Miller, D (2003) Blue like Jazz - Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality ... 2/4

I don't think any church has ever been relevant to culture, to the human struggle, unless it believed in Jesus and the power of His gospel.

Another Blue like Jazz highlight...
A friend of mine, a young pastor who recently started a church, talks to me from time to time about the new face of church in America-about the postmodern church. He says the new church will be different from the old one, that we will be relevant to culture and the human struggle. I don't think any church has ever been relevant to culture, to the human struggle, unless it believed in Jesus and the power of His gospel. If the supposed new church believes in trendy music and cool Web pages, then it is not relevant to culture either. It is just another tool of Satan to get people to be passionate about nothing. pp 111
Miller, D (2003) Blue like Jazz - Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality

I have this idea buzzing around my head that the shame of the church is that it is less and less able to share and communicate the gospel, because essentially it doesn't understand the gospel for itself.

Comments

Cosmo said…
I enjoyed reading this book a couple of years ago, but I can't actually remember what it was that I particularly enjoyed...except for his refereneces to sitting on the roof smoking a pipe. I could get into that. So, thanks for the little reminders of the book.

Just interested to your reference of 'the gospel'. I think you're right about a narrow view being held by many in the Church. I had an excruciating conversation on a train the other day with someone who beleived all the other people were useless to God untill they had accepted 'the gospel'. He wasn't afraid to let people hear his heretical idea either - how's that for communicating?!

So, how do you present 'the gospel' to cadets (and staff) at WBC?
1:59 PM
Gordon said…
carefully!
6:51 PM
Anonymous said…
Gordon,
Had some experience at this one and "Carefully" is certainly the right term when teaching cadets about the "Gospel" and what it actually is. So many many think the Gospel is about I, me and myself, rather than about the faithfulness of God and what he has done in Christ Jesus.

Wayne
1:40 AM
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