Is it just me or is it hard to make objective observations regarding the condition of the Christian Church in America without it coming across as a negative commentary or sounding mean spirited (and for the record I am neither purposefully negative nor mean spirited). I do however, want to begin some dialog regarding how we might better represent our passion for Jesus and commitment to obeying his teachings.
So lets all agree and lets all understand that purpose of this posting is give people permission to make observations and state our opinions without the fear of being misunderstood. So if you want, ask a question, make a statement or proffer a suggestion and lets have some conversation.
I guess I will start...
James 4 says that Christians should be careful about being friends with the world, lest they become an enemy of God. But Jesus exemplified with his life and stated with his teachings that he was and we should be a friend of sinners. It appears that there is some conflict here. Some contradiction. It is my observation that the world we live in is in dire need of friendship from some people who know God. In fact it appears that many, ok, i will say most, Christians are scared to death to befriend "non-believers". This saddens me. I get mad when I hear people defend the lack of friendship with non believers with the James 4 scripture or take an attitude of "I better be careful about getting to close to sinners, so they dont rub off on me". Maybe if we talk about it I will feel better.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Is Living In Community All That Its Cracked Up To Be?
Community. Living within the boundaries of interpersonal relationships. Really knowing people and really being known by the same people. Honestly, it's a little unsettling. First of all, I am not entirely comfortable letting the people that I love the most see past the day-to-day parts of my life. Let alone being close enough to individuals to see them for who they really are.
On the one hand living in community makes perfect sense. In its purest form it provides security, fosters deep relationships, and provokes spiritual development. And on the other hand, it takes a lot of time, forces you into conversations you may not want to have and puts you in situations you may not be comfortable with. I guess the question is, “Is it worth it?” I want the answer to be yes. I want the experience to benefit more than it detracts from my life. Does it? I think it is too early to tell.
The foundation for the community that I live with is a simple statement that rings true for everyone.
“Before you can be loved for who you really are first you have to be who you really are.”
In the truest sense community is not just accepting people the way they are but embracing people the way they are. Before one can be accepted or embraced one must be who they really are. The best part about community is that I get to be me and you get to be you.
On the one hand living in community makes perfect sense. In its purest form it provides security, fosters deep relationships, and provokes spiritual development. And on the other hand, it takes a lot of time, forces you into conversations you may not want to have and puts you in situations you may not be comfortable with. I guess the question is, “Is it worth it?” I want the answer to be yes. I want the experience to benefit more than it detracts from my life. Does it? I think it is too early to tell.
The foundation for the community that I live with is a simple statement that rings true for everyone.
“Before you can be loved for who you really are first you have to be who you really are.”
In the truest sense community is not just accepting people the way they are but embracing people the way they are. Before one can be accepted or embraced one must be who they really are. The best part about community is that I get to be me and you get to be you.
Monday, October 27, 2008
People Really Do This...
Finally. I guess I am really going to do this. I know it's been a long time coming, but better late than never.
The purpose of this blog is to stimulate intelligent conversation and discussion regarding issues and observations about Jesus, Christianity and the Church. It should be understood that I feel no obligation to comment back on the comments made to the entries that I post. However, I am sure that there will be times that I do.
The intent of the dialog is for us to explore ideas, share stories and make each other laugh. Let's see what happens.
The purpose of this blog is to stimulate intelligent conversation and discussion regarding issues and observations about Jesus, Christianity and the Church. It should be understood that I feel no obligation to comment back on the comments made to the entries that I post. However, I am sure that there will be times that I do.
The intent of the dialog is for us to explore ideas, share stories and make each other laugh. Let's see what happens.
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