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Jesus’ vision for the church: Hybels and Eldredge got it wrong… Bono got it right.
Because of our cultural history, most of us have an inadequate picture of the profound nature of what Jesus' vision for the church is. I certainly did for much of my life. The truth is that the once a week Sunday service, that most of us would call "church," is a far cry from Jesus' vision.
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In the wake of #metoo we need to rediscover the implications of a controversial passage of the bible that points to a model of a healthy relationship between the sexes.
It has been interesting to hear my daughters responding to the avalanche of abuse claims coming out after the #metoo movement gathered steam. International women’s day has been commemorated since 1975, but things have seismically shifted over the past 24 months in a way that has surprised many people including me. My girls are strong, beautiful and intelligent and they are very sensitive to anything that looks like injustice based on gender. On one occasion my youngest daughter was feeling tired and she burst into tears because she had suddenly internalised the data about the wages gap between men and women and told me “I am going to get paid 20%…
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We need to rediscover the self-giving generosity that actually is love, and stop settling for cheap imitations.
We need to learn to live from grace, despite the dots.
I don’t know where the next 23 years will take us but I do know who I will be sharing the adventure with… the bravest person I know.
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9 things you need to know about Jesus’ vision for the church. Hybels and Eldredge got it wrong. Bono got it right.
Mega church pastor Bill Hybels claims that: “The hope of the world is not government, academia, business, but the church because it is to the church that God has entrusted the message of salvation, which truly changes people’s lives and hearts.” Bill believes the most important thing about the church is our message. Bill is wrong. The message is important… but it is not the most important thing about the church, or the most important gift the church has for the world. Bill is not alone though… Most of us have an inadequate picture of the profound nature of what the church is meant to be. I certainly did. For 20…
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Heaven on Earth, we need it now. I’m sick of all of this, hanging around.
It’s interesting to search for “Ephesians 4” on this site and very quickly you discover just how much God has brought me back to this book, and this particular chapter since I started writing. This coming Sunday I will be launching the series by doing an overview of the profound vision that Paul paints in the first three chapters. I was privileged to share a sermon series both in Canada and at my church in Hobart that explored this one chapter. The central idea of the whole sermon series was that Paul’s vision of the church is radical in the proper sense of the word.
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The baby born in Bethlehem invites us to reconsider our whole lives and re-orientate around who (not what) truly matters.
I love Christmas. I know its commercialized. I know that the reason for the season is going missing for many, but I still love this time of year. I love the promise and the idealism of Christmas. I love that for a few days people hum tunes about peace on earth, joy to the world and snow (even in countries where there is no snow). Most of all I love that for a few days, life priorities get rearranged. For a few days, it is our relationships that get the most attention. Family gets visited or skyped, meals are savoured and gifts are given. Even pain associated with this time of…
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A movement that is actually changing the world
Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a fan of U2 and often quote their lyrics. As someone who has been working with a group that calls itself a movement, I have been fascinated as I watch Bono’s intentional efforts to build a global movement to eradicate poverty. Back in 2006 he gave what I consider to be one of the greatest speeches so far in this millennium. He was calling for action. A couple of weeks ago he gave a speech at TED, which shows that things are changing in a remarkable way. I have posted both speeches in this reflection, and I would recommend you…
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The politicians who failed to take action in America, actually made a choice to allow mass shooting events to happen.
If we are not continually seeking and learning and changing, we are not actually followers of Jesus, and we are certainly not seeking first the Kingdom of God.
It’s tiring if you play a role to maintain a good image. One day your true character will be discovered.
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Tolkien got it right when he chose the weakest, smallest and most un-impressive to defeat the most powerful
Some friends took us to see the Hobbit yesterday. I loved it. There was a moment in the movie though, that hit me hard and brought together a number of thoughts I have been having lately. I went searching for the quote this morning and was pleased to find it on pluggedin.ca. Gandalf is asked by the elf queen Galadriel why he chose to bring Bilbo and he responds by saying: “Saruman [another wizard] believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. That is not what I’ve found. I found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keeps the darkness at…
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The Gospel according to Bono
Regular readers of Faith Reflections will know that one of my heroes is the lead singer of the band U2, Bono. On the weekend I came across an excerpt from the book Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas. It seems clear that he has both thought and read widely, and perhaps been particularly impacted by the work of C.S. Lewis and Philip Yancey in the way he unpacks what he believes. I found what he had to say helpful, so I edited out the voice of the interviewer and simply let Bono’s words speak for themselves. Have a read and see how you are affected:
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Changing times
There is a time for every purpose I have loved spending this week with our students teaching the book of Ecclesiastes. It has been a fascinating week for me as I also found myself changing aspects of my role with Fusion. What I love most about Ecclesiastes is the way Solomon (I know there is some debate about the author, however I won’t get into that now) clearly articulates the point of our lives.
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Imagine all the people
Thank God its them instead of you I was talking to a friend to relayed the impact of a moment when she was asking for help in an awkward situation and received a beauracratic response. She was left feeling unseen and frustrated. I was then watching a movie with a bit of action and violence in it and reflecting how much I had changed from the little boy who was traumatised by watching the wizard of oz. What is the connection you ask?
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Who are you??
Find yourself I am continuing the journey with Matthew chapter 10 and we heard yesterday that Jesus is calling us into conflict. I pointed out that often conflict can come because of the way I see myself rather than the issue at hand. In this passage Jesus builds on the whole notion of personal identity and basically says “Get over it!”:
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A call to revolution on the wrapper of a Big Mac
The wrestle with faith has an Irish soundtrack. I realised this morning as I donned my concert t-shirt sent to me by my sister and brother-in-law, that I would need to explain my love for the band U2. Not only that, I would have to create a new category on the blog, because for me the wrestle with faith has a soundtrack.
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It is important not to sentimentalise the baby born in Bethlehem, but to recognise him for who he is: the instigator of a revolution of love.
What is a Christian?
There is a good chance that the majority of people who call themselves Christians don’t understand the significance of Jesus’s death and resurrection.
