review / defining a religious movement / defining the emergent church
what if…
James and I were talking today about all manner of things, and he dropped a little thought bomb that I thought I would share in rough form, before I’ve given it a lot of time to process and make my answer somewhat cogent (though I will no doubt do so soon…)
Proposition: What if God exists, and Jesus comes down, and everything we believe about Christianity remained constant, except there was no promise of eternal reward: i.e. there were no heaven, or at the very least we were not promised that we would go there simply by serving God/believing in Him/insert your own requirements here?
Given the above, here are a few questions:
1. Would you still serve God and attempt to live a “holy” lifestyle?
2. How would that change your view of the “Gospel”?
3. What does your answer to the first two questions tell you about the role that selfishness plays in your own personal decision to follow Christ?
4. If we as Christians are actually doing everything we’re doing ultimately so that we won’t end up in hell, does it mean that we may actually end up “doing all the right things”, yet still end up there anyway because our inward motivation was wrong?
5. How would this conflict with the current goals and ideas of mainstream American Christianity as a whole, and whatever local community of believers you find yourself a part of?
While this question is, in some sense, purely hypothetical, I none the less think it an important question to answer, or to at least think about.
I would be interested in hearing some of your comments on the subject.
rsb
robbie seay was in CS tonight, playing at all faiths. i’ll have some pictures up later.
there were two highlights for me – the first coming right off the bat as they played “when the cold wind blows” – one of my favorite songs. they also played “go outside” – a fantastic song, with a near haunting chorus that continues to ring in my ears:
“no one should be left out…”
ambassador class – 2
bono at the national prayer breakfast
earlier this month, bono spoke at the national prayer breakfast. i would highly encourage you to read the transcript (available here), as there are far too many good parts to put them all here. This one in particular that stuck with me:
A number of years ago, I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lord’s blessing. I was saying, you know, I have a new song, look after it… I have a family, please look after them… I have this crazy idea…
And this wise man said: stop.
He said, stop asking God to bless what you’re doing.
Get involved in what God is doing—because it’s already blessed.
Well, God, as I said, is with the poor. That, I believe, is what God is doing.
And that is what He’s calling us to do.
love according to morrie
For those of you who haven’t read Tuesdays With Morrie, buy a copy (and read it) today.
There are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage: If you don’t respect the other person, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don’t know how to compromise, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can’t talk openly about what goes on between you, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don’t have a common set of values in life, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble.
-Morrie Schwartz
i am not the only one
this was posted on postsecret today… for some reason it struck me as interesting:
Dear Frank-
It’s 1 AM and I’m sitting here, browsing the web and feeling sorry for myself over all the things that I’ve lost…and as I’m browsing PostSecret, reading all of these postcards, I realize I’m not alone. For even in the ones seemingly entirely irrelevant to me, I see a little bit of myself.
I may not be able to turn to my family or my friends or even myself for comfort, but I at least find solace in those six little words: I am not the only one.
-Maryland
my journey – part 34
“When I am weak, then I am strong.”
“My strength comes from the Lord, my rock and my high tower.”
Don’t tell that to the rich men,
full of importance,
trusting in their wealth.Don’t tell that to the talented,
full of God’s gifts,
but trusting in their ability.Don’t tell that to me,
full of pride and stubbornness,
trusting in my own way.“We can do it!”
“We’re good enough!”
“My strength comes from the Lord…”
I think one of the most disturbing tendencies in my life is my desire to “fix” things. I want to feel like I have control of my life, like if I just do enough then everything will work out. So often I trust primarily in my strength, rather than in God’s power.
How much greater would my life be if, when faced with a problem, I spent less time worrying about it and more time focusing on things that I could do? What if I recognized that the power of the entire universe rests in the hands of God Almighty, and that my strength is insignificant?
May we each find our strength in the Lord.
my journey – part 33
“But the Lord provided…”
Of course, that was only back then.
Back when God still did things.
When he talked to people
and healed the sick
and fed the hungry
and calmed the distressed
and touched the hearts of men.Long, long ago.
A time out of mind, for some.
But the Lord provides.
The Lord provides.
It’s hard to remember sometimes that God provides. It’s hard to remember that He looks down at us and knows what we need. It’s hard sometimes to think that he cares.
I take comfort in the provision of a God who not only looks down from heaven, but walks alongside my path. As I look to the past, I see the wonders the Lord has performed again and again in my life, rescuing me from myself as well as my enemies. As I look to the future, I look with hope, renewed daily by manna from the Hand of God.
what is faith?
i know that my posting links to jeff keese’s articles is probably getting old. they’re just too darn good though.
his latest offering is here
so what is faith? honestly, i don’t know if i can pin it down just yet. i know it’s not just something that resides in my intellect and i know it’s not an emotional response. maybe faith sits somewhere in between my mind and my heart. when my knowledge of God and His ways fails me, i have to rely on my feelings for Him and His for me. when my emotions betray be, i have the knowledge of His promises to break my fall. i may not be able to define my faith yet, but at least i’m on a journey of faith. and most often, journeys teach us things that destinations never could.
ask yourself, “what is my faith all about?” if you don’t come up with a clear answer, don’t get frustrated, just keep thinking.