Had a conversation recently with some people I have been talking to concerning the possibility of planting a church. These conversations are exploratory and preliminary, so we are not exaclty a planting team. We hit the wall in this conversation when (quite innocently I must say) in reference to non-christians the question was asked: "Are we going to have walk on eggshells around them or are we going to be able to be ourselves?"
The divide was revealed. When that question was asked, I felt a million miles away, lonely, and speaking a foreign language.
Incarnational living means intentionally leaving your comfortable world and entering into a strange place because you love the people in the other world. You do not want to convert them to your world, but rather, you want the kingdom of God to enter their world. You do not bring them to the light as much as you bring light to them in their dark place. But you gotta go to the darkness with the light in order for the light to enter the darkness.
Jesus did not sit up in Heaven, waiting for us to make it there where he was, but he came into our world - HE BECAME ONE OF US!!!!!!!!!!!!! He quit being one of his kind and became one of our kind.
I don't fault this person for the question of eggshells. This person speaks the voice of most Christians. "I like my Christian ghetto. It's comfortable. I know it. It feeds me."
The idea of new wine needing new wineskins is neat and exciting, but let's be honest, when the rubber meets the road, it's expensive, challenging and leaves you feeling bare naked.
Take the Fajita Challenge:
1. Inventory your religious connections. Worship services attended, Bible classes, seminars, number of Christian friends, ministries, etc.
2. What if all of this was no longer accessible to you? Imagine all you have is you and your faith (OK, and your family).
3. Now, be church.
3 comments:
Chris, great post and great challenge, brother! I needed that challenge very much.
Keep challenging us!
DU
It's funny that you wrote about this today. I am in a church plant in the NE, and this was our small group discussion last week, and our conversation at supper Sunday night.
A teacher of mine used to say often, "You can't sit in your building and flap the doors fast enough to suck 'em in. You've got to get over yourself go where there are, and be Jesus in their midst."
Thanks for something to chew on. And great comment James. Now I know what that sound is....the flapping of doors. I was TOLD it was the wings of angels. Another teaching debunked.
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