Yes, that is me in the current Circuit Rider magazine.
Click here to give it a read.
Sermon for the First Sunday of Lent, Feb. 18, 2024
9 months ago
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
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10 comments:
You are published---now you need to write a book.
Nice article Andy. I particularly agreed with this statement"
Until more positive images of the church enter the sphere of conversation, there is no way that the body of Christ will fulfill its calling to “make disciples of all nations”
I think that you promote a positive image of the church here in Kansas City.. keep up the good work!
Low and behold, I discovered that my father is in this issue as well.
With respect to your article, I believe that any preoccupation with the church's "image", positive or otherwise is the problem.
Best,
Joseph
Amen to Joseph's comment. Image contrary to Andre Agassi is not everything. Many people's misconceptions of the church are not very misconceived. There are the fire/brimstone variety that are actively involved in excluding 99 percent of humanity and there are those on the opposite extreme that stand for nothing other than "hey you can drink coffee while you sit in our church and listen to our killer praise band". It's not image that is the church's problem. In most cases it is the church itself. But as to the success thing, I totally well mostly agree with the article. I assume you were speaking to the quantitative measure of success that is a mistake. Success itself for the church (ie: people whose lives are touched by the gospel) is definitely still the goal, right? Peace.
I didn't know Bonehoffer was a "Halo" fan.
The way I see it, there's nothing wrong with Joseph's perspective, especially for one who is "inside" the church. But for the one who is not, the public image of the church is pretty much all they have to go by, and when the image of the church is counterproductive to the evangelistic endeavor, then I think we ought to work on cleaning it up.
The issue is that the (legitimately earned) negative images of church predominate; there are positive images present that need to be illuminated more often.
Congratulations on publication! Gotta love Bonhoeffer. Your description of the "successful" church with lots of people, money, techno, tshirts and mugs echoes of a Hannah Montana concert. EEEK!
I could be wrong, but I believe that the image of the church between "insiders" and "outsiders" differs very little. So what accounts for the difference between an insider and an outsider? I'm not exactly sure, but I'm willing to speculate that it has much more to do with the individual than the church itself.
So many aphorisms come to mind:
The church can only do so much.
You can't please every one.
You can't save everyone.
I could go on, but....
Respectfully,
Joseph
I think the difference between an "insider" and "outsider" is very profound. The church DOES have an image problem and we need to work on discipling everyone within it so that we can exist for the people outside of it.
Adam:
Thank you for responding. It's well and good that you believe that the difference between "insider" and "outsider" is very profound but care to elaborate? As such, are you of the belief that the distinction is primarily due to the churches image versus the disposition of the individual?
With all due respect, preoccupation with the image the church projects and discipling (to those inside and outside of the church) are two different things altogether. Preoccupation with the former, only detracts from the latter.
"I rejected the church for a time because I found so little grace there. I returned because I found grace nowhere else."
What's So Amazing About Grace
- Philip Yancey
Respectfully,
Joseph
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