As followers of Jesus in Post-Christian America, it’s essential that we dedicate ourselves – and our beloved church cultures – to imitating His actual example. There are myriad reasons why the spiritual narrative of America has become so highly toxic to the cause of Christ in recent years, many of which we cannot control; but what we can control is our posture and focus!
As Christian individuals and institutions are being squeezed by our increasingly secular society, it’s more important than ever that we believe and act like Jesus and His early followers. They also lived in cultures of antagonism; being ridiculed and even persectuted by those who stood opposed to the truth of God…or by those who added heavy burdens on top of it…or by those who subtracted from it to make it more popular. The Church of the New Testament saw God move in unprecedented, miraculous ways when they focused on the basics of Christian living; and avoided the distractions of false pursuits. There are a lot of those.
One of the reasons I think we often have such trouble connecting with the world around us is that, collectively, we seem to have lost the point. We’re often so wrapped-up with our manmade cultures (buildings, programs, doctrines, strategies, hierarchies, etc.) that we become lousy representatives of our King, becoming irrelevant to the world we’re called to engage…and when we do engage, we often mistakenly lead with critical words rather than loving hands! It’s time for the people of God to lead with acts of transformative compassion & hope…just like Jesus did.
Always remember that your church is not the mission; the people who don’t show-up are the mission, and the church is the people who embody the presence of Jesus to them.
This is why I love partnering with local churches for Catalyst projects. We get to mobilize church people by getting them out of their comfort zones to address the felt needs of the poor in their own communities…sharing Jesus with their hands and hugs, which often inexorably leads to His words of hope and truth being shared as well!
This Spring, we’re building new partnerships with several churches & ministries – Abundant Life Church in Happy Valley, Grace Point Community Church in Tigard, Highland Helpers in Beaverton, and other prospective partners. They join the ranks of awesome existing partners like Community of Hope Lutheran in Wilsonville, Stone Creek Christian Church in Oregon City, Living Hope Fellowship in Aloha, Tigard Christian Church, and others. We celebrate the vital role that God has given Catalyst for these partnerships, and we rejoice in the opportunities we have to equip God’s people for works of service!” (Ephesians 4:12)
“Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world…It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you…Who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear.” (Excerpts from 1 Peter 2, 3)
