Blah Guy

Here is a wonderful article written by Bart Campolo. He offers a balanced approach to what I would call a dangerous “sea of salvation” confusion offered by evangelicalism today. He finds a way to see salvation through the gracious eyes of a frustratingly loving God and our own, a balance few strike well. Read and taste.

I must say it is hard to imaging a divine encounter with the Lord Jesus with a sign holding my last name (like a limo driver and the airport) to take me no where else but hell, all the while along the drive telling me he loves me. Hmmm.

But it is also hard to imaging a God who lets his children run nilly-willy with free evil with no level of eternal accountability. That would just be stupid.

The relationship between the preacher and the one being preached is weird. First of all, the preacher always assumes (as I do) that the one preaching is more important than the ones listening. This is an inherent problem with preaching. It sets everyone up (including the preacher) to think that he/she is the most important one in the room. This keeps me up at night. When Jesus came to the Synogogue, he was the least educated and “learned” person in the room. He made chairs and coffee tables. But he was the one person everyone should have shut up and listen to. Secondly, Jesus doesn’t come to church anymore. At least not in person. He comes in persons. He does come, but very differently than he used to. Today, Jesus comes to church inside the people. When we gather, lets stop asking the presence of the Lord. He is there, in you. And when you ask, it’s like saying to your little daughter at her birthday party, “Hey, why don’t you think about coming to your birthday party.” Jesus does not need our invitation to show up, and He really is already there. And thirdly, if Jesus is going to be heard in the community of the church, the preacher must realize that Jesus will fully come out of his costumes if everyone can participate and give their word. Jesus hides himself in the whispers of the pew-warmers. It is in them that he waits, to be heard. It is in them that he yearns to be listened to. Not in the preacher.