Quotes I used this past Sunday...

I wanted to post some quotes that I used this past Sunday.  They are from some of the people I respect and who are helping shape me so passing along their words seems worthwhile in a forum like this.

• Christianity is largely viewed as being unChristian by outsiders.  From unChristian by Kinnaman and Lyons.
• "We need to go deeper."  Brian Zahnd, pastor of Word of Life Church, St. Joseph, MO. 
• “Some argue, with good cause, that the term Christian is now polluted beyond recognition.”  (Leonard Sweet, Church of the Perfect Storm)
• “The church must stop chasing the impossible, implausible, and dishonorable dream of re-Christianizing society.  It’s time for the church to understand that this is a missionary culture (Babylon) and that the church needs to think and act missionally.”  Allan Hirsch, author of Forgotten Ways.

Looking forward to pressing in Deeper, in Faith, Hope and Love to join in the Mission of God in 2009.

Comments

[anonymous]

Wow, I'm impressed. These demonstrate a level of self-examination I've rarely seen in the Christian Church.

Often I've wondered what has become of the message of love and healing that Jesus brought to the world.

Unfortunately, the Church is more focused on converting people to "join it's club", and either dosen't care or is unaware of the wounded people it leaves in it's wake. Onward Christian soldiers!

Reading Jesus' comments to the Pharisees and Sadducees, I get the distinct impression that He would say the exact same things to Church leaders today.

Whatever happened to this Divine Love of Jesus? "For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His son..." What does the Church give of itself, today, for the sake of Love?

And again in the famous chapter of Corinthians, that talk is nothing more that clanging gongs and cymbals without Love.

If you wonder about the decline of the organized Church, it's because of the mismanagement of the only real resource it has, Love.

[Kevin]

Anonymous, thanks for joining in the dialogue. I think you're phrase "mismanagement of the only real resource it has--Love" has the ring of painful truth.