Missio Dei Suburbia

Evangelism - The Tipping Point

One of my favorite quotes from NT Wright's Surprised By Hope:

“When the church is seen to move straight from worship of the God we see in Jesus to making a difference and effecting much-needed change in the real world; when it becomes clear that the people who feast at Jesus’ table are the ones in the forefront of work to eliminate hunger and famine; when people realize that those who pray for the Spirit to work in and through them are the people who seem to have extra resources of love and patience in caring for those whose lives are damaged, bruised, and shamed; then it is not only natural to speak of Jesus himself and to encourage others to worship him for themselves and find out what belonging to his family is all about but it is also natural for people, however irreligious they may think of themselves as being, to recognize that something is going on that they want to be part of. In terms that the author of Acts might have used, when the church is living out the kingdom of God, the word of God will spread powerfully and do its own work.”

(HT: Tony Stiff)

NT Wright on Everyday Life

Short interview with NT Wright on how individuals and churches honor God in everyday life.

You must always come back to prayer, worship, and Bible study. Make sure that Christians are not going hollow in the middle individually or corporately.  But, then let it flow out. First, focus on mission. Second, grow leadership. Third, encourage discipleship.  Then, act collaboratively. That means the church helps the local education authority, the local housing committee, the police force, whatever it may be. Let’s work with everyone who we can. 

You can read the entire interview here.

Getting Ready for Easter - The Death of Death

Easter is more difficult to communicate than Christmas. We find it rather simple to talk about the birth of a baby compared to the brutal murder of an innocent man. Incarnation is more accessible than exaltation. 'He's here' is easier to swallow than 'he'll be back soon.'

So maybe this will help...

The central New Testament belief is that death will be not simply redefined but defeated. God's intention is not to let death have its way with us. If the promised final future is simply that immortal souls leave behind their mortal bodies, then death still rules - since that is a description not of the defeat of death but simply of death itself, seen from one angle.

NT Wright, Surprised By Hope, 15.