lifeasmission
exploring the mystery of life and mission as one and the same
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So Much Comin
Nothing gets me going more than people. For the last few weeks I have been trying to recognize some of the incredible people in my life. The people who have and continue to inspire and motivate me on account of their hearts, personality, and character.There is another group of people (not that these two groups never overlap) who get me going in another way. They are people who are far from God, people who are hurting and broken, and people who are just at odds with life. There’s one group of people, however, that are exceptionally close to me heart. This is that group of people who have been exposed to Christianity, the Church, even Jesus, and have found them lacking, shallow, deficient. I suppose I resonate most strongly with this group of people becasue I am one of these people – or at least was for a long time.
In the coming weeks (maybe months) I would like to wrestle with some of the issues that are fast becoming those closest to my heart – issues related to gospel, church, culture, salvation, sin, grace, forgiveness, hell, Bible, Jesus, Kingdom, evangelism, discipleship, ministry, worship, community, humanity, etc. (feel free to suggest others). Let me say at the outset what my purpose in these posts will be.
1. Discovery. I learn best by writing and trying to express and articulate the thoughts in my head. Mainly, I will be doing this for my own personal growth and development.
2. Discussion. I welcome, expect, and need comments from all those who have them to offer. I am quite certain that some will disagree with some of what I have to say (and vice versa). This is as it should be as none of us has an edge on truth and all discern it best in community and through the illumination of the Holy Spirit.
3. Critique (let me know of you have a good “D” word and I’ll substitute it)! As Jesus stood within but against segments of the Judaism of his day, I am unapologetic in my stance within but against much of what the church in western culture is about.
Let me conclude by returning to my motivation – people. Just today I spent time with one friend who fears nothing more than letting God be the center of their life. I was with another friend who is just about as lost and confused in life as one can be. Neither scenario is all that surprising unless you consider the fact that each person has Christian parents and has been raised “in the Church.” In the words of James the apostle, “My brothers [and sisters], this should not be.”
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Joshua said...
1JR. I have a slight semantic disagreement with one of your statements. Maybe disagreement isn’t the right word… I have a different opinion. I am unsure that it is prudent to maintain a stance that is “within but against much of what the church in western culture is about.”
The church in western culture is still about Christ. No matter how they are preaching him, and toward what gain, the church in western culture is still about Christ. Rather than being “within but against what the church in wester culture is about.” I think it more prudent to maintain a stance “within but against the culture of the church in western culture.” It is a slight change, but I think it is a more appropriate statment. I strongly disagree with the capitalistic, insensative, growth-motivated culture of the church in America. But I am not against what the church is about. I think this is the heart of what Paul was saying when he said: “The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely…But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.”
12/29/05 9:02 AM | Comment Link
JR Rozko said...
2Josh, I think you make an excellent point. In fact, it’s one I expected someone to make.
In regard to what Paul said in Philippians. It seems to be the case that although Paul had mixed emotions about the motivations of others who were preaching Christ, he was, in fact, ok with the “Christ” that they preaching. Clearly (from basically all the epistles), Paul was not shy about speaking out against those who seemed to be perverting “the gospel.” I take this to mean that, in regard to the preaching of his fellow prisoners, though they were doing it for the wrong reasons, they were nevertheless staying true to the central message of Jesus as Jewish messiah and all that entailed for Paul. This, I think, is different than assuming that Paul was satisfied with the preaching of his fellow prisoners simply because they named the name of Jesus.
My contention and problem is that while the church in western culture still names the name of Jesus, we (not they) have lost much of what that means. I think we fail to grasp what it measn that Jesus was a Jewish messiah, what his message of the Kingdom of God really entails, and what the nature and purpose of the Church truly is. We have truncated ideas of the gospel, misgivings about the nature of salvation, sin, eternal life and so forth. To put it real simply, my fear is not that, like Paul’s prison companions, we have wrong motives (though we probably have these too), but that we have a wrong message, a different Jesus.
Maybe “against” isn’t the best word, but I am struggling to find a better one. In my estimation Jesus really was against the errant views/theologies of the Pharisees and Saducees. He really was against the sporadic zealotry of some of his disciples. He really was against living lives which failed to enioy and honor God. Jesus never seemed to be against people, as such, and neither do I want to be. But Jesus did seem to be against certain ideologies and interpretations of Scripture.
It is in this way that I see myself identifying with a group of people who are against, not Jesus, but the portrait of Jesus painted by what I am calling the church in western culture.
The innevitable question then is, “To what extent can we assure ourselves that we are truly ‘preaching Christ’?” My lackluster answer is, “I don’t know.” I am convinced, however, that by the grace of God, and in the context of communities of the Holy Spirit who are engaging in mission to the world, we can do much better.
12/29/05 12:21 PM | Comment Link