Today it's two for the price of one:
So if we take the incarnation seriously, we must take seriously the call to live incarnationally—right up close, near to those whom God desires to redeem. We cannot demonstrate Christlikeness at a distance from those whom we feel God has called us to serve. We need to get close enough to people that our lives rub up against their lives, and that they see the incarnated Christ in our values, beliefs, and practices as expressed in cultural forms that make sense and convey impact.
Michael Frost, Exiles, p. 55
It is our point that socializing must be intentional, missional, grace-filled, and generous. It must be seen as part of a broader pattern of infiltrating a community.
Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come, p. 57
So what do you think? How do we do this? Why has the North American church been so terrible at this?
Pastor Rod
"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"
2 comments:
I think the church in general has failed to "get our hands dirty" because the church in general has had a "judgment" attitude towards dirt. In other words, if I get my hands dirty ministering to those stuck in the mud, the church looks down on the dirt, both that on me and that on the one stuck.
Most people, and therefore most Christians, can only deal with a certain amount of this attitude from their own "Team" before they give up and focus on hand washing instead.
Our focus then turns to "fulfilling the law" not the New Testament "command" that "Loving your neighbor is fulfilling the law."
And because we have been so busy trying to keep the Law, we have failed entirely in doing what we were called to do.shwbz
Dave,
Yep. Jesus took his share of criticism for "getting his hands dirty."
Rod
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