"The little Gospel promises me personal salvation and eternal life. But the robust Gospel doesn’t stop there; it also promises a new society and a new creation.” - Scott McKnight (The Eight Marks of the Gospel - article in Christianity Today, 2/29/08)
I don't know about you, but the robust Gospel sounds a bit more appealing than the little Gospel...and a bit more like something Jesus would say...
I had a pretty cool experience last Sunday. I was speaking at a small church in Seattle that had two services - a "traditional" service, and a "contemporary" service. I've found that generally means that there is more gray hair at one than the other. My cynical hat was on nice and tight as - sure enough - I turned out to be one of the youngest people in the first service. The only people younger were the youth pastor and two boys (probably 8-12 years old) that were there with their parents.
We got a couple songs...er...I mean hymns...into the service when they took their take-a-moment-and-greet-each-other break. Being the only person in the front row, I turned around and greeted...nobody. Which was good, because it gave me time to witness something truly wonderful. As I stood there, two or three of the gray-haired worshippers made beelines to the young boys and hugged them, greeted them, and made them feel like the two most valuable people in the room. Being young boys, they tried to play it "cool," but I could see the grins (albeit cool grins) on their faces.
My cynical hat fell to the floor and my spirit lifted. The rest of the morning I sincerely and thoroughly enjoyed belting out some hymns - most of which I didn't recognize - and gazing around at people twice my age, truly enjoying each other the presence of God.
Kari and I just got back from a pretty thought-provoking event. That said, even on the way there I didn't really want to be going. It was a beautiful night...we could be out on a boat. I had spent the whole day working in the yard...my body ached and I just wanted to sit down. It was hot...I didn't want to put on "nice" clothes.
Then I got to Dance for a Cure and realized I was surrounded by people currently fighting cancer, people who lost loved ones to cancer, and people who had beaten cancer. And I stopped whining.
Dance for a Cure is a night filled with every kind of dancing you could imagine. Hip-Hop, contemporary, ballet, improvisational, modern, 50's swing, and a guy who could tap dance like no one I'd ever seen before!
Not only was the dancing a smorgasbord, but the dancers were of every age, nationality, body type, and ability. All coming together to celebrate, struggle, and fight together. Hmmm...sounds a bit like what "church" should be like...
I just got home from a meeting with one of those guys that always makes me think, challenges me, and encourages me at the same time. We were talking about life, business, effectiveness, and how we were doing in those areas when Jeff said this:
The enemy of "great" is not "bad." The enemy of great is "good."
So many of us spend too much time living in the "good enough," when God longs for us to live in the "great." To truly be doing, being, and living all that He created us to do, be, and live. When we settle for "good enough," we've automatically accepted less than the life more abundantly Jesus spoke of as the reason He came.
Thanks Jeff. I needed that.
What would you sacrifice to help someone else? This is one of those sports stories that just needs to be told - whether you like sports or not.
"With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked her best swing and did something she had never done, in high school or college. Her first home run cleared the center-field fence.
"But it appeared to be the shortest of dreams come true when she missed first base, started back to tag it and collapsed with a knee injury.
"She crawled back to first but could do no more. The first-base coach said she would be called out if her teammates tried to help her. Or, the umpire said, a pinch runner could be called in, and the homer would count as a single.
"Then, members of the Central Washington University softball team stunned spectators by carrying Tucholsky around the bases Saturday so the three-run homer would count - an act that contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs."
Read the whole thing here. (courtesy of msn.foxsports.com) or watch a video about it here.
