Christianity is now almost impossible to explain

Christianity is now almost impossible to explain, not because the concepts aren’t intelligible, but because the living, moving, speaking examples of our faith don’t line up with the message. Our poor posture overshadows the most beautiful story and reality the world has ever known. Hugh Halter and Matt Smay The Tangible Kingdom cited by Mark Priddy

Mark Priddy's article about Caring for Strangers is very close to my heart. He tells the story of a group inviting the staff from a local diner to dinner as an act of hospitality to the alien in the land after having read Deuteronomy. Not a Potluck or a stand-up party but a sit down table cloth and best china dinner not just the select few but 35 of them. Read his article and wonder if it's something you could do? (read it here)

We got involved, well others from our church were involved in pedestrian Sunday, a street festival outside the gym doors. But as yet I'm not sure we understand our world and how we relate to it. H Richard Niebuhr wrote Christ and Culture, a book that has become a classic. It it he posited five different stances which the church has to the world. These are Christ against Culture, Christ of Culture, Christ above Culture, Christ and Culture in Paradox, Christ Transforming Culture. How do they operate?

Well Christ against culture is obviously antagonistic and the view encourages the separation or withdrawal from culture. The Christ of culture is the opposite,one of accommodation and political correctness.Christians are likely confuse the prevailing spirit of the age for the Holy Spirit. Christ above culture suggests obviously a superiority or benevolence as culture cannot be all bad because it is founded on the nature created good by God. Christ and culture in paradox see that both Christ and culture claim our loyalty and there is a lasting the tension between them cannot be reconciled. Christ transforming culture is obviously Neibuhr's preference and also my roots. This is optimistic about the ability of Christians to change and influence culture. This is a position that at least sees life missionally.

I don't think we stand still rather oscillate between various positions and we have a tendency to retreat into one of the first 2 either Christ against or Christ of culture. We certainly have a tendency to congregate with people who are similar or the same instead of combing the laneways and alleys to bring guests into the feast.

Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. Luke 14:23