Yesterday I had lunch with a friend. This friend has recently come to faith and unsurprisingly still has many struggles. So he is not someone who has bought the entire Christian thing hook line and sinker, but he loves the Gospel. For the second time he has gone to a small group only to be left frustrated, vowing never to go back. Each time the same thing happened. Some social or political issue would come up, a conservative stance would be talked about and assumed by those talking to be the shared consensous of the group. Even the language that was used made him feel like he had to be a part, "of the George W. Bush party."
Now I know this group. Overall they are some of the most progressive, cool Christians you would ever meet. Drop them in any church anywhere else in the country and they are the freaks. Also I know that this friend has issues with groups, so now wonder he feels on the outside. So how do we do it? Without being overly simple or stupid...WE KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS. Everything else distracts, leads to division, or ends up leading us into mind numbing group think. I said to this friend, small groups often are more like how you would take with our family. You have 30, 40, or even 50 years of history, so you don't have to say anything, everything is already assumed. Most household conversations have to do with passing the milk or picking up salad at the grocery store. It is shocking when you have to sit down and have a ''family meeting" to discuss more serious issues.
I'm amazed that Jesus in the books of the gospels is able to engage people and love them so well. Yes some leave, some are frustrated. Those who are described as the most frustrated are not those who have faith in Jesus or those lacking faith, but rather the religious. It must be a part of human nature to work to make ourselves more comfortable and alienate others? Jesus didn't do that, and he talked about himself all the time. That is going to be my starting point today, with my wife, with my daughter, with anyone who I come in contact with.
Now I know this group. Overall they are some of the most progressive, cool Christians you would ever meet. Drop them in any church anywhere else in the country and they are the freaks. Also I know that this friend has issues with groups, so now wonder he feels on the outside. So how do we do it? Without being overly simple or stupid...WE KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS. Everything else distracts, leads to division, or ends up leading us into mind numbing group think. I said to this friend, small groups often are more like how you would take with our family. You have 30, 40, or even 50 years of history, so you don't have to say anything, everything is already assumed. Most household conversations have to do with passing the milk or picking up salad at the grocery store. It is shocking when you have to sit down and have a ''family meeting" to discuss more serious issues.
I'm amazed that Jesus in the books of the gospels is able to engage people and love them so well. Yes some leave, some are frustrated. Those who are described as the most frustrated are not those who have faith in Jesus or those lacking faith, but rather the religious. It must be a part of human nature to work to make ourselves more comfortable and alienate others? Jesus didn't do that, and he talked about himself all the time. That is going to be my starting point today, with my wife, with my daughter, with anyone who I come in contact with.
posted by michaelstevensrev at 7:13 AM
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