The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5b (p 126-136)

The Irresistible Revolution, Ch. 5b (p 126-136)
Another Way of Doing Life

(1) "...the only way I know to invite people into Christian faith is to come and see. After all, I'm not just trying to get someone to sign a doctrinal statement, but to come to know love, grace, and peace in the incarnation of Jesus, and now in the incarnation of the body, Christ's church" (p 126).

If someone knew nothing about "Christianity," what would they think is important to God based on your local faith community? What does your part of "the incarnation of the body" show the world? Originally, I wrote these questions about the individual, but then I changed them to include the entire faith community. Which question is more useful or telling, the one focusing on the individual or on the community?

(2) "We are trying to shout the gospel with our lives" (p 127). --Sister Margaret

(3) "It is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer just a missions project but become genuine friends and family with whom we laugh, cry, dream, and struggle" (p 128).

I just deleted my thoughts on this section of the book. It was just too hypocritical. Shane's quote stands.

(4) "People do not get crucified for charity. People are crucified for living out a love that disrupts the social order, that calls forth a new world" (p 129).

This reminds me of a t-shirt I saw today at Herbivore Clothing--"All My Heroes Have FBI Files." The shirt references a serious and thought provoking case.

(5) "Today the church is tempted by the spectacular, to do big, miraculous things so people might believe, but Jesus has called us to littleness and compares our revolution to the little mustard seed, to yeast making its way through dough, slowly infecting this dark world with love" (p 132).

We'll be getting back to this theme in a later chapter. This past weekend I read Jim and Casper Go to Church; my boss wanted me to read it. I was intrigued by Casper's reaction to the big shows, the "spectacular" shows, the churches put on--lights, fog machines, huge screens. He basically asked, "Is this how Jesus told you to do church?"

(6) "...wealthy countries like ours have the highest rates of depression, suicide, and loneliness. We are the richest and most miserable people in the world" (p 133).

It was hard for us moving back to the U.S. from South Korea because suddenly all our co-workers and church members lived so far away. We were used to having our community in one neighborhood, and suddenly, they were spread over three cities. We felt disconnected, disoriented. Eventually, we moved into a big home on a golf course (family friends let us stay there for next-to-nothing until they were ready to sell it), but it didn't compare to having friends close by, a community.

We just recently moved again, so we're working on building a new community. What can you do this week to welcome someone who's new to your neighborhood, business or church? What has someone done to make you a part of a group, to build you into their community? "Community is what we are created for" (p 134). "But that doesn't mean community is easy" (p 135).