Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Changing the way I communicate without changing the message
I am the Pastor of Student Ministries at a Presbyterian Church in St. Petersburg Florida. My wife and I moved to the area after living in the heart of the bible belt. I served in some very typical bible belt-like churches, complete with the standard christianese language that comes with the territory. I was baptized in a christian sub-culture that was so common in practice that it became like second nature to me.
When I aceepted the call to come on staff here in St. Petersburg, I brought that religous sub-culture with me. After being here for over seven months now I have noticed that, slowly but surely, almost all rements of that christianese language that I had learned is almost all gone. In its place is a mindset that is sensitve to the hearer of the message that I have been charged with, as a minister of the gospel(Matthew 28).
I have discovered that truth is not found in some religous sub-culture that helps seperate those who follow Jesus from those who do not, but it is found in being able to make the message of the gospel relevant to the hearer without changing the truth of the gospel.
Have you ever noticed that the message of the gospel is so deep and diverse with many different aspects, affecting everything in life? I beleive it is because the gospel can be spoken to many different people in many different phases of life from many different view points without having the central truth of the gospel go unchanged. Jesus, perfect in His humanity. Jesus, completely self-sacraficing in His death. Jesus, reconciling all things to Himself in His resurrection.
The Gospel is glorious.
When I aceepted the call to come on staff here in St. Petersburg, I brought that religous sub-culture with me. After being here for over seven months now I have noticed that, slowly but surely, almost all rements of that christianese language that I had learned is almost all gone. In its place is a mindset that is sensitve to the hearer of the message that I have been charged with, as a minister of the gospel(Matthew 28).
I have discovered that truth is not found in some religous sub-culture that helps seperate those who follow Jesus from those who do not, but it is found in being able to make the message of the gospel relevant to the hearer without changing the truth of the gospel.
Have you ever noticed that the message of the gospel is so deep and diverse with many different aspects, affecting everything in life? I beleive it is because the gospel can be spoken to many different people in many different phases of life from many different view points without having the central truth of the gospel go unchanged. Jesus, perfect in His humanity. Jesus, completely self-sacraficing in His death. Jesus, reconciling all things to Himself in His resurrection.
The Gospel is glorious.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Greetings
This is my first post on my first blog ever! Those of you who know me know that I have always been critical of the blogging culture. Blogging always seemed to be the perfect postmodern outlet for those who needed to be defined or those who needed the opportunity to constantly express how they should be defined. Recently after reviewing some different blogs, I discovered that blogging would be a great way to exchange ideas. I hope this won't be the last here.
This is my first post on my first blog ever! Those of you who know me know that I have always been critical of the blogging culture. Blogging always seemed to be the perfect postmodern outlet for those who needed to be defined or those who needed the opportunity to constantly express how they should be defined. Recently after reviewing some different blogs, I discovered that blogging would be a great way to exchange ideas. I hope this won't be the last here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
