Category Archives: Kingdom of God

The Church, Living Artwork

Posted on April 23, 2013 | 1 Comment

It has been said many times that a picture is worth a thousand words.  It’s true.  In fact, some pictures are words thousands upon thousands of words.  That’s the beauty of imagery.  It needs very little, if any, explanation.  For example, look at the picture to the left.  If you see this on a hiking trail, do you really need someone to explain anything else?

Do you know that this is what we, the church, are to be?  Ephesians 2:10 reads, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (italics mine).  The word “handiwork” in the Greek New Testament is poiēma which is where we also get the English word “poem” or “poetry” from.  In other words, we, the church, are God’s poetry.  Or as the New Jerusalem Bible reads, “We are God’s work of art…”

The gem is that we are God’s living artwork.  That is, as we live a life of good works we become living artwork rather than a static piece of art.  As this living artwork engaged in good works (ministering to others, proclaiming the gospel, etc…), we participate in the mission of God as we point to the glory of God and his coming reign.  As Jürgen Moltmann says, “The church in the power of the Spirit is not yet the kingdom of God, but it is its anticipation in history” (The Church in the Power of the Spirit, 196).

And this is an image worth thousands and thousands of words which needs little explaining, as it is the masterpiece of God!

Next week I’ll be teaching a class at the 2013 Pepperdine University Bible Lectures on this very idea of us, the church, as the living artwork of God titled God’s Masterpiece: The Church as the Magnum Opus of God.  The class will meet Thursday, May 2nd at 1:30 PM in AC 286.  If you are attending the lectures then perhaps this is a class for you (and yes, that was a shameless plugin).  Of course, there will be many other great classes, keynote addresses, worship and fellowship time too…and it’s in Malibu, California (another image that needs no further explanation).

Any ways, think about how much effort has been invested in Christian apologetics.  Sometimes apologetics are necessary and I’m thankful for those highly skilled in the field of Christian apologetics.  But I also think it needs to be said that perhaps the best apologetic we, the church, can offer is ourselves when we embrace our identity as the God’s living artwork.  What do you think?

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Posted in Churches of Christ, Kingdom of God, Missions and Ministry, Scripture, Theology

In The Wake of Terror…What Shall We Do?

Posted on April 17, 2013 | 1 Comment

This past Monday another act of terrorism reminded us once again of how broken the world really is.*  In the months to come, the authorities will investigate and do everything within their power to hold accountable those responsible.  While it may give some solace that such criminals will not go unpunished, it won’t make the world a safer and more hospitable place.  

In the meantime there have been many prayers lifted up for those directly impacted by the bombing.  As prayers were encouraged, I heard the question raised of why God doesn’t do something.  That’s a good question but I must say that God is doing something.  I just wonder how many people are interested in what God is doing since it calls for our participation.

PARTICIPATING WITH GOD!

The story of the Gospel or Good News of Jesus Christ is God becoming one of us in the person of Jesus Christ.  Not only is Jesus crucified for the sins of the world and then raised from death, Jesus also teaches us to live the life we were created for.  This life is summed up as the kingdom of God, which is part of the good news Jesus proclaimed (cf. Mk 1:14-15).  It’s the life where God reigns and we learn to live as both a blessing to others and a witness of this new life that God is restoring in Jesus Christ.

In the wake of hatred and violence, we must remind ourselves that this kingdom way of life is characterized by the virtue of love.  We not only love God but we also love our neighbors, one another, and even our enemies (cf. Matt 5:44; 22:37-40; Mk 12:29-31; Lk 6:27; 10:27; Jn 13:34-35; 15:12-13).  We practice love rather than hate, forgiveness rather than keeping record of wrong, pursuing mercy and peace even when others would rather inflict harm and injury.  We do this not because it promises to immediately end all acts of evil in this world.  Rather, we live this way because it is the only way in which our world, enslaved in darkness, will see the light and learn that there is another way of life it has been created to live.

I know that in the wake of terror, some want vengeance.  As sensical as that seems, blood for blood and life for life only begets the brokenness of our world and further exasperates the divisions and animosity that keeps our real enemy, Satan, pleased.  What we must remind ourselves of is that Jesus Christ was crucified and has been raised from death.  His death and resurrection is the victory which liberates us from the tyranny of sin and death.  It’s the promise that no matter what our enemies do to us, we are free to love them as Jesus loves his enemies because there is nothing — not even death — which can defeat us in Christ.

In this way we join with God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and participate in what God is doing which is creating a future kingdom community that has begun breaking into the present.  Here in this future kingdom is where love wins because practices such as compassion, forgiveness, mercy, and peace-making become the constant way of life.  

IF WE WON’T, THEN WHO?

So let me suggest that the question should not be about why God isn’t doing anything but whether or not we will participate in what God is doing.  In the wake of terror, there won’t be any shortage of voices calling for vengeance, demanding answers, and demanding the government.  But what shall we do?

What the world needs most is for the church to be what only the church can be, participatory witnesses of what God is doing.  If we won’t, then who?  And if we won’t, then with every evil act, the world will cry out again asking why God isn’t doing anything.

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* This post is a slightly modified version originally published as an article of the same title in Connecting 28 (April 17, 2013), a biweekly publication of the Columbia Church of Christ.

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Posted in Columbia Church of Christ, Contemporary Culture, Kingdom of God, Missions and Ministry, Scripture

Those Other Christians

Posted on April 14, 2013 | 6 Comments

This past week I attended the Missio Alliance Conference held at the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia.  The conference brought together a variety of Christian thinkers and leaders serving in churhches, seminaries, and other ministry organizations.  The speakers were fantastic and the sessions, which allowed for a lot of dialogical conversation between speaker and audience, was great too.  But one of the added blessings was getting to spend time with those other Christians.

That’s right!  Those other Christians.  Those Christians who belong to a church that’s not a Church of Christ.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the fellowship I have with my brothers and sisters in Christ among the Churches of Christ.  In fact, in a few weeks I’ll take part in some of that when I head to the Pepperdine Bible Lectures where I’ll be teaching a class on how the church missionally lives as the artwork of God from Ephesians 2:8-10 (yes, that was a shameless plug in).  But it is nice to get beyond the reach of my own tribe.

When I gather with Christians from another tribe besides the Churches of Christ, it’s like traveling in a different country (I’ve traveled in both Brazil and Canada before).  It’s exciting and different.  Just as there are both many customs that different countries have in common as well as differences, so it is among Christians.  For example, we all tend to bow our heads when praying.  Yet while being led in prayer, one Christian might repeatedly say “Amen!” while another might say “Yes, Jesus!” and the difference seems to be the church tradition the Christians come from.

Yet we all want the same thing.  As believers in Jesus Christ, we all love God, want to live as followers of Jesus, and be led by the Holy Spirit.  As believers in Jesus Christ, we all want to become better ministers of reconciliation, help lead our churches to live on mission with God, and teach scripture as the word of God in such a way that others will become disciples of Jesus, the Incarnate Word of God.

More importantly, I recognize the same Spirit living in us all…the Spirit of God.  I recognize this because we all share a common confession of faith in Jesus as our Lord, because I see the fruit of the Spirit, and because I see a love for God and one another.

Yes there are places where we have reached different conclusions about what scripture teaches but the love for Jesus and his church among those other Christians cannot be denied.  It cannot be denied when you witness that love first hand as I have.  Those other Christians are our brothers and sisters in Christ!

So let me end this blog post with a word for my fellow Christians among the Churches of Christ.  Too often we have remained in isolation from those other Christians.  At worst, we have been sectarian but these sectarian walls have been coming down since the 1980′s (tumbling among some, slowly cracking among others).  We can serve our cities and communities in the name of Jesus so much more when we come out of our isolation.  Not only can God use us to help those other Christians but he can use those other Christians to help us.  And together, in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the same Spirit that dwells within us all, we can participate in the mission of God not for the good of our churches but for the good of our cities.

It’s time for all Christians in North America to be a movement again, a movement for the sake of God’s glory as we work together on mission with God.

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Posted in Churches of Christ, Kingdom of God, Missions and Ministry

What Shall We Preach?

Posted on March 28, 2013 | Leave a comment

This Sunday is Easter and as we expect, there will be an increase in visitors at our church gatherings.  So what are we going to preach?

“The Gospel of Jesus Christ… the reason for Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection,” we say.

Of course!  I would hope so.  After all, it may be the only opportunity we have to tell these visitors about Jesus and his crucifixion and resurrection.  But this isn’t what I’m asking about.  Preaching is communication and that involves so much more than just words.  How we act and how the our church acts has every bit as much to do with what will be preached this Sunday as the message spoken during the sermon.

So what are we really going to preach?

Preach and When Necessary…

There’s a piece of ministry advise often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi that goes something like this, “Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.”  To often a false dichotomy between word and deed is created with this saying, as though preaching the gospel involves one or the other but not both.  Last February I wrote a blog on why the mission of God requires both proclamation and demonstration of the gospel or why gospel witness requires both word and deed.  So let’s refrain from creating an unnecessary dichotomy which isn’t the point of this little ministry maxim.

The point of preaching the gospel and when necessary using words is about recognizing the importance of our actions.  And we all know that what we do (or don’t do) speaks volumes… much more than anything spoken.  When it comes to preaching the gospel in spoken word (which is absolutely necessary if people are to hear the gospel story) what we do or how we act will either illustrate or undermine what is spoken.  That’s why our actions must proceed and undergird our words.

The Unspoken Message

So again, I ask, what are we going to preach this Sunday?  From the moment when the church begins gathering and visitors join in to the end, what message will our actions convey?

  • Will our actions speak a message to visitors that they are welcomed and have come to the right place where they are regarded as friends or that they are strangers and outsiders who are shown no more hospitality than the same culturally polite greeting that they receive every morning from the cashier at the coffee shop or gas station?
  • Will our actions speak a message to the visitors that this our church is truly seeking to follow Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, and full of both love and a life lived on mission with God or that our church is just going through the motions, checking off a set of legalistic traditions of a lifeless and uninspiring worship gathering?
  • Will our actions speak a message to the visitors that we are a community of healing and faith where there is true joy and peace from God or that we are drowning in the same insane dysfunctionalities that exist in many American homes, work places, etc…?
  • Will our actions speak a message to the visitors that we are a people who believe that God reigns supreme and has already won the victory over evil through his Son, Jesus Christ, who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords or that we still functionally believe the nations and rulers of this world along with their politicians and talking-heads have the power?

Our response to these questions and others that could be asked will be answered in large part by what we do.  In fact, we may preach the sermon of all sermons and have it all undone by a few bad actions (I could share many stories here).  So when the visitors come this Sunday, by all means tell them the story of Jesus dying and being raised but tell them also in the way we act towards them and around them.

May God the Father fill every church with the power of the Spirit to be witnesses of the Son, Jesus Christ, on this Easter Sunday!

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Posted in Christian History, Kingdom of God, Preaching and Teaching

Rob Bell, Evangelicals, Christianity, and Cultural Assimilation

Posted on March 19, 2013 | 4 Comments

Contrary to what we might believe of have been led to think based on observing American Christianity, Jesus never said a word about the right and the left as we think of those categories today.  Jesus never said, “blessed the Republicans and the Democrats, the traditionalists and the progressives, the conservatives and the liberals.”  That doesn’t mean Jesus has disdain for such people, he just never pronounced their way of life as blessed.

Perhaps then Christians would be wise to here the people that Jesus did say are blessed.  From Matthew 5:3-12, Jesus says…

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Perhaps, Jesus called these sort of people “blessed” because such people are the only ones humble enough to receive his word, his kingdom, Jesus himself.

For years now, much of American Christianity has become polarized.  Of the evangelical type, which my own heritage in the Churches of Christ share commonalities with, Christianity seemed to amalgamate itself with traditional American patriotism and the political policies necessary to promote that dream.  This move has caused 80 percent of the young emerging adults to turn away from Christianity (and be sure to check out this beautiful blog by Jen Hatmaker about this)

As those who know me, I reject this assimilation of the American right because it isn’t the way of Jesus and does not serve the mission of God.  But now I see another assimilation taking place among some Christians of my generation and the emerging generation behind me.  It’s an assimilation of the American left.

My Facebook and Twitter feeds are buzzing right now with the news of evangelical Pastor and author Rob Bell coming out in support of marriage equality for LGBT people.  Personally, I don’t have a dog in the fight over what the government defines as marriage since for years the government has allowed a view of marriage far different from the historical Christian view of marriage (which is why, should I choose, I can legally divorce my wife tomorrow and marry another woman the following day).  But I am concerned that in effort to distance Christianity from the American right, some Christians seem willing to assimilate Christianity to the American left.  Such a move is just as disastrous and does not appear any closer to the life that Jesus called “blessed” at the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount.

Why does this matter?

Many Christians are concerned with the mission of God (missional church) and how to follow Jesus (discipleship).  Very good!  But here’s a reality we must face: We will never serve the mission of God and follow Jesus unless we learn to assimilate our ways of thinking and living into Jesus’s way of thinking and living!  There’s a lot to assimilating our lives to Jesus’ way of life but that begins only when we can reimagine what it is to live as the humble people who come to Jesus as people who are…

…poor in spirit…

…those who mourn…

…the meek…

…those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…

…the merciful…

…the pure in heart…

…the peacemakers…

…those who are persecuted…

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*** Feel free to comment but please remain courteous and respectful. ***

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Posted in Churches of Christ, Contemporary Culture, Kingdom of God, Missions and Ministry, Scripture

Future Church:

Posted on March 10, 2013 | 15 Comments

Churches of Christ are declining!  That’s what I’ve been reading about in the blogosphere as of late.*  I tend to agree bur beyond the reasons for decline, I want to talk about the way forward…at least where it begins because I don’t believe in waiting around for the bells to finally toll.

As far as decline is concerned, the reasons are larger than any simple answer.  Part of the problem is that like many other Christian tribes, the Churches of Christ came of age among Christendom era where almost everyone understood the basics of Christianity and the Bible.  For Churches of Christ, who became very sectarian, evangelism was often nothing more than convincing others why we were the “right” church.

This became the tribal DNA but as things have changed, this has been found in wanting.  For instance, many Churches of Christ have shed their sectarian skins and therefore what motivated evangelism has lost power.  I suspect this has also created something of an identity crisis (if not the only right church, then what reason is there for existance?).  I also suspect that some congregations see the need for new wineskins but keep pouring new wine into old wineskins (cf. Mk 2:22).  Added to this is two other fairly new realities that has created much confusion.  First, there is the reality that North America is now a post-Christian world of religious pluralism where the religious question of society isn’t “which church” but “which god or gods.”  Added to that is the increasing number of “dechurched” people (those who at one time belonged to a church) who are never going to encounter our churches unless it is outside the confines our Sunday gathering

Of course, not every Church of Christ is in decline.  But for those that are, what should the response be?   Some churches will remain as they are, either denying the reality before them while spurning any change or hold out hope that members of another congregation might transfer (which only prolongs the inevitable).  Other congregations might see the situation as hopeless and, throwing in the towel, die a slow and sad death.  I, on the other hand, believe there’s another option that is future oriented…mission oriented.

Where Future Becomes the Present

With the increased number of people who either do not or no longer believe in and follow Jesus, I certainly believe the need for churches living on mission with God is clear.  But how?

I serve as a minister for the Columbia Church of Christ and we are a small congregation that has been in decline for some time.  We could pursue one of the options mentioned above but we’re not.  We believe God still has a place for us to serve in his mission as we follow Jesus and so we are trying to do just that — following Jesus into our world, beginning in a neighborhood.

For the last six months a few of us have been meeting every Sunday after worship to pray specifically for our church and how God is calling us into the future (prayer should always proceed and envelope mission).  The shepherds and I have also started journeying with Mission Alive as we seek church renewal.  In the meantime, my neighbor has been battling with breast cancer (she expects to be declared in remission this coming May).  Consequently, this has opened up some opportunities for our church to help her while she goes through this ordeal with her health.  However, come this May we plan to throw a BBQ and invite the entire townhouse complex to come and celebrate my neighbor’s new lease on life.  Not only is this a great way to celebrate with my neighbor but it is also a great way to begin subtly saying to the townhouse complex that the kingdom of God is here.

What might come of this?  That’s a good question and we won’t know the answer until it happens.  In some ways, this is an experiment.  We’re not throwing the BBQ with any other motives other than to live as kingdom people among our neighbors, loving them and sharing the beauty of life with them.  But we have to believe that as we follow Jesus into the neighborhoods, that there are those who are seeking God (even if they don’t have the language to express that desire) whom we can share the good news of Jesus Christ with.  That’s why we can believe that there is a future full of mission and therefore a future for our church as participants in the mission of God.

I am not so naïve to believe that this is it.  There will be other systemic changes that we will need to make in time as they are revealed.  But this is where we start, where the future church begins.  So if your church is in decline, I hope this post offers you hope as a way forward beyond decline and eventual death.  While every church has different circumstances, the future church always begins with a renewed commitment to following Jesus.

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* If interested, check out James Nored, who has written a series of posts on this issue (read here, here, and here), and Sean Palmer, who recently wrote a guest blog post for Jason Locke’s blog about this issue (read here).

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Posted in Churches of Christ, Columbia Church of Christ, Kingdom of God, Missions and Ministry, Restoration Movement, Scripture

The Mission of God: Grace and Discipleship

Posted on March 7, 2013 | 3 Comments

In a previous blog post I wrote about the equal need for both proclamation and demonstration as we live on mission with God.*  However, living in word and deed as witnesses of Jesus Christ requires an equal need for grace and discipleship.

Discipleship is all the rage right now among Christianity.  Look up any number of Christian conferences, journals, and blogs and it won’t take long to find something about discipleship.  This is not too surprising as it has become more and more obvious that in general, Christianity in America is lacking in discipleship (with some notable exceptions).  In fact, this is why I believe Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who coined the phrase “cheap grace,” remains ever so popular and relevant today — especially among ministers.

Discipleship, as I understand it, simply means learning to live our lives as Jesus lives his life.  This is who followers of Jesus Christ are.  While that seems simple to understand, it is a difficult challenge to live into.  Part of this challenge involves learn to believe about God and life as Jesus believed and embrace the same values Jesus embraced.  This is one area where preaching and teaching is resourceful.  However, even though cognitive teaching is important to our development as disciples, we also learn through hands on practice.  Thus learning to live as a disciple is like learning to become an electrician or pilot which involves both instruction and practice as a learning-apprentice.

Our call to live as a follower of Jesus and develop followers of Jesus is great but it’s impossible apart from grace.  Following Jesus always begins with the invitation of Jesus, “follow me,” and is therefore an offer of grace.  However, the offer of grace does not end there.  Beginning with the coming of Jesus to his eventual dying on the cross for our sins to the sending of the Spirit who is our Advocate through whom we are sanctified and to the eventual second coming of Jesus, we are recipients of grace.

So discipleship must always be bathed in and pursued within a deep understanding of grace.  While grace without discipleship becomes cheap grace, discipleship without grace becomes lends itself to legalism.  Discipleship apart from grace is just as much of a distortion of God’s will as grace without discipleship.  So as a church, we must always attune our eyes and ears towards both the grace of God in Christ as well as the call of God to live as disciples of Christ.

This is where we must remember that we don’t become disciples of Jesus to earn God’s approval and acceptance.  Rather, we become disciples so that we can live the life God desires to bless us with as our Creator and Redeemer.  When from the deep well of God’s grace we live as followers of Jesus, we are on our way to becoming a church that is both an attractive and committed community of Jesus followers.

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* This is a slightly modified version of an article of the same title that I wrote and was published in Connecting 28 (March 6, 2013), a biweekly publication of the Columbia Church of Christ.

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Posted in Churches of Christ, Columbia Church of Christ, Faith, Kingdom of God, Missions and Ministry, Redemption, Theology

Because One Day Could Be Today!

Posted on February 28, 2013 | 2 Comments

I love this song…

Could one day be today?

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” – Colossians 2:15

I guess it depends what we believe.  But if we believe that Jesus, crucified and resurrected, has defeated the powers that stand against us then we are free to be the church Jesus has called us to be.  And then one day becomes today, the future breaking into the present.

One day…Today!

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Posted in Hope, Kingdom of God, Redemption, Scripture

Why Should (Y)our Church Grow?

Posted on February 24, 2013 | 2 Comments

I won’t apologize for wanting my church to grow.  Such growth should mean more believers follow Jesus, whom God has reconciled.  So there won’t be any apologies from this minister and since I don’t know a minister who doesn’t want their church to grow, they shouldn’t apologize either.

What we need to ask is why should our churches grow?  The question I am getting at though is really about why do we should God bless our church with growth?  Unless we are functional deists (and I hope we’re not), growth is the result of God’s blessing.  No matter what practical things we do as participants with God towards this endeavor, the increase comes from God.  So why should God bless our church with the increase of growth?

There are plenty of local churches in every town and there are people in every town who are seeking God.  Why should God lead us to them and them to us?  Some might say, “Because we teach the truth about the gospel of Jesus Christ.”  Well, that is certainly important.  However, that is not the only reason.  Further more, if we can get past the hubris belief that our church is the only “true church” teaching the faith perfectly then we might see that the answer to the question involves more than just what we teach.

I am convinced that God wants to place those seeking him among churches where they can learn to follow Jesus as they develop a healthy faith.  I am also convinced that God wants to place these seekers in churches who will not strangle the life our of their burgeoning faith.

The implications of this impact not just what is taught in our churches (already mentioned) but how our churches put our teaching into practice.  Are we committed to holy and righteous living?  Are we journeying as follower Jesus or just settled on maintaining the status quo?  Do we love one another as Christ loves us?  Do we extend grace and mercy to others who are going through difficulties?  Are we peace-makers or people who thrive on conflict?  Are we Christ-centered and Spirit dependent in our faith?  Are we serious about living as participants in the mission of God?

How those questions are answered matter to the question of why should our churches grow.  I don’t believe the local must be perfect but it seems rather presumptuous for any church to expect God’s blessing if it is not serious about living as a faithful community belonging to Christ.  So if we want God to bless our churches with growth, then we might ask if our churches are living as a church God wants to grow?

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Posted in Faith, Kingdom of God, Missions and Ministry

The Mission of God: Proclamation and Demonstration

Posted on February 22, 2013 | 3 Comments

The story the church lives in begins with creation.*  There, in the beginning, everything was good, especially humans who have been created in the image of God.  Though humans are still made in the image of God, things have changed since then.  The rejection of the Creator by those bearing his image has resulted in suffering which affects all aspects of creation.

The good news is that God is redeeming all of creation in Jesus Christ, reestablishing his kingdom reign over creation as he restores life to its created intent.  As people who belong to this redeemed reality, we follow Jesus on mission with God so that others may share in this good news.  This involves both proclamation and demonstration of this good news.  That should not come as a surprise since throughout his ministry Jesus was involved in both the proclamation and demonstration of this good news.

The question many believers seem to wrangle over is which of the two, proclamation and demonstration, should take priority?  Some Christians, particularly in mainline Protestant churches and Catholic churches, have given preeminence to good works and social justice as a demonstration of the gospel.  Among more Evangelical churches, including Churches of Christ, the emphasis has been on proclamation, hence the term “evangelical.”  Of course, I am overgeneralizing each group but you understand the point.

The problem is that this dichotomy is unnecessary and operates on a faulty understanding of the gospel.  The mission of God is not simply concerned with attending to the physical needs of people or saving people from their sins.  Rather, since the mission of God is the restoration of life to it’s created intent (as I believe), both proclamation and demonstration are equally necessary as people suffer spiritually, physically, socially, etc… as both victims of the fall and perpetrators of the fall.  In every way, people are slaves to the fall and so the mission of God includes every activity that serves to liberate humans from this slavery (Jürgen Moltmann, The Church in the Power of the Spirit, 10).  This is why the question of proclamation and demonstration is not about primacy, what should take priority, but ultimacy (Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God, 319).

Practically speaking, the church following Jesus on mission with God may at times find itself engaging in more demonstration than proclamation as it’s unloving and unlike Jesus to ignore the pressing physical needs of people.  However, good deeds should never become a bait-and-switch gimmick offered just so that the church can evangelize.  Neither should good deeds absolve the church from it responsibility to preach and teach the gospel.

Someone once asked me which would I rather have if I were a starving person, an offering of food for my stomach or the message of Jesus Christ so that I could share in salvation?    The question creates a false dichotomy and presumes that offering food to a hungry person is not part of the good news, but I digress.

Any ways, I thought about the question for a minute and replied that I would rather have the kingdom of God because under God’s reign, my physical needs are cared for (cf. Matt 6:33) and I hear the good news that offers me salvation.  So I want nothing more than the good news of the kingdom of God — the good news that Jesus spoke about.  And there’s nothing more beautiful than the kingdom of God!

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* This is a slightly modified version of an article of the same title that I wrote and was published in Connecting, 28 (February 20, 2013), a biweekly publication of the Columbia Church of Christ.

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Posted in Churches of Christ, Columbia Church of Christ, Contemporary Culture, Kingdom of God, Missions and Ministry, Preaching and Teaching, Scripture