We were having a discussion last week with superintendents. We were deep in a dialogue about creating a culture of rapid kingdom expansion. This is a passion of ours: energetically pursuing how to influence our church culture so that we will spontaneously reproduce, heal, model Christlikeness, etc.
But how do we become that culture? We were in the middle of that discussion and someone said that in a culture like that we would all speak the name of Jesus, redemptively, many times a day; that the unwritten prohibitions of American culture against invading the spiritual realm would be replaced by the Kingdom culture which inserts Jesus to everything. And then I said that I assumed that most FMs lived that way even right now. In fact, I said, I routinely speak of Jesus 5-6 times a day in redemptive opportunities.
Well, it turns out I'm a big fat exaggerationist! When I said it I thought it was true, but in the few days since that meeting I've been keeping track and it's not true.
Now I could give a bunch of excuses but it's best to just 'fess up and admit it. What I found I do speak, is of God. Whether it's the waitress, the flight attendant, or motel housekeeper (they're the only non-believers I've interacted with since the meeting) I do routinely urge them to re-orient their lives around God, to not forget the God who loves them, etc. That's easy and common for me.
Accurately, I probably average that kind of spiritually directed conversation 2-3 times a day, with strangers. But I've realized it usually doesn't include the name of my lord, the messiah, Jesus.
So not only am a miserable low-down exaggerationist, I've also got some growing to do: To practice incorporating that name above all names in my daily conversations with the friends I meet who need the healer. Care to join me?
Que tal obispo??
Soy Iván Fuentes...(casa bonita en Santiago de Chile)
Me gustaria que posteara algo en español para los Hispanos que visitamos su Blog...
De todas formas pedire que me traduscan sus post ya que solo entiendo palabras sueltas y no logro leer oraciones completas...
Reciba un abrazo y cariños a Hna Ivonne
sldos desde Chile...
Posted by: Iván | February 24, 2008 at 11:22 PM