IS mission our absolute priority? are we to wrestle with relevance, ruthlessly striving for competence and credibility in the marketplace?I find myself more and more frustrated that the passion for mission is driving us further and further away from Christ.
Is it just me or is worship not our priority absolute ? Is 'relevance' or 'credibility' the issue, how about being plausible and real ? i'm not sure about ruthless(?) buit our striving shouldn't it be after the things of Christ and obedience to participation in the life of God, Fatehr, son and Holy Spirit, out of which flows and moves the very Christ-like life we are called to ?
Then I come upon this from a series by BBC called the Monastery. ( more at Paul Fromont)
"I’ve been to a few churches around town and they just annoy
the **** out of me because they’re so fake, and the people look so lost, and the
people on the stage just look so plastic and so charming and so seductive, and I
just think ‘I don’t believe in these people’. These people are not an expression
of faith. So, I’d much rather just slip into a church and sit there for 10
minutes and have a bit of quiet time, or pray at home. I don’t feel that you
necessarily have to turn up at a certain place at a certain time dressed in a
certain way to express your faith and live out your faith. I think there’s other
ways of doing it." (Tony Burke).
Paul then says:
Why do we, as churches, settle for so
little when we have so much, when we are who we are in Christ, because of
God’s wonderful grace and love?
I have been reflecting on Paul’s letter to the Roman church(s) over
the last few days. It’s glorious and the call of the church to be the faithful
people of God, new humanity in Christ, is simply breathtaking. Against that
backdrop it’s a sad indictment when words like “fake,” “plastic,” “lost,” and
more besides, can be attributed to the body of Christ.
little when we have so much, when we are who we are in Christ, because of
God’s wonderful grace and love?
I have been reflecting on Paul’s letter to the Roman church(s) over
the last few days. It’s glorious and the call of the church to be the faithful
people of God, new humanity in Christ, is simply breathtaking. Against that
backdrop it’s a sad indictment when words like “fake,” “plastic,” “lost,” and
more besides, can be attributed to the body of Christ.
Given our recent Pentecost journeying and reflections (previous posts) I wholeheartedly agree! Somehow I think we are kidding ourselves, we need to get under the surface issues and wrestle with the harder issues beneath. Maybe though, that is too much for us to face as we already know its easier to point the finger at society and critique the church and challenge and barrate about mission relevance, when the very heart and core of our faith is what needs addressing; dare I suggest that in this way we will stop simulating church and exercise the faith the Gospels call us to live.(see Pentecost 7).
