On the beach for last week of Summer... but ...

What is the Gospel?

We speak so much about incarnational ..but when it comes to evangelism there are so many people that are so disconnected from their faith that it is not only irrelevant to the world around them but it is powerless in them as well.

Mental assent is not missional life! We like to cramm our evangelism in a moment when we have someone cornered in the bathroom or in a line up at starbucks, or lunch etc [or enter cheesy street evangelist with 'Turn or Burn Sandwich board].

I have a friend who encountered a certain rally of Christians marching and waving their 'Pro-life' paraphanalia for all to see. MY Friend decided to make a sign that said 'Pro-choice' and stand in an alternate line and wave her banner. The result was interesting... the people began shouting and swearing at her and speaking 'death filled' words. These people were Waving one sign for life and their words and actions were speaking death.

Is this the Gospel that we are proclaiming?

Do we assume that everyone who is not a "Xian' is deaf and cannot hear from God?

My thought I want to throw out this week is this...

"Christians would be far more like Jesus if they focused on drawing out of people what God has already left in them rather than trying to put in what God has left out"

Comments?

Art? Lost in the walls and hallways of our minds.

Take a minute to watch the Video...




In summary
Respond accordingly

1) What does this art say/mean to you?

2) What are you doing to make statements/cause tension/stir conversation in your community?

3) Where in your life are you getting your faith off the 'walls' and into the real world?

Inspired by a Friend

Avenge-lism ... What the...????

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
Ghandi

What does it mean to be effectively reaching our world?

What really bothers me is that in many cases we have made evangelism to be something so unnatural and awkward. I think some of this comes to our misunderstanding of what the Gospel is... as well as our misunderstanding of what people think about God and spirituality.

I have many many thoughts to share on this[in following articles]. To be short this time I want to make a statement:

Of all religions, Christianity is without a doubt the one that should inspire tolerance most, although, up to now, the Christians have been the most intolerant of all men

Agree/Disagree? Why?

Faith and Mission ... the Seed bed for doubt and confusion.

Our faith should not harness us
it should release us.

If you are not doing things for the kingdom because you are overtly concerned with whether its the 'right thing' or that its 'being done right' then I might suggest your faith is weak and not accomplishing its work in your life.

**** DON'T READ ANY MORE ****You could stop right here and respond....


Has your faith or mission brought you to places of doubt and confusion?

True Mission and faith will always lead us to places of question and even confusion about what we really believe about life and Godliness.

How has your faith pushed you to think about expressing things differently? Living life a little on the edge of that line... And in some cases over the line?
Has your faith caused you to ask yourself... There must be more to this?

**** IF YOU HAVE READ TO HERE **** Maybe you want to stop and respond now

Has your mission caused you to go to places that some (or even yourself) would say its not a good place to be but yet your relentless desire live a missional life draws you in like magnet to steel.

Are there moments where your mind (and sometimes a few self-righteous people) suggests I should not be here but your spirit says boldly 'I was made for this'

Have you discovered that there is more life in the world that you thought was dead?

Or are you comfortable with your paint and canvas and really only painting what you imagine the world to be like. Almost blindly stroking the canvas of your world with your black and white and grey but the color and experience that you long for (That will make your painting a real masterpeice) is where you are not supposed to go?

I have come to a place in my life that I want color ... Color is life and I will walk any path, embrace any confusion, and question any question in order to find that perfect tone or hue of the real Jesus at work in the world around me.

Am I opposed to black and white and grey... No! But I want more. There has to be more and I refuse to live in a grayscale world.

Where are you? RESPONSE?