Tuesday, May 24, 2005

REVIEW: MAKING SENSE OF CHURCH: chapter three

CHAPTER THREE: TEACHER TO FACILITATOR


Somehow, over the centuries, knowledge has become king. We've effectively said that knowing about God will ultimately help us know God. As a result, we often focused more on the Word than on the Word become flesh. And yet, A.W. Tozer pointed out, God cannot be contained in any object or that object will become our god. Could it be that we've created an idol and have actually begun to worship Christian education or the Bible? - spencer burke

This quote got to me while reading chapter three. [for some interesting discussion on this, read this]

In our search for knowledge, we’ve made things so comfortable that some have rejected that comfortableness. Burkes asks “is it possible that the seeker-sensitive movement has backfired?”

I’ve never been a fan of the “seeker” service. How dumb do we have to make the gospel? Apparently pretty dumb because apparently those seekers are dumb.

Here’s the thing: maybe it’s o.k. that we don’t have all the answers. But mankind is not stupid. Whether I’ve grown up in church or not, I can still find God, without you dumbing it down for me. According to a recent study, people are leaving the church because it is to similar to their everyday lives.

Could it be that one reason people are drawn to God is because of the mystery that surrounds Him? Is that mystery a bad thing? I don’t have to know all the answers, I just have to know Him who gave his life for me.

Later in this chapter, when reverting back to the leadership aspect of the church, Burke reminds us of the encounter between Ghandi and E. Stanley Jones. Ghandi said “I don’t reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It’s just that so many Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Burke says “we need to be willing to see ourselves as others see us – no matter how much it hurts.”

Part of this chapter jumps around. There are briefs conversations (from Ooze) about preachign style, alternative worship, and the like.

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