UK Bishop Graham Cray was the guest-speaker at St. Paul's Bloor St. in Toronto Sunday. He has a book out, Mission Shaped Church -- what a great title for a book, eh?
Some of the key points he left us with:
* Don't settle for seeing life smaller than it really is
* Be the good news:
* don't rail against the world, don't be conformed to it, but seek to outclass the world, i.e.,
* show it something better
Outclass the world -- what a great objective -- but what would this mean?
Perhaps something like this: live fuller, cleaner, more decent lives, and out-love, out-think, and out-give the world.
As Christians, we have an obligation (and the privilege) to live the fullest, richest possible lives -- remember Jesus said, "I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly".
3 comments:
As is often the case I have a vague unease about such concepts. It seems time after time that 'the church' engages in some scheme or other to inveigle non-believers into becoming believers and nothing happens.
I personally believe it has to do with our incomplete understanding of God, His purpose and His methodology. We love to think that our scheming will make a difference rather than relying of God and the Grace He grants us.
A pastor acquaintance of mine had a huge revival begin during the Stanley Cup playoffs when the electricity went out in the reserve where he was preaching.
Another pastor acquaintance started a new church in an empty building. He was feeling a bit blue and started playing his harmonica. The local kids heard the harmonica and brought their parents to listen to the stranger. In about two months his congregation numbered over 600.
The attendance of a church I helped start increased 5 fold when the church moved from one building to another.
The only common thread was the desire of all three to preach the Gospel at the same time trusting the Lord to provide the increase.
Well said, my friend, well said!
I too have observed the evangelical Church putting its trust and hope in huge programs which consume vast amounts of resources and accomplish little. They come, they go. It's as if the church "has to be doing something".
Yet, those who "wait upon the Lord", and those who listen for the "still small voice" are the ones whom God uses. Pastor Cho of Korea said, when asked what his success was, "I pray, and I obey". Another time, he said his success was due to speaking in tongues! Obey God's trickle, and it may become a mighty river! Ignore it, and you lose!
God will use the humble things to confound the wisdom of the wise -- stables, loaves and fishes, a rod in a man's hand (Moses), and "doing nothing" -- stand still, and see the salvation of our God! Oh yes, and a Roman cross and "just another" brutal execution, as a seemingly insignificant act of history. Turns out, that seemingly insignificant moment was the moment when evil was decisively defeated -- and not just human evil, cosmic evil, and eternal salvation was won for God's elect.
Who can resist God? He uses even opposition to advance his kingdom.
PS -- I assume that you and "Joe Agnost" are two different folks?!
Joe Agnost and I are NOT one and the same!
I think one of the reasons I don't like the 'human agenda' churches is that at the height of the frenzy I started to read A Purpose Driven Life. I didn't read the whole thing. I quit after the author called Jesus a liar. I know he was trying to refute a nasty heresy coming from the (para)church preachers but in so doing he diminished the Lord's work and intent.
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