Mike, I'm scanning the site right now and so far four things have really struck me: 1. Assuming these two are at all typical, our emphasis on labels is totally lost on outsiders. 2. "...it's a major honor when people invite us to their church at all, because it's such a personal and trusting gesture." 3. In reading their reactions to various things they're seeing and hearing in worship services, I couldn't help but think of this passage from I Corinthians 14: So if the whole church comes together…and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in…, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" Their reactions (so far) haven’t extended to “you are out of your mind” but I’m (again, so far) not seeing any “God is really among you!” responses. I know that some will say that it’s not us, it’s them—if they were truly open, if God were truly at work in them, and so forth—but Paul doesn’t offer the Corinthian church that escape so I’m not sure why we think it’s an option for churches today. This is especially sad since it doesn’t seem to be a response to the “offense of the Cross” but rather to certain subcultural elements that have grown up in the name of Christian expression. 4. They don’t seem to be in any danger of experiencing awe or "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." |