I've been thinking about that word "church" again and I was going to ask you all what you think of when you hear that word, but I hadn't gotten around to writing the post. Then I read this article by Kathy Escobar called, the difference between “cultivating communities” and “building churches”, in which she asks what people think of when they hear the words "Christian," "Jesus" and "Church". So I thought, what the heck, lets ask about them all.
So if you're interested in the article, don't read it yet. First, list whatever comes to mind whenever you hear the following words. (I even threw in a few extras for fun.) There's no right or wrong answers. This is a free association type of exercise.
1) Christian
2) Evangelical
3) Jesus
4) Church
5) Worship
6) Spiritual
7) Grace
(I threw "grace" in because I watched Jim Wallis on the Daily Show and he used that word. It made me wonder what people thought it meant.)
church = people
ReplyDeleteI just read about Jim Wallis being on that show [we don't get it here in the U.K., but I am linked to him on Facebook]
great article here http://nextreformation.com/wp-admin/general/kingdom-language.htm [all about our usage of language]
see from where it starts...
'The term "church" is equally problematic. Most of us can tell stories about our frustration with the use and abuse of this term.....
good article
ReplyDeleteshe quotes
"the best book i have read in a long time on cultivating community comes from jean vanier, who wrote community and growth. "
I read that in '87, and would like to again [it was very good]
I think Len quotes Jean Vanier in the article I gave the link to above
i've never read anything by him. i've read hauerwas and lohfink and a few others. maybe i'll add it to my amazon wishlist.
ReplyDeleteokay, off the top of my head what I think these words mean:
ReplyDelete1) Christian - someone who has put his/her faith in Jesus for their salvation
2) Evangelical - a Christian who takes the Bible as God's truth
3) Jesus - the only son of God, Messiah, saviour of the world, my saviour, the one who loved me enough to die in my place - oh, I could go on... I love him. he's amazing. and he loves me. wow.
4) Church - that's all those who are Christians (see no.1 above)
5) Worship - loving God with all our hearts, minds, souls, bodies, everything we've got. that includes singing songs, it includes doing what he tells us to do, it includes not doing what he tells us he doesn't want us to do, it includes being sorry when we do stuff that upsets him - loving him, that's what it boils down to.
6) Spiritual - hmmm... can I skip this word? it kind of creeps me out at times.
7) Grace - unearned, undeserved good stuff.
why does it creep you out?
ReplyDeleteyou know, I was just thinking about that question about five minutes ago. not really sure - will have to chew on it. it was just a gut reaction, now I have to work out where it came from.
ReplyDelete