Gift Boxed Gospel

// November 14th, 2009 // My Life

The whole “putting God in a box” is old news… The truth is we have talked about it so much we don’t even think about it when we talk about it … It has become a cliche that we can pull out when someone is being closed minded and difficult from a religious slant.  The Gospel is another story,  conventional christianity these days is extremely sterilized… I started realizing a few months ago that I had completely surrounded myself by christians,  effectively insulating myself from dealing with anything outside of my comfort zone.  I have since stepped out and joined a secular band,  moved to a less expensive apartment, and started getting my hands dirty with life, I am walking way past my comfort zone.  The truth is that I hit a wall… I got to a place where I realized that I was friends with people that I didn’t even enjoy being around because of the simple fact that they were… “Christians”  We didn’t challenge each other, inspire each other, or otherwise contribute to each others lives… we just had to hang out because we were christians.  I was a “Gospel Coward” I was glad to share my faith as long as I could gift box it and hand it off to someone, but the Gospel was really not alive in me either… I had boxed it up and made it safe…  If only we could all see what we have done to the pure, amazing life changing Gospel by domesticating and sterilizing it!  Michael Spencer at internetmonk.com wrote an excellent article called Gospel Cowards that covers this subject quite perfectly as usual… so I challenge you to go read the article and unleash the Gospel in your life… You might just start acting crazy like me!?

Tags: imonk, internetmonk

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4 Responses to “Gift Boxed Gospel”

  1. Jeff Bolton says:
    November 15, 2009 at 1:11 am

    Mark Driscoll uses the term Evangellyfish to describe those whose faith features a watered down version of the gospel that's only shared within one's comfort zone. Not easy to step out IN faith and WITH faith to SHARE faith. I admire your courage.

    Reply
    • jasonthebaldguy says:
      November 14, 2009 at 11:13 pm

      Hey jeff, thanks for the comment! I like the evangellyfish reference. Stepping out is not easy… It feels taboo… but just in a few weeks I have seen the benefit and the goodness.

  2. greg rice says:
    November 24, 2009 at 6:43 pm

    some of this is coming to a fresh appreciation for the GOSPEL, how revolutionary it is (assuming it IS the Gospel, and not some knock-off aftermarket product, of which there are legion). I mean, if we REALLY had the cure for cancer or AIDS or MS or diabetes…..who wouldn't walk into a smokey bar or slum and announce it loudly ?? We just don't know , or fully get, what it is we have. Helping people vote better, or have "The Best Life Now"…..just isn't the same. For many of us, it's back to the Gospel drawing board……and for safe measure , make sure your "Gospel" is GOOD NEWS. Anounce it to a few bums and hookers and couch potatos…..see if they think it's good news……

    Reply

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