Comments on: City on a Hill http://brentdiggs.com/blog/city-on-a-hill Sneaking Up On Life From Oblique Angles Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:12:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: ~ http://brentdiggs.com/blog/city-on-a-hill/comment-page-1#comment-21533 ~ Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:16:18 +0000 http://brentdiggs.com/blog/?p=4872#comment-21533 Such keen insight Brent. Thank you. Such keen insight Brent. Thank you.

]]> By: Brent http://brentdiggs.com/blog/city-on-a-hill/comment-page-1#comment-21522 Brent Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:45:24 +0000 http://brentdiggs.com/blog/?p=4872#comment-21522 I admit that the never-ending flow of <a href="http://www.dougbeaumont.org/Lord%20Mart/index.htm" rel="nofollow">Jesus-Junk</a> could drive a person to drink, but I'm not ready to give up hope just yet. I admit that the never-ending flow of Jesus-Junk could drive a person to drink, but I’m not ready to give up hope just yet.

]]> By: Brent http://brentdiggs.com/blog/city-on-a-hill/comment-page-1#comment-21521 Brent Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:39:40 +0000 http://brentdiggs.com/blog/?p=4872#comment-21521 I think the rest of the world, especially the developing world, has a lot to teach us. Not only about what is really important, but even about what is real at all. I've tried to read those articles by InternetMonk and even though he seems to be covering some of the same material as we are discussing here, I just I can't muster any enthusiasm for predictions about the future of movements and "isms." Maybe these movements are just bookmarks in a journey of faith rather than identities to be defended, or even mourned. Just sayin' I think the rest of the world, especially the developing world, has a lot to teach us. Not only about what is really important, but even about what is real at all.

I’ve tried to read those articles by InternetMonk and even though he seems to be covering some of the same material as we are discussing here, I just I can’t muster any enthusiasm for predictions about the future of movements and “isms.”

Maybe these movements are just bookmarks in a journey of faith rather than identities to be defended, or even mourned.

Just sayin’

]]> By: Sleek http://brentdiggs.com/blog/city-on-a-hill/comment-page-1#comment-21519 Sleek Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:48:18 +0000 http://brentdiggs.com/blog/?p=4872#comment-21519 deep insight....But these days, heights only come from bottled fermented fruit... deep insight….But these days, heights only come from bottled fermented fruit…

]]> By: Brent http://brentdiggs.com/blog/city-on-a-hill/comment-page-1#comment-21518 Brent Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:33:28 +0000 http://brentdiggs.com/blog/?p=4872#comment-21518 I believe you're right Debbie. I think that one of the disconnects between the church and younger generations is that well-meaning people have confused the ideas of making the message of Jesus accessible with making it easy. The Jesus you read about in the Bible said that following him would change your entire life...and quite possibly bring it to a premature end. In contrast, many church-people sound like a ginsu infomercial, <em>"...but wait there's more, accept Jesus today and we'll throw in this electric prayer beacon absolutely free!!" </em> Ironically, the problem with whitewashing the gospel seems to be not that we make the gospel "too good to be true" but rather "too bland to base a life on." I believe you’re right Debbie.

I think that one of the disconnects between the church and younger generations is that well-meaning people have confused the ideas of making the message of Jesus accessible with making it easy.

The Jesus you read about in the Bible said that following him would change your entire life…and quite possibly bring it to a premature end.

In contrast, many church-people sound like a ginsu infomercial, “…but wait there’s more, accept Jesus today and we’ll throw in this electric prayer beacon absolutely free!!”

Ironically, the problem with whitewashing the gospel seems to be not that we make the gospel “too good to be true” but rather “too bland to base a life on.”

]]> By: rjlight http://brentdiggs.com/blog/city-on-a-hill/comment-page-1#comment-21517 rjlight Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:50:36 +0000 http://brentdiggs.com/blog/?p=4872#comment-21517 I personally think the pop-culture package turns off more younger people than turns them on. I know my 12-year-old can't stand it when a church turns the Bible into marshmallow creme. He says, why can't we just open the Bible and read it and learn from it, and talk about it and do it... he knows it is hard. We talk about how hard it is in 7th grade when everyone is putting the others down to feel good about themselves. That is his reality that he has to apply the Bible to and a T-shirt with a simple button just doesn't cut it... I personally think the pop-culture package turns off more younger people than turns them on. I know my 12-year-old can’t stand it when a church turns the Bible into marshmallow creme. He says, why can’t we just open the Bible and read it and learn from it, and talk about it and do it… he knows it is hard. We talk about how hard it is in 7th grade when everyone is putting the others down to feel good about themselves. That is his reality that he has to apply the Bible to and a T-shirt with a simple button just doesn’t cut it…

]]> By: ScottL http://brentdiggs.com/blog/city-on-a-hill/comment-page-1#comment-21516 ScottL Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:46:40 +0000 http://brentdiggs.com/blog/?p=4872#comment-21516 Simple yet impactful way to challenge us. As you said somewhere in the article, "at least in America". I suppose learning about and going to places outside of America, seeing the work of God in those places, might stir something in us. I suppose some of this stuff might lead to what <a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-original-coming-evangelical-collapse-posts" rel="nofollow">InternetMonk</a> referred to as the coming evangelical collapse. Interesting to ponder. Simple yet impactful way to challenge us. As you said somewhere in the article, “at least in America”. I suppose learning about and going to places outside of America, seeing the work of God in those places, might stir something in us. I suppose some of this stuff might lead to what InternetMonk referred to as the coming evangelical collapse. Interesting to ponder.

]]> By: ~ http://brentdiggs.com/blog/city-on-a-hill/comment-page-1#comment-21515 ~ Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:17:37 +0000 http://brentdiggs.com/blog/?p=4872#comment-21515 It seems to me the pop-culture packaging of Jesus to the younger more impressionable crowd is not necessarily a bad thing, but I can’t help but think it would cheapen the whole experience of becoming a Christian. Maybe it’s done as a way to make faith in God not so scary or intimidating? But what happens when you realize faith can be intimidating? Do you feel cheated? I think maybe an honest loving discussion of how letting God in to your heart can be messy at times is warranted. Like Greg Boyd said we dare not put Jesus in a nice tidy little box. We must give him permission to mess us up and call in to question sometimes the most fundamental assumptions we might have about everything from our culture to our country. It’s not enough to just attend a Church service…we must hit the pavement and engage people. I’ve had enormous misconceptions of what it means to be a Christian, but I’m learning. It seems to me the pop-culture packaging of Jesus to the younger more impressionable crowd is not necessarily a bad thing, but I can’t help but think it would cheapen the whole experience of becoming a Christian. Maybe it’s done as a way to make faith in God not so scary or intimidating? But what happens when you realize faith can be intimidating? Do you feel cheated? I think maybe an honest loving discussion of how letting God in to your heart can be messy at times is warranted. Like Greg Boyd said we dare not put Jesus in a nice tidy little box. We must give him permission to mess us up and call in to question sometimes the most fundamental assumptions we might have about everything from our culture to our country.

It’s not enough to just attend a Church service…we must hit the pavement and engage people.

I’ve had enormous misconceptions of what it means to be a Christian, but I’m learning.

]]> By: Brent http://brentdiggs.com/blog/city-on-a-hill/comment-page-1#comment-21512 Brent Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:36:22 +0000 http://brentdiggs.com/blog/?p=4872#comment-21512 Thank you for visiting. It is strange to "know" someone online without ever having met them, but I'm sure we'll run into each other eventually. Until then keep up the good work. (Actually you can continue the good work even after you meet me, I'm sure it won't be a world ending event.) Thank you for visiting.

It is strange to “know” someone online without ever having met them, but I’m sure we’ll run into each other eventually. Until then keep up the good work.

(Actually you can continue the good work even after you meet me, I’m sure it won’t be a world ending event.)

]]> By: Brent http://brentdiggs.com/blog/city-on-a-hill/comment-page-1#comment-21511 Brent Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:16:25 +0000 http://brentdiggs.com/blog/?p=4872#comment-21511 No, none of us would. In trying to sort through "the meaning of Christmas" recently and attempting to live out that meaning (part of that discussion you can find <a href="http://brentdiggs.com/blog/happy-holidays" rel="nofollow">here</a>) I got to ponder with some friends about how on Jesus' birthday we give gifts to everyone but the birthday-boy. And how Jesus' gift-giving guide was well published and easy to find: How he made it clear that what we do for the poor and excluded and overlooked, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025:35-40&version=MSG" rel="nofollow">we have actually done for him.</a> The irony is that the best advertising is action. When you start loving on people the way Jesus did, you don't need more ads, you need more space to hold all the people that respond. No, none of us would.

In trying to sort through “the meaning of Christmas” recently and attempting to live out that meaning (part of that discussion you can find here) I got to ponder with some friends about how on Jesus’ birthday we give gifts to everyone but the birthday-boy.

And how Jesus’ gift-giving guide was well published and easy to find: How he made it clear that what we do for the poor and excluded and overlooked, we have actually done for him.

The irony is that the best advertising is action. When you start loving on people the way Jesus did, you don’t need more ads, you need more space to hold all the people that respond.

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