Selected excerpts from one of the most thought provoking articles ive read in quite some time. Written by John G. Stackhouse who is professor of Theology and Culture at Regent College in the states.

"Much of the energy of the great 19th-century missionary movement among Westerners, and much of the impetus of missions work around the world to this day, has come from the horror of a Niagara of souls pouring into a lost eternity for want of an evangelist. We also need to acknowledge, however, a corresponding horror in the hearts of many—including many missions-minded Christians—about a God who allows whole nations and generations to plunge into a lost eternity simply because no one happened to reach them with the gospel. Does faithfulness to the Bible mean we must retain this picture?"

"No religion is salvific: not Hinduism or Shinto or Islam, but also not Christianity. God is salvific. Practicing religion, however correct it is and however correctly one practices it, will not save you. That is basic Christian conviction. It is trusting God that will save you—that also is basic Christian conviction".

"I am a professional theologian, so of course I think theology matters. Theology can help us live better or worse, depending on its quality. But theological accuracy is not the heart of the gospel. Encountering God's Spirit and responding in faith to him in that encounter is what finally matters. And how God meets people, through whatever theology they might have, in whatever circumstances, is ultimately not visible to us".

"God is not interested in saving merely human souls. He wants human beings, body and soul. Furthermore, he does not settle for saving human beings, but the whole earth. He made it in the first place, pronounced it "very good," and he wants it all back. So he is saving us, the lords he put over creation, as part of his global agenda to rescue, indeed, the globe."

It sounds quite liberal in bite size (dont you hate how labels box stuff in) but in its entirety is pretty solid and makes some solid arguments. I have being carrying some fairly big questions around the heaven and hell doctrine - the call to evangelism and reconciling it with the small percentage of the worlds population that call themselves christian, and this to date has being the most concise exploration into these issues that I have read.

I am a frustratingly slow processor so it will take some time before I will be able to critique it from my filters of scripture, tradition, experience and reason (go the Wesleyan quadrilateral!). But something of this article resonates with me. Would be interested in your thoughts or insights (but read the whole thing please!).

On another tangent

I am stealing Mr Darnells discovery here but I dont think I can hold off. There is a whole radiohead tribute album to radiohead's "Ok Computer" for free here.
And it is absolutely stunning - though very very unusual.

Labels: article, evangelism, music, salvation, theology

Firstly thanks for Chez for his post, my apologies for not allowing comments... that was indeed a bit cheeky but I appreciate his honesty. Both Chez and Phil have posts in relation to the one I posted, and you can comment there.

As promised last in my talk at blueprint and again in feilding last night, here is the talk by S.M. Lockridge that I quoted. I want to be a black preacher...

This will be a bit strong for some of my mates that read this who don't quite have the same world view as me when it comes to the person of Jesus, but you have put up with me ranting on for so long now I figure you can let this one slide (yet again).
Coming on the heals of my post on homosexuality it feels a bit American fundamentalist for my liking, but as this guy explains something of the character of God I would want to highlight the words "His mercy is everlasting....His love never changes....His word is enough....His grace is sufficient.... His yoke is easy, and his burden is light".
We Christians have a reputation for being very judgemental, what I see in the person of Jesus is extraordinary grace to those who are hurting, and for those that are on the fringes. I for one am still struggling to believe that this grace could be for someone like me... but im getting there slowly. That's my King.
May we one day have a reputation as people of unconditional love and reckless grace.

Labels: jesus followers, theology

I am (insert expletive here) sick and tired of people (in church out of church, wherever) thinking the God we follow is some kind of distant, boring, kill joy with a big beard. You want an idea about the type of God I am following and giving my life for... read on.

(Written by Mark Strom, the principle of BCNZ)

This God

This God could put on eyebrows and kneecaps, tear ducts and saliva glands.
This God could be born under the tyrants Augustus and Herod.
This God could accept the smells of shepherds, and the extravagancies of political emissaries.
This God could start life a vulnerable hunted child born into scandal.
This God could grow up under foreign domination and among terrorists and outcasts.
This God could sit in the street playing marbles.
This God could wear with pride the calloused splintered hands of an honest workman building the houses and fixing the furniture of half-castes, outcasts and bigots.

This God could ask his cousin to baptise him along with the rest of the crowd.
This God could make the best vintage Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon even when the guests were too drunk to know the difference.
This God could befriend a bloke in a tree with small man syndrome.
This God could enjoy a prostitute washing his feet, giving her his full and undivided attention, and ignoring the eye-rolling of lawyers and theologians.
This God could spend a whole night making a whip to crack over the backs of con artists who rip-off the poor.

This God could wrap the greatest truths in the simplest stories, and put a sting in the tail of every yarn.
This God could let himself hang on a tree, nails tearing at his sinews, blood, faeces and urine running down his legs.
This God could invite women to be the first to know that he was back.
This God could delay his own glorious homecoming long enough for a bite of breakfast on the beach and a yarn with an old friend to let him know there were no hard feelings and to pass on his mantle.
This God could take his own story and give it the most surprising ending.

This God, this God, is worth knowing.
This God could reach into the crevices of my soul to bring to life the longings I smother so pathetically and recklessly with shame and excuses.
This God could raise me up to life with him.
This God could give me every blessing he could give himself.
This God could draw me out of my petty self-interest without a hint of a ‘tut-tut’, a frown, or a patronising smile.
This God could be more infuriating and fascinating and gobsmacking than any god I could ever make up.

This God could love my obsessiveness and overlook my forgetfulness.
This God could laugh and cry with me, and come play with me.
This God could make me his glory.
This God could love me.
This God could trust me.
This God could never be safe, but always be good.
This God, this God, is worth knowing.
This God I want to know.
This God I know in the face and Spirit of Jesus.

Labels: jesus followers, rant, theology