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Spiritual transformation into Christlikeness has always been the true goal of Christianity. Re-creating or transforming humanity in this way—being “born again”–is what God was up to in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Some how this mega-idea got lost in favor of a small story about a sure and secure spot in heaven when one dies.
I understand how it happened, and I was guilty of perpetuating the wrong story. Thank God for all the women and men who have been writing, speaking and teaching to correct this reductionist view in the last decade. I think especially of Tom Wright, Dallas Willard, Eugene Peterson, the Gospel in our Culture Network, etc.
Christianity—following Jesus as his apprentice—was always supposed to be a whole-life, embodied and practiced reality. As long as we had a Christian consensus in the US, we could all just “wink” or “shrug our shoulders” when professed believers behaved with their “whole life” in ways the contradicted their profession. But now, in the post-Christian period, as Christianity is increasingly marginalized, those outside the faith no longer just wink. David Kinnaman’s research in his recent book Un-Christian, demonstrates the biggest barrier to young outsiders today is the un-Christian lives of Christians.
As I think about “re-practicing” Christianity to live authentic lives of faith, I am not thinking in merely moral terms. I don’t mean to say that we need to be perfect to be attractive to Christians—even Jesus did not attract everyone. But being “born again” must mean something in this life—right? What I do mean to say is this simple, but I think profound and powerful point for evangelism: authentic practice of our “religion”—following Jesus for the sake of others—is the best bridge to faith today.
Young outsiders want to know if our religion is real, if it makes a difference, etc. My first book is done—you can see it on the top right of the main page. My second book—again with IVP is going to focus on this notion of how we “re-practice” our faith in a way the opens doors to faith. I am looking forward to re-thinking and re-visioning all the common practices associated with Christianity.
Todd,
Amen. I’ve been really challenged as this shift in focus has slowly taken hold in me in the last several years, in no small part due to the authors you mention, and from re-reading the scriptures themselves. It’s still working itself in and out.
Working some disciplines with a friend or two with the convictions you are talking about has been both challenging and effective for personal change (and in challenging me even more)–and given me new hope and motivation to invite others into this “Way” and into similar training for life with God.
Quick thought, though, from a long-time evangelical: When thinking through how to invite others into this kind of life, I’ve had an interior pause when I imagine offering “becoming a better person” as a reason to do so (even though I’m committed to doing it). Still, my pause catches me off-guard. I can only guess that I’ve heard so much against that kind of talk in “gospel invitations” growing up. (e.g., “God doesn’t care how ‘good’ you are; your ‘good works’ are as filthy rags”, etc.,) But if what God is offering is transformation through apprenticeship to Jesus (and amnesty to those who receive this offer), “becoming a better person”, leaving a smaller wake in life, has got to be part of the motivation for coming in, doesn’t it? Or am I missing something? I mention it, because I can think of several folks (not Christians) who I think would love to become better people, and would be open to Jesus toward that end.
Hey T,
I hear your point…
My off-the-cuff response is this: we are not inviting people to merely become better people. We are inviting them to follow Jesus into a life derived from and lived in the Kingdom of God. Doing so will by definition make us “better” people; i.e. more in the image of God, etc.
Hopefully we will do this for the sake of others. to be salt, light, ambassoadors, etc.
Peace,
Todd
As always, looking forward to reading both books! I hope the second book can be summed by love in action! Loving God, self and others. Cause that seems to be the story I see with Jesus and throughout the Book!
Hugs to you and your family,
Viv
great stuff Todd. Been on a journey myself. looking at authentic ways to relate to others. have you read the book AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS discovering the lost art of “one anothering” by Wayne Jacobsen & Clay Jacobsen- http://lifestream.org/ great book and could be a great source for the groups.
Larry
Thanks Larry!
I know who Wayne is, bit I have not read the book–thanks for the tip.
Todd
I’ve been reading Tom Wright’s book Simply Christian for Dan Wilt’s Essentials Blue course that a bunch of the guys at my church are doing and it’s the first time I’ve heard the point that we won’t be off to some marble-columned, fairy castle in the sky when we die. Wright’s point is that God’s Kingdom will be here on Earth - a renewed and redeemed Earth just the way God originally intended. Even now God’s Kingdom is present in every one of us who loves and follows Jesus through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Everywhere we go, we take God’s Kingdom with us.
That should really make us think carefully about how we act…
Dan, a pastor I love, said that a well- known pastor guy asked him if he had any friends. Dan replied to the well known guy “No.” Well-known guy said, “Hmm. Me either” and walked away.
Dan told that to a group of other pastors and we all kind of went, “Me neither!” That seems wrong to me. The Three Is Enough idea may just be my best effort to stave off that fate. (No Friends…that can’t be!)
Now I am working with two believers who have agreed to help me, and who have asked me to help them, to have a relationship that is truely different from any we’ve forged before. We are acting like the building blocks of living stone that is written about in I Peter. Kingdom Friendships ARE DIFFERENT from the ones the world has told us we need to have. Todd talks about the “Golden Triangle” of relationship. Add another person into the mix and you get a “Golden Pyramid.”
When we got those Kingdom friendships going we realized that we have something to offer others outside of the group! And it is fully attached to my “real” life, not my “churchianity” life.
Thanks Mara–authentic friendships within the natural structures of our life can be just what you hope!
Todd