Lead Worship

unChristian – Chapter 9: From unChristian to Christian

Posted on June 30th, 2008 by Brian Sparks.
Categories: unchristian.

“Currently Christianity is known for being unlike Jesus; one of the best ways to shift that perception would be to esteem and serve outsiders. This means being compassionate, soft-hearted, and kind to people who are different from us, even hostile toward us” (page 212).

“And so, to move from unChristian to Christian, young people need to see Christianity rejecting self-preservation and insularity and embracing true concern and compassion for others. This is important for Christian young people as well as Mosaics and Busters who are on the outside, watching to see if the efforts of ‘those Christians’ are worth joining” (page 215).

“What if millions of us are living for ourselves, even while we are going through the motions of religion? What if we seek comfort for ourselves rather than giving comfort to other people? What if our spiritual efforts re focused on maintaining equilibrium rather than addressing the significant spiritual needs of others?” (page 219).

“I believe part of the reason Christians are known as unChristian is because the church has lost its ability and willingness to love and accept people who are not part of the ‘insider’ club. This failure is draining the vigor from our faith. We say we love outsiders, but in may cases we show love only iof it is on our terms, if they are interesed in coming to our church, or if they repect our way of life.
“We want young generations to participate in our churches, but we expect them to play by the rules, look the part, embrace the music, and use the right language. We condemn the moral compromises of Mosaics and Busters, but we lack the patience to restore them. We want them to be ccome mature Christ followers, through we are unwilling to submit to the significant task of our own spiritual formation” (page 219).

0 comments.