what would it take?
ok, so this is my dream for you and me and parkside: that we would be/become the kind of people and community that others (who don't know Christ) would be drawn to.
when i read the gospels, i'm struck with how much people were drawn to Jesus. not the ruling people (be it religious leaders or political leaders), but pretty much everyone else. and then it was the same with the early church in the book of Acts. not that the church was the new "it" thing. but there was something about Jesus and something about that early community of Christians that attracted the humble, the broken, the hungry, the weary. and the room was always full. people were drawn to Jesus. they were hungry for what they saw in him. they were hungry for what they saw among the early Christians...
thats what i long for. that we would become the kind of people and church that others (who don't know Christ) would be drawn to.
so the question then is: how? what would it take?
- what would need to happen/change to see you and i become the kind of Christians that others (who don't know Christ) are drawn to?
- what would need to happen/change to see Parkside become the kind of church that others (who don't know Christ) are drawn to?
seriously...
i'm listening. scott
posted by parkside padre at 11:36 AM
8 Comments:
He is the image of the invisible God (col. 1:15). as we get to know Jesus, we get to know the character of God. i think it takes a fresh look at who Jesus is, and have that affect the way we live. people will see that Christianity is more than just what we believe; they'll see that it's a way of life. just as it was called The Way in Acts, our community should be identified by our WAY: how we live and what we do.
Jesus gave the people something they'd never seen before. again and again, in the gospels, it says that people were amazed by what Jesus did. people were drawn to him for that. so maybe it starts with taking a fresh look, a historical look, at Jesus really is. hmmm, i dunno if that answers your questions, scott.
7:05 PM
oops, i didn't mean to select "anonymous".
7:06 PM
You know how at the beginning of the year, during "fellowship time" everyone is willing to meet new people? We're all so friendly, etc. And then a month or so goes by and it suddenly becomes awkward to talk to new folks (You see this phenomenon at Trinity, too. O-week, everyone says 'hi' on the path and then a few days pass and that seems an odd thing to do).
Anyway, I think it is some unwritten social code. Suddenly, it becomes awkward and weird to step out of the comfort zone and build relationships with others.
Maybe the norm needs to be broken?
So, I hit on a small thing within the many of our church life/actions, but my overall point is, clearly relationships are central... and when we really desire to get to know others, there is a selflessness, a love to that. Both sides of the relationship start to open up. Usually at church, we are afraid to be vulnerable or are too comfortable with our present friendships to really selflessly love others by getting to know them.
~Karissa
8:14 PM
we should have assigned seats -- when you walk in you draw a number that coorisponds with a chair... maybe have two people per number.. then it would mix up the crowd a bit (get the TWU kids in with the working-class)
:)
11:41 PM
just a thought - but they weren't confined to church. from what i've heard and read about the church in the early days is they embraced the people around them. as much as jesus was found in religious establishements, he was just as likely to be found in non-religious ones (ie people's homes, local hangout, the places where the "needy" were).
sometimes it seems like we want to make our church functions comfortable for others (non-church people) to be drawn into. maybe you should turn that on its head and find these people wherever they may be and get messed up in their lives?
perhaps you're already doing this...if so, give it time and it'll happen! christians aren't salespeople so don't worry about having the perfect sales-pitch! just do it!
1:51 PM
i wish i knew who you are (that wrote the last comment), so i wouldn't just be speaking this into cyberspace.
anyways, i'm with you... thats why i posed the dream relating to parkside AND to you and i. i think that at the core of why people were so drawn to Jesus, is cause he was drawn to them. cause he entered into their lives and really cared, really loved them, really listened to them. and like a magnet, they were drawn to him in response...
the blog question was just the beginning of a discussion, a question to help us dig in and find the deeper questions. i was saying to some friends the other night, that it might not even be the right question, there are better questions, more important questions...
but all that said, it is part of my dream... that you and i and parkside would more and more become Jesusy--our lives lived like his (entering deeply, authentically and redemptively into the lives of others around us), and that one byproduct being that parkside would be tranformed from a community of Christ-followers to a community of seekers, a community of people attracted to Jesus (wherever they are on the journey towards becoming a followers)...
thats the kind of life i want to live (am seeking to live).
and thats the kind of church i long for parkside to become.
scott anderson
10:27 AM
It is so easy to try and change everything but sometimes I think that God wouldn't change everything, since he doesn't. I think maybe it is more important to realize we were created to worship and fellowship and love God and each other. Doing this in our day to day walk will make us more like Jesus and draw in crowds even when they don't know why they are following us (Jesus' disciples are a great example of this, they never knew what was going on). God bless you all this summer, I miss Parkside,
nathanael davis
11:07 AM
I know when I came only two people said "hi" to me. I found that very discouraging and it reminded me of why I didn't go to church until later in life. But I have decided to give Parkside another try....everyone gets into their routines. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, show the love of Jesus.....take a step out and greet new faces, whether they know Jesus or not. Just simply love.
4:52 PM
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