{"id":7850,"date":"2021-12-20T08:37:49","date_gmt":"2021-12-20T13:37:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rogereolson\/?p=7850"},"modified":"2021-12-20T08:37:49","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T13:37:49","slug":"the-joker-jester-asks-why-chosen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rogereolson\/2021\/12\/the-joker-jester-asks-why-chosen\/","title":{"rendered":"The Joker\/Jester Asks “Why ‘Chosen’?”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

The Joker\/Jester Asks \u201cWhy \u2018Chosen\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"You<\/p>\n

For those new to this series, occasionally I take on the role of a church-appointed joker or jester, someone given by the church the right without penalty to question anything\u2014anything said or done by the church, its leaders especially, but also customs, habits, traditions of the congregation or denomination. It is my strongly held belief, based on many years of experiences in numerous American Christian congregations, that many of them (and denominations) develop beliefs, customs, traditions, habits that deserve to be questioned because they may be untrue, unhelpful, detrimental to the health of the kingdom of God that God is building.<\/p>\n

Over the last few years, especially, I have seen printed and heard spoken the word \u201cchosen\u201d\u2014by Christians. Insofar as the word is used by Calvinists for the \u201celect,\u201d I understand it even if I disagree with the theology in which it is used.<\/p>\n

However, increasingly, I have read and heard \u201cchosen\u201d used by Christians in highly dubious ways. Here is one example. Recently I drove past an evangelical mega-church that I happen to know quite well. It is not Calvinist. I would compare it in style<\/em> to Bethel Church in Redding, California\u2014a strong emphasis on the gift of prophecy for all Christians. It is semi- or quasi-charismatic. It was sociologists of religion used to call \u201cThird Wave\u201d and I would call \u201cRenewalist.\u201d Not Pentecostal<\/a>, not exactly charismatic, but more like those and unlike those.<\/p>\n

The big sign outside the church now reads \u201cYou Are Chosen and Loved.\u201d Below that is a subtitle slogan about Christmas. \u201cYou are chosen?\u201d The sign is aimed at every motorist and cyclist and pedestrian going by the church on the six lane thoroughfare that runs through the city. \u201cYou Are Chosen?\u201d I would ask the church\u2019s leaders to whom that \u201cyou\u201d refers. Semantically, it refers to all people without exception. There are no qualifiers on the sign that would indicate otherwise.<\/p>\n

*Sidebar: The opinions expressed here are my own (or those of the guest writer); I do not speak for any other person, group or organization; nor do I imply that the opinions expressed here reflect those of any other person, group or organization unless I say so specifically. Before commenting read the entire post and the \u201cNote to commenters\u201d at its end.*<\/em><\/p>\n

What church or denomination believes all<\/em> people<\/em> are chosen by God?<\/p>\n

Someone might quibble that perhaps<\/em> the person who put that statement on the sign did not mean \u201cchosen by God<\/em>,\u201d but who else would it mean? Chosen by the church? That doesn\u2019t make sense. I can only assume it means \u201cchosen by God.\u201d Again, I would ask what church or denomination of Christians ever believed that all people are chosen by God? And where does the Bible even imply that all people, without exception, are chosen by God and for what?<\/p>\n

It seems to me that the word \u201cchosen\u201d is becoming a \u201ccatch-word,\u201d a slogan word, a word that appeals to people emotionally\u2014but not for any reason of truth. As I have said here numerous times before, truth<\/em> seems not to be particularly important anymore and increasingly that is the case among Christians, not just postmodern secularists.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are chosen\u201d gives a warm, fuzzy feeling, but what does it mean? Well, said within a religious context, it means that God has selected you\u2014everyone, in this case\u2014to be saved.<\/p>\n

Again, someone might quibble and say \u201cBut that is the gospel! God has chosen everyone to potentially be saved!\u201d Sorry, that is not what \u201cYou are chosen and loved\u201d on a church sign conveys. And if everyone is \u201cchosen,\u201d then no one in particular is chosen. \u201cChosen\u201d naturally implies \u201cselected\u201d\u2014selected out of a group. That\u2019s normal language.<\/p>\n

So, again I ask, what denomination or church or tradition actually believes that all people are \u201cchosen?\u201d Well, that would be Universalists, now part of the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship of Churches. Oh, there might be a few others who believe all people are selected by God for salvation. Allegedly two or three ancient church fathers believed in universal salvation. But I am just about as sure as possible that this particular church, the one with the sign that reads \u201cYou Are Chosen and Loved\u201d is not universalist in its soteriology\u2014theology of salvation.<\/p>\n

So why would a conservative Protestant church say to everyone \u201cYou Are Chosen?\u201d I can only assume because it sounds good; it gives off a \u201cgood vibe.\u201d But is it true? Is it what the church really believes? As a Christian theologian I will say it is not true and I am almost certain it is not what the church in question believes.<\/p>\n

\u201cChosen.\u201d What is that? Why is the word seemingly suddenly so popular among even conservative Christians? Until I am convinced otherwise I will continue to believe it is only<\/em> because it is thought to be emotionally appealing, not<\/em> because it is actually believed.<\/p>\n

My call here is for all churches to be cautious with language and only use words and phrases that are consistent with their actual beliefs.<\/p>\n

If I see \u201cYou Are Chosen\u201d on a sign in front of a church I will assume one of two things. Either it is a Calvinist church and the \u201cYou\u201d refers only to the elect, or it is a church that doesn\u2019t think and speak clearly. It sends an \u201cuncertain sound\u201d\u2014probably to appeal to people\u2019s feelings but hiding what it actually believes.<\/p>\n

Now, finally, I know there are some Christians who say they believe that all people are \u201cchosen\u201d by God for salvation in and through Jesus Christ and potentially saved<\/em> if they will allow themselves to be saved<\/em>. Again, I think the word \u201cchosen\u201d is misused there. In its natural sense, \u201cchosen\u201d means \u201cselected out of a group of alike objects.\u201d<\/p>\n

I open myself to the accusation of being pedantic. This would not be the first time. \u201cPedantic\u201d means \u201cteaching.\u201d That\u2019s me. My vocation is teaching<\/em>. So I take \u201cpedantic\u201d as a compliment even though in today\u2019s culture and common language it is often used as an insult (as in \u201cnit-picky\u201d).<\/p>\n

By now, if you are biblically literate, you should have thought of Matthew 22:14: \u201cMany are called, but few are chosen.\u201d I didn\u2019t quote that verse\u2014spoken by Jesus himself\u2014until now because I wanted to find out how many readers would think of it and wonder why \u201cYou Are Chosen\u201d would ever be aimed at everyone by an evangelical, Bible-believing and teaching church.<\/p>\n

*Note to commenters:<\/em> This blog is not a discussion board; please respond with a question or comment only to me. If you do not share my evangelical Christian perspective (very broadly defined), feel free to ask a question for clarification, but know that this is not a space for debating incommensurate perspectives\/worldviews. In any case, know that there is no guarantee that your question or comment will be posted by the moderator or answered by the writer. If you hope for your question or comment to appear here and be answered or responded to, make sure it is civil, respectful, and \u201con topic.\u201d Do not comment if you have not read the entire post and do not misrepresent what it says. Keep any comment (including questions) to minimal length; do not post essays, sermons or testimonies here. Do not post links to internet sites here. This is a space for expressions of the blogger\u2019s (or guest writers\u2019) opinions and constructive dialogue among evangelical Christians (very broadly defined).<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Joker\/Jester Asks \u201cWhy \u2018Chosen\u2019?\u201d For those new to this series, occasionally I take on the role of a church-appointed joker or jester, someone given by the church the right without penalty to question anything\u2014anything said or done by the church, its leaders especially, but also customs, habits, traditions of the congregation or denomination. It […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Joker\/Jester Asks "Why 'Chosen'?"<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Joker\/Jester Asks \u201cWhy \u2018Chosen\u2019?\u201d For those new to this series, occasionally I take on the role of a church-appointed joker or jester, someone given\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rogereolson\/2021\/12\/the-joker-jester-asks-why-chosen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Joker\/Jester Asks "Why 'Chosen'?"\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Joker\/Jester Asks \u201cWhy \u2018Chosen\u2019?\u201d For those new to this series, occasionally I take on the role of a church-appointed joker or jester, someone given\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rogereolson\/2021\/12\/the-joker-jester-asks-why-chosen\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Roger E. 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