Lukewarm

I created this blog back in June of 2010 and have never actually written a post. I pasted an entry from our family blog just to have some content here, but nothing else. When I sat down today to write, I found it quite ironic that the last post was written exactly one year ago today. Very much unplanned. Weird.

I'm actually going to try to keep this relatively short this time. I'm reading Crazy Love, by Francis Chan, with some friends and we are discussing it over email each week. We just finished up chapter 4 which focuses heavily on "lukewarm" Christianity. I think just about anyone who would call themselves Christian can identify with that word in some way. I know I can. We want all the benefits of Christianity and none of the sacrifice or, dare I say it, suffering. Matt Chandler talks about how people want Tinkerbell Jesus who flutters about and sprinkles happy dust on everyone, not the Jesus of the Bible, because the Jesus of the Bible asks much more of us than church attendance and being "good", whatever that means. In Crazy Love, Francis Chan says "Jesus asks for everything, but we try to give Him less" and that a relationship with God cannot grow when "life" is piled on top of it. He goes on to say that the American church is a difficult place to fit in if you want to live out New Testament Christianity.

I feel very blessed to be able to say that it is becoming increasingly less difficult at our church.  We have a pastor that preaches Jesus and the cross fearlessly, persistently, humbly, and biblically day in and day out.  And the result is a church body that is on fire like nothing I've ever been a part of.  It is a true testament to the power God has over the hearts, minds, and lives of people who are hungry for truth and tired of all the baggage that so often gets attached to the gospel.  I'm so thankful for this town, our friends, and our church family.

"that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,"  -Philippians 3:10