“They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general like what they saw. Every day their number grew and God added those who were saved.” Acts 2, The Message
A Christian’s life used to be simple:
Wake up, work hard, worship Jesus, enjoy friends, & love the community.
As their lives were seen and “overheard” by others, a bridge was built from one world view to another.
It isn’t our place to control the outcome of the gospel or spin the story to make it more palatable to others.
It’s our job to provide a glimpse into a radical point of view.
The gospel doesn’t make sense. It’s absurd. And quite frankly, most Christians do more to confuse the story than anything else.
In March, we resigned our sixteen year church membership – in part because our church seemed to no longer be about worshipping Jesus, loving the community, or enjoying friends, but about staying on brand.
Bridges aren’t built through branding. Glimpses aren’t shared through branding.
I like that my life can be seen and “overheard” by others. I wake up, work hard, worship Jesus, and hope that I reflect his love to my friends and community.
I’m not looking for anything more complicated than that.