The Lord’s firm spanks?
John Piper used some “foul language” at the recent Passion Conference. Apparently, he drew some heat for it because it is addressed on his website here . In addressing his regret at saying that God “kicks our ass”, Piper states
“I think “He kicks our backside” would have sufficed. And even better might have been some concrete illustrations of the Lord’s firm spanks.”
The Lord’s firm spanks? I find that more offensive than God “kicks our ass”. In fact, it kind of creeps me out a little bit.
ew.
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yuck is right
Yes. Yuck. But somehow, everytime I think of John Piper saying “the Lord’s firm spanks”, it makes me giggle a little bit.
I am reminded by Tony Campolo’s talk I heard over 20 years ago at a small college in the mountains of NC. He used a curse word, I think something like “give a damn.” He followed it up with saying that more were offended by his saying this curse word than are bothered that the fact that thousands of people a day are perishing. Is it not the trees we don’t like that often blind us from the huge beautiful forest. God is on the move.
Perhaps Mr. Piper needs a little AP training? A God who spanks is an oxymoron to me….though I believed that for many years.
You got that right. Oh, how the church tames us. Sorry to see Piper cave in.
I’m not sure the context of how Mr Piper used the phrase and of course in that sense can mean different things - if you mean God disciplines us for instance and that was a colourful of saying that then ok i can live with it, sort of focuses the mind on the fact that as a loving Father God is concerned with my character and not always whether I feel happy…
Personally I haven’t got any problem with a kick of the backside either - maybe cos sometimes I do need it, doesn’t have to be an almighty hoof of a field goal kick… we’re meant to spur one on another along and last time i saw spurs they were pretty sharp and used for digging in - so maybe sometimes we do need that dig/kick/spur to get rolling…?
TA–I love Campolo. He’s right. We’re more concerned about moralism than following Jesus.
Don,
Yes, sometimes the church tames so much so that it makes us ineffective!