Thursday, July 06, 2006

God's grand scheme of redemption does not focus on redeeming isolated individuals

Someone who calls himself the Insane Zamboni over at the journey, is posting some quotes from Ron Sider. Here is the post recent quote:
God's grand strategy of redemption does not focus on redeeming isolated individuals; it centers on the creation of a new people, a new community, a new social order that begins to live now the way the Creator intended... Jesus was not a lone ranger who made private house calls on isolated hermits or autonomous individuals. Jesus gathered a circle of disciples and together they formed a new community.

If we grasp the New Testament understanding of the church, then we realize that the modern, evangelical reduction of Christianity to some personal, privitized affair that only affects my personal relationship with God and perhaps my personal family life is blatant heresy.

Source: The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience by Ronald Sider, p. 97, 102-103.
Snider, has never been one to mince words.

He has hit on a key western / north american problem - the personalization to the point of individualization of the gospel. Yes, we can know God personally, but having been made a son or daughter of the living God, we discover that in Christ we have a bunch of brothers and sisters.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have explained to others (believers and non believers) that the invitation to Kingdom is nothing more than being invited to a huge house party - like the parable Jesus shared. All are invited. Evangelism is nothing more than extending an invite.

oncoffee said...

RoG check out a great party analogy/graphic: just because I'm in the kitchen and you're in the hall doesn't mean we're not at the same party

Anonymous said...

yup - it is true...a house party is all over the place...and one cannot simply party by themselves...

oncoffee said...

Well, I suppose one can try to party by oneself - but it's not a very good party - in fact, I think it's called being anti-social

Anonymous said...

A recent church sign posted read "This Sunday No Services" perhaps it should read "This Sunday No Party" Roaring OUt loud.

Anonymous said...

A recent church sign posted read "This Sunday No Services" perhaps it should read "This Sunday No Party" Roaring OUt loud.

oncoffee said...

Are we allowed to party at church?
You see, there we go again: wrong picture.
If the church is people [and it is] - God's people - the community of God - the family of God - then there should be partying!
The fruit [singular, not optional] of the spirit is love, joy, peace...
Let the joy show!!

Anonymous said...

Didn't David dance naked in his joy?

Anonymous said...

check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wchE0o-Uuxc&search=tomlin A song called Party by Chris Tomlin.

Anonymous said...

I like where this is headed...

Not so much with the nude gyrations but more with the dancing in general. I don't really have many skills to pay the dancing bills but I do like singing about it. Like the Delirious? tune, "did you feel the mountains tremble" for example. They call us to "dance upon injustice". I like that. I think the western church could use a little more of that kind of grooving. In fact, maybe we should move the party out of the house and into the streets. Maybe even ones that have no names.

Ok, I'll quit now. I'm beginning to sound like that Scott guy who sometimes posts....

Good times.

Anonymous said...

You know you can always Find me in the River. I'll be there with you and we're going to dance in the river yeah, we're going to dance in the river yeah. Oh I feel like dancing, it's foolishness I know, but everybodies dancing now, cause we're so happy so I'm not ashamed of the gospel, I'm not ashamed of the one I love. Anyway while were at it Let's open up the doors and let the people sing.

P.s. J mills - you're posts are starting to taking a turn for the better....

oncoffee said...

2 Samuel 6:14 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might
Not quite naked - but certainly energetically - David was possibly the first break dancer!

Anonymous said...

I thought an ephod was more a covering over the chest...it would also explain why his wife was ashamed and embarassed of his activitiy. I think the naked-ness was more evident than we think. I don't want to santized the scripture with nice 'Christian' thinking....call it for what it was.

oncoffee said...

I like Jason's comment that "maybe we should move the party out of the house and into the streets." It's easy to turn the party of God's Kingdom into a private party. God's heart is to see men & women, of all races & colours & shapes & sizes & dancing ability come to the party.