I'm doing final teaching prep for the second night of a New Testament Survey course here in a few minutes and just reflecting on tonight's topic of Acts and the explosion of the 1st century movement known as Christianity.
I want to make sure to challenge traditions, expose myths, reveal truths, make space for reality, talk the good, bad and the ugly. I can't think of a topic I care more about. Being the people of God on earth in mission to a fallen Creation is my vocation. With all the talk in blogdom on being bi-occupational, building the Church is my vocation, just not my occupation.
We need to continuously ask a lot of questions about how we're doing being the people of God on earth. We can't be comfortable nor content so long as their is suffering, hunger, injustice and lostness in our world. Until the final consumation of all things and the Resurrection, we have work to do. We are invited into this redemptive work and that's a pretty big deal. The author of life invites us to participate with Him in His restoration. We can become agents of His restoration, that's a pretty freakin' big idea.
I hope to pet the dog's fur the wrong way tonight. Shake up commonly held positions so that we come together not on how we do church, but that we ARE the church to the world. Some days we're good, some days we're bad and some days we're ugly, but never give up. Ever since the first Century, those followers of Christ have always had a pesky habit of Rising Again!
peace,
2 comments:
Hey Chris - Sounds like a lot of fun. Also sounds like what Jim does with Off the Map, the panel interviews. Ruffle some feathers, but make people face what those not in the church thing of those in it.
I am writing up a Discussion Series for Th3 Waters right now that we are starting next week based on the 7 churches in Revelation, and my Seminary Professor (Robbert Mulholland (who taught the Revelation class NT666, ha ha ha) he called that part of the class, "The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly"... and he believes (as do I) that all the churches in the world today and that ever were could fit into the similar mold of the 7 churches found in Revelation!. Anyway i thought it very funny and cool, that you titled your blog post the same thing I am working on right now and we are both talking about the church! Blessings!
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