Wednesday, August 22
Continuing the missional discussion…
We’re meeting again tonight to continue this discussion of words like ‘missional’, ‘attractional’, ‘incarnational’, etc….Here is a video of Tim Keller from Redeember Presbyterian in NYC that we’re going to watch and discuss tonight…
Any thoughts to add to the discussion?
Mark Nelson at 8:43 AM 2comments
2 Comments
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at 9:32 AM
Brad Smith said... I really like the thoughts that Keller has on the subject...
It really seems to put a different spin on the "in the world, but not of the world" thing. It especially gives a new twist and context to the "in the world" part.
I really like the direction that those thoughts push us in as a collective group of believers.-
at 4:40 PM
Abigail said...
mark, i seem resonate with keller's teaching (here & elsewhere). here are my thoughts on this video:
he said something along the lines of "christians are not concerned about the common good, they are only concerned about their tribe."
"tribe" concerns are what actually keep us from having the same concerns as the world. the church's inward focus keeps it as a social club - instead of people who passionately love and care for others (because the spirit of God overflows from them).
when we can get past being self-protecting and are able to love people, share, trust, etc., without concerns of 'what will i gain?' or 'what might i lose?' but allow ourselves to be walked all over and completely spent for christ...
when we can admit openly, honestly, and vulnerably that we are not perfect (and i mean getting completely honest and specific about it, not just saying, 'oh, i'm not perfect either' because noone buys that). i think too many times christians honestly think we are better than everyone else in the world. we forget that we are fallen man as well. we forget that the only thing that separates us from that is the grace of God. we didn't make ourselves better, it was God who pulled us out of the mire.
but if we can be something else, if we can be really, brutally and ugly honest, then maybe more would say like the woman in berlin, "maybe i could be a christian too."
and to that... to God be all the glory.