Recently a man I deeply respect reminded us (some local church leaders) that the church is called to be a redemptive community of faith (r.c.f.).
I ran a across this story that I think shows what an r.c.f. looks like.
One of the most powerful examples, however, was in a UCC church in Linton, Indiana. There was a kind, patient man who worked as a farmer and volunteered in the youth ministry. One night he came home and found his wife had packed her bags and left him for another man.
Who are the redeemers in this story? The youth group, the church board, Mark Yaconelli (for retelling the story and thereby elevating this story to exemplary status)?
You what is interesting is that we have begun to call “GRACE” and “REDEMPTION” by different names. Many people would retell this story as evidence of how the church is degrading it’s stance on deviant behaviour. They would attach the labels “CONDONE” and “MORAL DECAY” to the very same story. It’s sad really. If there is no room for sinners in the church – where do they belong?
Then again where to we belong?
This topic often reminds of me of the ‘sermon’ Ryan delivered a while back. He said – we are all called to be mini-Christ’s.
1 comment:
This reminded me of something I read in Tony Campolo's book, Speaking my Mind, he told this story, "While on Harvard's campus, I asked one of the professors why the folks there were so negative toward evangelicals. I said, The Jews respect the Muslims, the Muslims respect the Jews, and everbody respects the Dalai Lama. But there are sneers of condescension if someone says, 'I'm an evangelical Christian'!"
The professor answered, "Imagine yourself at lunch. Seated at the table with you is the leader of the gay-lesbian task force, an ardent feminist, and an angry neo-Marxist African American. You propose playing a game in which each of them is to respond to a word with the first word that comes into their minds. You say, 'evangelical.' How do you think each will respond?"
I said, "Given those three people, I suppose I would hear them say things like 'bigot,' 'homophobe,''male chauvinist,' and 'reactionary.'"
The professor then asked, "Now, to these same three, you say the name 'Jesus.' What reactions will you get to that?"
I pause a moment and then said softly, "Caring, understanding, forgiving, kind, empathetic..."
"Does it bother you, Tony," he asked, "that the name of Jesus elicits a completely opposite reaction from the name 'evangelical'?"
That does bother me. However, when I explained how bothered I was to a fellow evangelical, he said, "I really don't care what people like that think about us!""
How I wish we could be more like Christ!
Trevor
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