What does it mean to be a Christ follower?
After reading more and thinking a lot, I keep wondering what it really means to be a Christian. If you haven't read it, check out the book "UnChristian" by David Kinnaman. It's a must read for those in ministry and for anyone with a heart to reach people who are disconnected.
The book is based on research from people who are NOT Christians on their perspectives of the "church." The results are pretty scary, but there isn't anything uncorrectable or fatal there. The things he lists include: judgmental, hypocritical, anti-homosexual, too political, sheltered, and focused only on "saving" people. Each of those rebukes is true. Partially because the church isn't a homogeneous group, but mainly because it's true! People are turned off by us not being real or by putting on a persona. To quote DC Talk (yes, I am a child of the 80-90's): "The single biggest cause of atheism today are Christians who confess Jesus at church then walk out of the doors and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world finds unbelievable." The quote was true in '97 (I'm not sure, might've been earlier) and is even more powerfully true today.
Why do these things define the church? Simple: because of the people who go to church and wear the name Christian or put the fish on their car only to tailgate you and then flip you the bird for being slow. There are videos set to the Mac vs. PC ad style depicting a Christian vs. a Christ follower. The videos are hilarious (especially the Christian retail branding of normal products) but make the same point: people give the name "Christian" its reputation. Heck, most Americans claim to BE Christian but never have even thought about an actual relationship with Jesus! The same thing is true of people in Europe, many think they're Christians but have no personal stake in the idea much less a relationship. I had an exchange student from Norway this past year who is a great gal, but she thinks she's set simply because she was baptized when she was small!
That idea is what leads people to give me their spiel every time they find out what I do. I'll stand in the line at Wal-Mart and talk to the people around me. I dodge first and say, "I work with students." Then they ask which school, and I say I'm not a teacher. Then they look puzzled and try to figure it out. Eventually they get down to the answer and I say, "I work at the Presbyterian church as the youth pastor." Then they freak out as they realize they've said some things to a pastor and come back with the spiel: "Oh, well my grandpa's second cousin's mother's brother's cousin's wife's nephew is a pastor in Timbuktu!" To which I always think, "Wow, quite the well rehearsed line to justify and make it okay for you to do and say anything because the Jesus thing is hereditary and contagious."
I'll pick up my soapbox again next time, but what does it really mean to be a Christian? How do we respond to people who bring up these things? What should the church do to respond to these things? How can we be more effective in reaching and connecting with people who AREN'T Christians? We'll look more next time and hopefully answer some of those questions...
The book is based on research from people who are NOT Christians on their perspectives of the "church." The results are pretty scary, but there isn't anything uncorrectable or fatal there. The things he lists include: judgmental, hypocritical, anti-homosexual, too political, sheltered, and focused only on "saving" people. Each of those rebukes is true. Partially because the church isn't a homogeneous group, but mainly because it's true! People are turned off by us not being real or by putting on a persona. To quote DC Talk (yes, I am a child of the 80-90's): "The single biggest cause of atheism today are Christians who confess Jesus at church then walk out of the doors and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world finds unbelievable." The quote was true in '97 (I'm not sure, might've been earlier) and is even more powerfully true today.
Why do these things define the church? Simple: because of the people who go to church and wear the name Christian or put the fish on their car only to tailgate you and then flip you the bird for being slow. There are videos set to the Mac vs. PC ad style depicting a Christian vs. a Christ follower. The videos are hilarious (especially the Christian retail branding of normal products) but make the same point: people give the name "Christian" its reputation. Heck, most Americans claim to BE Christian but never have even thought about an actual relationship with Jesus! The same thing is true of people in Europe, many think they're Christians but have no personal stake in the idea much less a relationship. I had an exchange student from Norway this past year who is a great gal, but she thinks she's set simply because she was baptized when she was small!
That idea is what leads people to give me their spiel every time they find out what I do. I'll stand in the line at Wal-Mart and talk to the people around me. I dodge first and say, "I work with students." Then they ask which school, and I say I'm not a teacher. Then they look puzzled and try to figure it out. Eventually they get down to the answer and I say, "I work at the Presbyterian church as the youth pastor." Then they freak out as they realize they've said some things to a pastor and come back with the spiel: "Oh, well my grandpa's second cousin's mother's brother's cousin's wife's nephew is a pastor in Timbuktu!" To which I always think, "Wow, quite the well rehearsed line to justify and make it okay for you to do and say anything because the Jesus thing is hereditary and contagious."
I'll pick up my soapbox again next time, but what does it really mean to be a Christian? How do we respond to people who bring up these things? What should the church do to respond to these things? How can we be more effective in reaching and connecting with people who AREN'T Christians? We'll look more next time and hopefully answer some of those questions...
its read. not red
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