Thoughts on the Modesty Link

November 20, 2007

Joe,

Two random thoughts on the link you posted yesterday from Piper on the subject of modesty.

1. I was surprised by the level of frankness that Piper spoke about this subject.  What I mean is he used some language and images that I would not have expected him to use.  I am not saying I think he went too far, but it just surprised me.  I’m not sure if you read the article or actually listened to him talk, but in the audio he was a little more blunt about some things than in the typed article.

I remember listening to an outstanding message on the subject of modesty by CJ Mahaney, and he was careful to say that he was not going to go into specifics about things because he felt that it was inappropriate for him as a man speaking to an audience of men and women.  Piper did go into some specifics, which I found interesting.

2. Piper’s willingness to say challenging things about a ’sensitive’ subject was an encouragement to me.  Piper has a large audience, and I imagine his open and honest challenge to women in this audio clip will not be received well by many people.  I have said some of these same things to others, and my words have not been received well.  I can imagine there is a tendency toward comfort that makes posting such a challenging and potentially-divisive audio clip a hard decision of obedience.

Piper’s willingness to subject himself to criticism is refreshing.  Far too many pastors are afraid to say anything potentially divisive, for fear that people might be driven away from the church.  Piper has no such fear, and for that I am grateful.  And I trust that his motive in speaking hard words is to serve men and women in love for the glory of Christ, not simply to promote a legalistic standard of right dress.

Longing to be one who speaks truth in love,

Larry

Posted by Larry | Filed Under Random Musings, Seeking Him 

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