The Church - Kicked in the Butt?
God may be kicking the tradional church in America right in the butt. I have watched God shift His blessing from place to place over the years. If one Church family doesn't want to make disciples who make disciples -God will bless others who will. If one Church family doesn't want to reach ethinc groups - God will bless those who will. If one Church family does not want to feed and clothe the poor, the widows, the orphans - God will bless those who will.
God may be kicking the tradional church right in the butt. If she will not engage this culture in a transparent, authentic and transformational way - God will bless those who will. In case you haven't noticed - the tradional church has a bad reputation for not living what Jesus taught.
I salute the Church families who clearly and correctly represent Jesus and His teachings. I admire those who place more emphasis on being the church rather than going to church. It reminds me of the preacher who stood up to preach one Sunday and opened his Bible and immediately closed his Bible. He stepped aside the pulpit and clearly looked his congregation in the eye and said, "I am not going to preach this morning, and I will not be preaching next Sunday morning, and I will not preach another sermon until you start doing and living what God has already told you to do and live. I want this guy for my pastor.
posted by Bob Carder @ 12:36 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Morning Bob (and the rest who visit here): I received this today and thought the readers of this blog might be interested in it.
We talk alot here about new wineskins and the institutional church and whether God is working here or there or where...
I love this quote! It's no surprise to anyone that I think the church in America can be redeemed -- and that perhaps this disciples making disciples making disciples mode of the early church can lead the way to that redemption.
So I share this with you in that spirit...although I am also troubled that if Kraemer was thinking this back in his day, and we have yet to make progress in our day ... well, you see my distress, I'm sure.
But I think, I pray, that the ability is still there in our churches.
Christian Quotation of the Day
June 26, 2006
Meditation:
Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete,
but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain
it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They
do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the
air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest
after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
-- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV)
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Quotation:
In all our criticism and near-despair of the institutional
Church, it should never be forgotten that many powers and
possibilities really exist in it, but often in captivity; they
exist as frozen credits and dead capital.
... Hendrik Kraemer (1888-1965)
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Quiet time reflection:
Lord, liberate Your Church with Your life-giving word.
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Mike, If this could and would happen I would rejoice. But the reality is that you are few minority and the majority is comfortable. What it it take to stir th "saints" into action where they move from the church as buildings and Sunday worship to the Church in the world every day.
You see my delemna! I have some hope for the church in America and the institutional nature but it is only a glimmering light --may God keep the candle buring for the good of the kingdom and may God wake us up into action.
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