Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Week 3 - Wed
I liked what Ryan said today about the gospel. The gospel message is not just about Jesus dying for our sins. The Gospel is an invitation to participate in turning the world upside down. To bring the transforming power of God’s kingdom into our world. This view allows people to see themselves as participants in a solution to their world's problems. This empowers people. However, I think this is such a revolutionary idea to many because it calls for action. The Gospel has been presented mostly as a system of ideas that one either subscribes to or not. Being a Christian has had more to do with ideas and beliefs rather than action and participation. Many Christians believe that they pay the professional ministers to do the ministering for them. They just bring their friends to the Sunday morning show and allow the professional ministers to minister. But I like this idea of church being based upon corporate participation in doing ministery and not an event that ministers put on for everyone else.
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2 comments:
"The Gospel has been presented mostly as a system of ideas that one either subscribes to or not. Being a Christian has had more to do with ideas and beliefs rather than action and participation."
Right - and I think this version of Christianity has influenced a majority of the church in the west.
Good work this week.
I think you make a good point when you say the congregations often leave their Biblical understanding up to the paid ministers...Then the question becomes why? And I think part of the answer gets back to the nature of living in a Capitalistic society...unfortunately, many folks treat church life as a part of consumerism...I attend or tithe to this church because I get this, this, and this out of going there...I think we've all probably been guilty of that at some point in our life and it's a real struggle. I think part of the responsibility has to be put on the ministerial team. Not just devising programs that will serve the members but devising programs that will allow the members to serve.
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