Comments on: The Culture-Driven-Church http://abductive.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/the-culture-driven-church/ Just another WordPress.com weblog Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:10:50 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Allen Coffman http://abductive.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/the-culture-driven-church/#comment-9 Allen Coffman Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:37:29 +0000 http://abductive.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/the-culture-driven-church/#comment-9 I have been reading "Money, Possessions and Eternity" by Randy Alcorn. It has been a good study. It has highlighted another important part of this idea. The conflict of humble, servanthood to Christ verses elitist, arrogant, self-serving personal reliance. The physical and communal action of "church" takes a much different tone depending on which of these two underlying ethics by which we live. I am impressed with how much of the biblical narrative addresses this foundational and individual heart issue (all of it) vs defining some specific organizational or performance construct. A construct that we seem to have and continue to be on some holy quest for in our religious lives. But, in reality, this distraction is one Satan's greatest tools blinding us from the salvation already earned and Church community already born by Christ himself. We need to affirm what God is giving us in community. We must continue to point a bright light at church function that does not promote community in Jesus' name. We have to be intensely reliant on God. Our Christian community must value/seek humility. We should aggresively battle injustice, arrogance, fear and elitism that is pervasive in the American churches(white, black, Hispanic and Asian). We must purge from our hearts the spirit of insecurity that seeks to build spiritual towers of Babel to justify our inheritance of salvation and stand strong in the redemptive Grace of God. To the American church, hear God's call from the captivity of self-worshipping irrelevance. I have been reading “Money, Possessions and Eternity” by Randy Alcorn. It has been a good study. It has highlighted another important part of this idea. The conflict of humble, servanthood to Christ verses elitist, arrogant, self-serving personal reliance. The physical and communal action of “church” takes a much different tone depending on which of these two underlying ethics by which we live. I am impressed with how much of the biblical narrative addresses this foundational and individual heart issue (all of it) vs defining some specific organizational or performance construct. A construct that we seem to have and continue to be on some holy quest for in our religious lives. But, in reality, this distraction is one Satan’s greatest tools blinding us from the salvation already earned and Church community already born by Christ himself.

We need to affirm what God is giving us in community. We must continue to point a bright light at church function that does not promote community in Jesus’ name. We have to be intensely reliant on God. Our Christian community must value/seek humility. We should aggresively battle injustice, arrogance, fear and elitism that is pervasive in the American churches(white, black, Hispanic and Asian). We must purge from our hearts the spirit of insecurity that seeks to build spiritual towers of Babel to justify our inheritance of salvation and stand strong in the redemptive Grace of God.

To the American church, hear God’s call from the captivity of self-worshipping irrelevance.

]]> By: fredpeatross http://abductive.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/the-culture-driven-church/#comment-8 fredpeatross Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:05:13 +0000 http://abductive.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/the-culture-driven-church/#comment-8 it's the difference betwee an attractional church and a missional church it’s the difference betwee an attractional church and a missional church

]]> By: Carey http://abductive.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/the-culture-driven-church/#comment-7 Carey Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:59:16 +0000 http://abductive.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/the-culture-driven-church/#comment-7 I agree with much of what you have said. My heart's cry for many years has been for "the church to <strong>BE</strong> the church!" I think we can be that WITH our current methodologies or WITHOUT them. It's more of a heart issue/mindset than a methodology in my view. When we focus on leading people into a right heart relationship with Jesus (and the natural extension of that is a right heart relationship toward others) then we will begin to see the fruit that we long to see! I agree with much of what you have said. My heart’s cry for many years has been for “the church to BE the church!” I think we can be that WITH our current methodologies or WITHOUT them. It’s more of a heart issue/mindset than a methodology in my view. When we focus on leading people into a right heart relationship with Jesus (and the natural extension of that is a right heart relationship toward others) then we will begin to see the fruit that we long to see!

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