"Temple mind" has several components in it that are antithetical to orthodox Christianity. Orthodox Christianity is also called Biblical Christianity. There are other kinds of Orthodox Christianity, but I am not writing about the Byzantine, Russian, or American Orthodoxy which are tremendously awesome traditions. Those traditions have incredible depth and when lived correctly tend to be focused on joy, mercy, and love.
Orthodox Christianity is Biblical Christianity which should also not be confused with fundamentalism or literal evangelicism. Orthodox Christianity looks to scripture, reason, traditions, history, archeology, hermeneutics, and experiences throughout time to find orthodoxy. It highly relies upon the words of Christ in the Gospels and relies on what is not there just as much.
Temple mind was destroyed from the new covenant as seen in Matthew 27:50-51. In the verses, Jesus is dying and the curtain of the temple is torn in two.
"Temple mind" has several components that are not a part of the new covenant of Christ. Temple mind has, at least, the following points of view or criterion. Not all sections need to be valid for a person or mindset for a person to have temple mind. They are:
1. Understanding the law of the Old Testament as rules.
2. Having to go a certain place to commune with God.
3. Requiring a sacrifice for sin.
4. Requires separate roles for men, women, and children while claiming scripture.
5. "Spiritual" looks a certain way to someone.
6. Requires a dress and speaking code.
7. Often uses Christianese.
8. Maintains an us and them false dichotomy lacking hospitality.
9. Has an element of functional illiteracy.
10. Does use Biblical languages to expound upon a text. Often, the KJV is used without a historical context.
Christians do not require anything to commune with God. We don't have to go anywhere and have follow Christ everywhere. People who are stuck in temple mind wouldn't go into a Jewish Temple to pray. Instead, they would claim that a different God is there while shirking the Abrahamic roots of Christianity. They find a specific place where Jesus doesn't exist. The problem with it is that Jesus dwells in the heart of the believer. It is the Immanuel. God is with us not over there. the same people will say things like "It was okay for me to drop out of college because Jesus came into my heart." The experience really propels people into education as we are to study as we are disciples.
In the song, Take My Life and Let it Be, we have the desires of Christians and it doesn't focus on the materialism within Temple Mind. To live as a flawed offering instead of requiring a perfect one is the mark of orthodoxy. Embracing humanity and finding holiness at a part of universal incarnation is where Christianity is found. It is only by desiring holiness that we find holiness. Rule counters and creators require offerings. Christians live as an offering. We don't need to be a show. Our disciplines don't change our identities. We are the flawed children of God professing praise, goodness, and joy in Our Creator.
Orthodoxy means that I confess and profess my flaws. I accept me for me and God for God. I don't try to be in a certain state for God. It is different to use a discipline to become a spiritual leader. Spiritual leaders become them. Real ones don't need a cushion or a cloud. Real spiritual leaders follow God by critically thinking about the world around them as creation. They often use mops instead of speaking prayer. They serve.
Spiritual leaders live a process on consecrating life to God. May we all consecrate our lives to God's orthodoxy.
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