The world is changing rapidly. Postmodern thinking is increasing in the west and the East is becoming part of the Global community. Many in the Churches of God General Conference are interested in what church will look like as fresh expressions in the 21st century. This blog has been encouraged by the CGGC but in no way reflects the official thinking of the denomination. It is a place for free flow of thought and conversation.
I saw this list of 'what it means to be a follower of Christ' on Jordon Coopers blog. He got it from Reimagine!. This is a REALLY interesting list, but it's long, so you can see it by going to Jordan's Church of the Exiles site HERE.
posted by dan at 7:40 AM
7 Comments:
that's an interesting list with a lot of hoops one has to jump through to be a good christian. Having recently spent time with Mark and the JesusDojo guys, I'm not at all surprised that they didn't say anything supportig women and minorities...
Julie,
I guess I didn't see it as "hoops to jump through" to be a 'good' christian, as much as just giving direction for what a follower of Jesus should be striving for. But I don't know anything about Mark or Reimagine either - perhaps that creates a different lense for you. Just thought it was interesting.
peace,
dan h.
I thought a lot of those things were great - and good lessons to follow. You are right, my reading of it was very influenced by my limited exposure to those guys. Basically they came across as the hip cool fraternity for young christian men. good ideas and helpful to their subculture, but with a lot of tunnel vision...
It's quite amazing to see it all listed out that way. I agree with the list, although we can't say it is exhaustive. Being Christ's apprentice is a tough job. I think it's a powerful reminder of what we are trying to live up to. It is overwhelming; it is not for the faint of heart. There are some that I can check off the list and say I'm doing OK there, many I can say I need to work on. I believe this is a list for men and women alike. There are none in the list that I feel apply to men only. Each item is a piece of a very large picture -- the picture of who Christ is. Thanks for sharing the list!
Interesting list.
It saddens me when I ask a group at our church "Why does the church exist?" and they don't mention anything about following Jesus.
There seems to be a disconnect (at least from my experience in my present context) between what people think of when they think of being a "good" Christian AND considering oneself an apprentice of Jesus.
Thanks for the post, Dan.
I found the list not to be something achieved but as something I am. No I don't do everything right on the list. But this is just the natural outflow of a love for Christ and seeking Him. As an apple tree doesn't struggle to produce apples we aren't to struggle to be Christians. By drawing upon the root,Christ, all of the list and more will naturally flow from us. It is like Matthew 25:44 says; when did we do these things. It is such a natural outflow of what is inside we don't even seem to recognize it. To focus on the action removes the grace of God and makes it a form of works. I can't tell the difference in someones life but God does.
Julie, Danelle, Brent, & Phil,
Thanks for adding your thoughts to this. I've written several responses but my internet is nutsing out today, so... if this goes through... I appreciated what each of you had to say. Thanks.
dan h.
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