DISQUS

the Jesus Manifesto: A Call for a Non Partisan Sabbatical

  • blorge · 4 years ago
    I wonder if the reason the church has allowed itsself to become so politicized doesn't have more to do with fear and sloth. We want to change things but we're afraid to reach out to those in our midst and affect a change at the "grassroots level" in our own communities and contribute to the same efforts abroad. We're afraid to step out beyond our comfort level and we're too lazy to think creatively on how to affect a change that doesn't involve the government.
  • Van S · 4 years ago
    Blorge,

    I think you're on to something there. What do you think the church can do to address that?
  • blorge · 4 years ago
    I don't know how popular this will be with others, but I would say that we should try to develop an alternative infrastructure that would systematically address the problems in society. There are a lot of non-profits out there that we can and should support by partnering up with them in order to better understand what the needy are actually in need of. It could be as simple as having your church work with a soup kitchen once a month, or as involved as having everyone move into a particular neighborhood and get involved with neighborhood associations, etc.

    I also think that we need to hear about relational/lifestyle evangelism from the pulpit and over the christian radio airwaves.
  • blorge · 4 years ago
    Also- I think we just need encouragement. We need to hear, "you can do it" enough until we internalize the message. We also need role models who had the same fears we did, but overcame them and can give us tips on how to do so as well.

    That is all to say that it has to be a systematic, community-wide effort.
  • graham · 4 years ago
    Great quote!

    I said to someone just recently that it feels like the more lower-case-p-political my faith becomes, the less upper-case-p-political I feel.

    But I think Roth puts it better! :-)