Kelly Fryer has started a new group on Facebook around her most recent book, Reclaiming The "E" Word.
Even as a church professional, I find myself wondering often if I'm actually living my faith in real life. I don't get hung up on doing good works or worrying if God loves me, but I do wonder about how being a follower of Jesus is making a difference in how I live.
Kelly just started this Facebook group (and if you're not on Facebook yet, how exactly are you wasting your time these days?) and she sent around a question in hopes that we would actually answer it:
I really like that idea of not being afraid to share what I believe. Some may be surprised to hear that this is a struggle, even for a pastor. Deal with it. I'm trying to. So I offered the following reply on Facebook, trying to stick close to 60 second guideline:"What is at the CORE of what you believe and why your faith matters to you and what difference you think Jesus makes in the world??? Can you say it in 60 seconds or less??"
Part of "reclaiming the E word", I think, is being able to EXPRESS it simply, passionately, in a way that makes sense to everyday people. As a Christian who happens to be a mainliner or progressive, what IS the core message of your faith. What, in a nutshell, is what you believe? It'll help me - and all of us, I think - to hear your answers to that question.
So get over to Facebook and join the group. And then...answer the question. You can post your responses to the question here, too.I love Jesus because Jesus came into our world and announced that there was something better. A new kingdom. Not off in eternity somewhere, but here and now. On earth as in heaven.
I love Jesus because Jesus is totally fine with the fact that we can't accomplish this new reality on our own, but nonetheless calls us to put all that we are into making it happen.
I love Jesus because Jesus always seems to line up next to those on the outside. This gives me great comfort when I don't fit in and challenges me immensely when it's someone else on the margin.
I love Jesus because everything that seems messed up about the way Christianity is lived out today is ususally best exposed not by the critique of others, but by the life and teachings of Jesus himself.
5 comments:
Hey, Matt.
I think Jesus was the kind of guy who might take 60 seconds just pondering your question before beginning to reply, so I my gut reaction is: why do we have to have the "quick draw" answer? It smacks of the "if you die, do you know where you will be tonight?" type of preset answer. I'll have to chew on this and jump in with Kelly's conversation, but it feels from the get-go really culturally captive to sound-bit faith. Geez. Even U2 get 3-5 minutes to declare why they love Jesus (or want him to wake up).
Peace,
Chris
I agree with that concern. The last thing we need is more "sound-bit faith".
I think Kelly's conversation is more worried about the fact that people (like me) are hesitant to share what we love about Jesus at all. I sense a hope to see more Christians willing to speak out about Jesus so that the loudest voices aren't all coming from one corner of the church.
I love Jesus because even though I'm (in my head) jumping up and down like a little kid in discomfort, even though He knows I really really really don't want to, even though I probably won't today (or tomorrow) do anything that even remotely resembles evangalizing...He's okay with that. I know he's just sort of smiling and laughing at me, nudging me in the right direction and making sure I know He knows...and that I'm not getting off that easy, either.
rtnzxk. I just have such a hard time talking about sensitive issues like religion.
I haven't even joined *that group* because "Evangelism" is such a...buzzword. (Makes me incredibly amused in a Jon-Stewart-"that's so true" kind of way about the title)
Agh, I really do need help, lol.
While the "E" word for the facebook group is actually "evangelical", you're right about "evangelism" becoming a buzzword...both in churches and in the business world.
Jesus is probably smiling because you've been evangelizing your butt off every day and don't label it as evangelizing.
I suspect that Jesus wants us to follow and build the kingdom in ways that aren't about being "religious" or weird. The bible invites us to be "a peculiar people"...but I imagine there's something more peculiar about serving others, altruism, and seeking justice than there is in being annoyingly "religious". Jesus called those people hypocrites.
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