egypt.Rev. Lyle H. RaschCincinnati, OhioSecular education’s value-escapismThank you for Christina Hoff Sommers’s effort to expose and expel the value-escapism in the secular classroom, especially for its diminishing returns [“How to Teach Right & Wrong,” Dec. 13]. As one who has “done some time” in public schools, I have tried to get at the heart of the matter: how did this begin? It is surely a part of the larger social slide—from unquestioned majority standards, to emancipated personal choice, to moral anarchy—which parallels in the body-politic the transfer of focus from The Significant Other to (more-or-less) significant others, to the self. What began as a gloriously liberal experiment in America has degenerated into a morass of libertinism. In short, the individual has priority over the community, even in the classroom.House-cleaning begins at home. The unredeemed community is not hearing a harmonious, saving summons from its Christian peers, much less its Master. If we who willingly follow his voice cannot meet him on the mountain and thunder down to the needy below his unalterable moral truths, who can? There is a fine line between being a fool and being a “fool for Christ.”John SchwaneBroken Arrow, Okla.“How to Teach Right & Wrong” was a major disappointment. I kept looking for the words God or Scripture but instead found only allusions to “learning from 2,000 years of civilization,” a traditional Jewish tale, moral common sense, and Aristotle. The critique of “moral dilemma” morals education was good, but, honestly, wouldn’t any secular magazine print this? What we have learned from 2,000 years of Western civilization is that there is no basis for morals and values apart from God.Pastor Michael SharrettFort Worth Presbyterian ChurchFort Worth, Tex.The danger of MomentusThank you for your news article “Momentus Loses Momentum” [Dec. 13]. People need to be aware of this extremely dangerous movement. I have seen, firsthand, how Momentus has destroyed lives. The people who claim they are now closer to God have become very exclusive with whom they now dialog. Not once have I heard what makes this a Christ-centered, biblically orthodox program. Momentus started out as a scam, and it will continue to be a scam in whatever form it disguises itself.Joachim RandeenPalos Verdes, Calif.My wife and I took the Momentus Training in May 1983, and since then have seen many blessings in our lives, as well as among our family and friends. I find myself praying more, reading the Scriptures more consistently, and thinking of others’ needs more often. I read Christian literature, including your magazine, and want to fellowship with other believers. I am praising the Lord and sharing God’s Word with others who would not have heard the gospel had it not been for the experience they had with the Holy Spirit during Momentus Training.Dan StockemerGeyersville, Calif.Clapp right on targetThank you for Rodney Clapp’s “Let the Pagans Have the Holiday” [Dec. 13]. His point that Christmas is the ultimate Pelagian holy day is right on target. Would that evangelical churches with their singing trees and pageants galore would recognize not only the problem, but also the solution. Only when the church preaches the message of the Cross and stops scratching itching ears with consumer-speak will the matter change. Please, more articles like Clapp’s, less of the claptrap!Pastor Thomas E. TroxellHope Presbyterian Church in AmericaGilbert, Ariz.Clapp says, “Paul nowhere speaks of Jesus’ birth.” But Galatians 4:4 states: “When the right time came, the time God decided on, he sent His Son, born of a woman, born as a Jew” (TLB).Pastor Bufe KarrakerNorthwest ChurchFresno, Calif.Stephanou still OrthodoxIn your December 13 news article “Unorthodox Behavior?” you incorrectly stated that Stephanou “considers himself retired and says his privately owned ministry functions independent of the Greek Orthodox Church hierarchy.” It is our Renewal Center of St. Symeon the New Theologian with its land and property that is privately owned, however, not my ministry, which is divinely owned, because it is divinely appointed. I remain formally part of the Greek Orthodox jurisdiction, despite the disfavor of the ruling hierarchy over the prophetic and evangelical nature of my renewal ministry.Rev. Eusebius StephanouOrthodox Renewal Center of St. SymeonDestin, Fla.Brief letters are welcome; all are subject to editing. Write to Eutychus, CHRISTIANITY TODAY, 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188; fax (708) 260-0114.In his final conversation with the apostle Peter, Jesus asks whether Peter loves him. “Yes, Lord,” says Peter, “you know that I love you.” Jesus replies, “Feed my lambs” (John 21:15–19). Peter obeys by giving a faithful account of Jesus’ life and ministry to Jewish hearers and crosses cultural boundaries to deliver it to Gentile audiences as well. The church forms as an ethnically, linguistically, and geographically heterogeneous community, nourished by a testimony that has been translated across cultures to feed every tribe and tongue.
Modern Christians have continued the early believers’ project of making the testimony of Jesus assimilable to every culture, and the Western church is no exception. But we may be pushing this endeavor past its rightful limits. As Jesus and his teachings resurface in the form of spiritually-inflected home goods available from our favorite social media stars, professionally engineered worship megahits that primarily enrich their makers, and components of profitable personal brands, we would do well to ask ourselves what exactly we are accomplishing.
Our methods of bearing witness may be redirecting the devotion that should accrue to Jesus and drawing it to ourselves. We risk no longer feeding Christ’s sheep but feeding on them instead.
Jesus understood that our apparent acts of devotion can become covers for predation. “Watch out for false prophets,” he warned. “They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” (Matt. 7:15). It’s an evocative image, bringing to mind the many ways religious power has been creatively misused: Hophni and Phinehas collecting food and sexual favors at the temple (1 Sam. 2:12–25); Pope Urban II granting indulgences in exchange for enlistment in the Crusades; Southern Baptist Convention leaders choosing self-protection at the cost of abused church members.
For wolves in sheep’s clothing, ministry is attractive because of how easily the flock can be devoured.
Is there any way for us to know if we have transformed into the kind of people Jesus cautioned his hearers to avoid? The artist J. Cole wrestles with this question in his 2016 single “False Prophets.” He begins with an outpouring of grievances aimed at musicians he loved before their giftedness brought them the acclaim that would enable their most destructive impulses. “Ego in charge of every move, he’s a star,” Cole laments, “And we can’t look away due to the days that he caught our hearts.”
For Christians with even a glancing acquaintance with the last decade of public church meltdowns, we could cast this verse with any number of people. This could be about Mark Driscoll. Or Ravi Zacharias. Or Carl Lentz or Jerry Falwell Jr. or too many other figureheads of Christian denominations or institutions, national or local, who earned, then demolished, the trust of everyone who looked to him for nourishment. In Psalm 145:15, David praises the Lord as the provider for every living thing, saying “the eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.” The false prophet in Cole’s depiction is like a perverse riff on David’s theme. He draws a following, then uses it to gorge himself.
Interestingly, Cole’s lyrics quickly move away from accusation and enter a mode of introspective self-indictment. Does he also want to feed on the people who adore him? He considers how difficult it is for him to escape the moral ambiguities of his position as a hip-hop icon. “Do I do it for the love of the music or is there more to me?” he asks. “Do I want these [audiences] to worship me?”
By the end of “False Prophets,” Cole has placed himself on a continuum with the people whose appetites have ravaged themselves and their followers, concluding that no one is exempt from the possibility of moral collapse.
This brings us back to Jesus’ exchange with Peter. What initially appears as a straightforward exhortation to care for those in Peter’s ministry begins to seem troubling. Why does Jesus tell Peter to feed his sheep not just once, but three times? Why is their exchange recorded for the church? Do we need this reminder too?
Perhaps the call to feed Jesus’ sheep is reiterated for us in part because it is so hard to follow faithfully. Australian academic Marion Maddox argues that few of us are immune to the pull of spiritual celebrity and the structures that support it. Even if we technically oppose the prosperity gospel or think social platforms are terrible places for discipleship, we have probably looked at images of powerful male pastors and their conventionally attractive wives, scrolled through videos of their expensively appointed homes, and wanted these things for ourselves. She posits that images of celebrity Christian couples have “replaced the more conventional iconography of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph” in Western culture.
Even if we hate how much religion has become an industry, with its own brands and moguls, this industry succeeds because we want what it sells—or want to succeed on its terms. Like Cole, Maddox sees all of us as vulnerable to becoming the thing we oppose. God calls people to be his sheep, but given the right opportunity, we can act as wolves.
We can accept our shared moral weakness, knowing that we are all tempted toward wolf-like behavior, but this does not make those of us who succumb less culpable. Jesus was especially harsh with abusers of religious power. “Woe to you Pharisees,” he says, “because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces. … And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.” (Luke 11:43, 46). He warned that the blood of the martyred prophets, sent to correct generations of unrepentant religious leadership, would be required of them.
Yet Jesus’ primary message is not about the dangers we pose to one another. By reminding us to feed his sheep and to beware of wolves, he is ultimately preparing us to understand his role in our narrative.
The through line in Jesus’ stories of sheep, and of wolves in sheep’s clothing, is the problem of their hunger. The sheep need to be fed, and therein lies their vulnerability. The wolves are ravenous, and therein lies their capacity for evil. Jesus, the Living Word, the embodiment of all that God has ever wanted to speak to humanity, interrupts the story of our insatiability and introduces himself as the Bread of Life (John 6:22–40).
Jesus describes himself by saying “my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink” (John 6:55). He repeats these words again before offering his body to be crucified (Matt. 26:26–29). Even in his infant form, Jesus, freshly born and still wordless, tells us who he is by resting in a trough designed for the feeding of animals.
During the early days of the Asbury outpouring—the spontaneous, student-driven revival at Kentucky’s Asbury University in the spring of 2023—seminary student Madison Pierce made a widely circulated Facebook post about what he witnessed in the university chapel. “I find it interesting,” he wrote, “that God would mark this outpouring with … a leadership emphasizing protective humility in relationship with power for a generation deeply hurt by the abuse of religious power.”
Pierce was one of several commentators who would remark on the atmosphere of humility cultivated on the Asbury campus with a mixture of fascination and relief. Billy Coppedge, writing about Asbury for the Lausanne Movement, confessed that one of his “earliest thoughts was this could be very advantageous for [the university]. They could profit off of all these visitors and the media attention.” He said it was “remarkable,” then, that “the attitude throughout has not been, ‘How can we bend this for Asbury’s purposes?’ but rather, ‘How do we not touch the glory?’”
Pierce and Coppedge’s statements are both hopeful and sobering. Coppedge was delighted by the guilelessness he saw at the university because of how strongly it contrasted with his expectations for a religious institution poised to expand its power. Pierce was so struck by “leadership emphasizing protective humility” that he cited it as evidence of divine visitation—not because religious leadership was lacking, but because of how frequently he’d seen religious leaders be exposed as abusive.
What does this tell us about the church in the West? We have made religious celebrities and institutions ubiquitous in our culture, but we have not always fed the people entrusted to our care. The backdrop in every article about the outpouring’s humility is the mass of people who have been scarred by the kind of leadership Jesus denounced. The subtext to these stories is sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus’ instructions to Peter can register as both an invitation and a challenge. “Feed my sheep,” says Jesus, but it is a task of cosmic difficulty. Can anyone do this without devolving into a wolf? If we are confident in our ability to do as he asks, we should think again—maybe think three times.
Yi Ning Chiu is a contributing writer to Christianity Today and a columnist for Ekstasis.
