Thursday, March 27
A problem of reduction…
I wanted to follow up my post about the question ‘Is our Gospel too small?’This quote from Tim Keel is a good review of what I’m talking about and what I’ve been wrestling through the past few weeks…
“I am discovering that the version of "the gospel" I was given was largely missing the earthly, communal, and social nature of what God has been about since the beginning of salvation history. First with Israel, then with the church, God has animated a people to enact his saving way of life as a prophetic witness against, and a hopeful alternative to, the destructive narratives of the surrounding world.”
In the midst of discussing this question the last few weeks, (it seems as if every small group, leadership group, book club I’m in, I keep bringing up this same question), I have been extremely convicted that I have participated most of my life, whether willingly or not, in this reduction of the Gospel of Jesus.I’m not blaming how I grew up. I’m not blaming the church, my education, or any other things we like to label with blame. I refuse to accept those reasons as valid. I have to assume responsibility for allowing this reduction of God and His desires for us.
This question is changing me, it really is.
In the midst of these thoughts I read this question:
Do you have the sense that you’re part of a movement that’s putting the world back together?
I have NEVER been able to say ‘yes’ to that question…until now.
What I see God doing in our faith community, in faith communities all over the country, is perpetuating in me this undeniable sense that God and the power of the Gospel of Jesus is putting the world back together, bring shalom to this world.
Mark Nelson at 11:33 PM 1comments
1 Comments
-
at 1:40 PM
said... I would have to change careers to feel that I was part of something that was working to put the world back together again. My "chosen career" simply makes the world go around another day.
I have been involved in occasional ministry opportunities that gave me glimpses of what it was like to contribute to Kingdom work in the truest sense. That only fueled my passion to move into that arena and my frustration at having to stay in my "chosen career". Mortgage payments and kids soon off to college will do that.
Jeff Porter