One night, after a City Group gathering, Ben turned to his wife and commented: "These people have nothing in common except Jesus." + Jonathan Dodson
Previous Gospel Story posts:
+ A Gospel Story in a McDonald's
+ A Gospel Story with a Refugee Family
In Federick Buechner's Secrets in the Dark, he says,
Jesus calls us to see that no matter how ordinary it may seem to us as we live it, life is extraordinary. 'The Kingdom of God is at hand' is the way He put it, and the way He tells us to put it to others. Life even at its most monotonous and backbreaking and heart-numbing has the Kingdom buried in it the way a field has treasure buried in it, Jesus said.
Below is an excerpt from Jonathan Dodson's The Unbelievable Gospel that provides an example of how the Good News of Jesus can infiltrate our conversations with others in our City Groups (i.e. missional communities) as we discover His Kingdom in each of our lives revealed like a hidden treasure:
One of the most sincere people I know is Ben. Ben has a sordid history with the church. He describes it this way: "The church I left was a church of people who seemed obsessed with football, conservative politics, and bad praise music. Culture was kind of like a Thomas Kincaid painting. I was a sensitive soul. I loved literature, philosophy, and architecture. Every time I opened my mouth I felt like I had said something totally insane and idiotic. By the time I was a teenager I felt so out of place, I was plagued by suicidal thoughts. So I left that culture and realized there were all sorts of people like me, only they didn't go to church. They were in the bars and art studios. ... "
As a creative person, Ben values diversity. He longed for the freedom to discuss new ideas, argue alternative views, and step outside the narrow confines of his childhood church culture. ...
He began attending our Sunday gatherings regularly and participating in a City Group. We've had some great discussions about writing, art, and culture. While we don't always agree, I always walk away with a deeper appreciation for life. After a conversation with Ben, I see the world differently, often better. When Ben realized that we weren't going to try to change him, and that we would actually engage his views on art, philosophy, literature and Metallica, he was thrown off balance. He saw that the church can be a people of love. I asked him to share his thoughts on this, and he wrote:
With City Life Church, I felt like I fit in ... or I fit in as much as I should ever expect to fit in. People would actually talk about books and art. They weren't mindless, tasteless Jesus zombies. They even told me a few things. ... (and to) remember: All truth is God's truth.
Ben encountered a group of loving Christians who pitched a kingdom tent for truth. What was most striking to him was the spirit of hospitality and respect, that he wasn't shunned for talking about topics like alcohol abuse. Ben encountered the hope of redemption while digging through topics like depression and abortion. There wasn't a conversionary moment that finally drew him to Christ. Instead, Ben radically reoriented to Christ over time through the influence of a community, one that be all appearances had nothing in common with each other.
One night, after a City Group gathering, Ben turned to his wife and commented: "These people have nothing in common except Jesus." We take that as a compliment! And if it sounds familiar, it should. Jesus once said: "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another" (John 13:35). The church isn't a loose collection of religious individuals; it is a loving community united together around Jesus. When we put aside our selfishness, our fear of differences and our disagreements, and begin to love those who are different from us, we begin to glow with the light of Christ. Ben's community was unified, not by life stage, subculture, ethnicity, or vocation. Instead, their unifying hope in the Redeemer lit the way for them to be together.
The gospel of redemption creates common ground for uncommon people. It unites us at a deep level that transcends tastes, hobbies, and pet peeves. When Jesus is central we have a basis for shared forgiveness, love, acceptance. When a church plugs into the gospel of redemption, the light burns so brightly that it will attract even the most unlikely of people.
Praying for and Enjoying Spiritual Conversations with Friends in Your Life
When we realize all of who Jesus is and all that He's done for us, much like other exciting events and people we experience in life, we want to share about Him with our friends, but don't know where to begin.
| 1 | Prayer: Taking one minute to pray and ask God who are two friends that He wants you to be open to talking to and how you might continue to pray for them and grow your friendship.
Consideration: Ask Jesus to help you pray each day for these two friends.
For an example of how to step into the spiritual conversations God gives you with friends, Intervarsity provides helpful considerations and questions as you walk with others and consider where God may be leading them next:
| 2 | Curiosity: When a friend has some questions about faith, but it's not personal for them.
Consideration: Ask introductory questions about views of God and spirituality. No defenses or debates, just thoughtful inquiry.
| 3 | Open: When a friend becomes aware of their emotional and spiritual needs and wonders if there is a God who can meet their spiritual needs.
Consideration: Ask how they might want to grow spiritually and how God might help their growth. Offer to pray with them for this growth.
| 4 | Seeking: When a friend is open to exploring Jesus but are not sure how to seek Jesus for answers.
Consideration: Help them focus in their journey and ask something like: "If you could ask Jesus one honest question that would help you trust Him, what would you ask?"
| 5 | Follower: When a friend has been looking into Jesus, who He is, what He promised, etc., and is considering becoming a follower of Him.
Consideration: Ask: "Can I share with you how someone becomes a follower of Jesus?" Share the Good News that God, through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, is restoring everything sin ruined, and invite your friend to put their trust in Jesus to begin following Him.
If we only had eyes to see and ears to hear and wits to understand, we would know that the Kingdom of God in the sense of holiness, goodness, beauty is as close as breathing and is crying out to be born within ourselves and within the world; we would know that the Kingdom of God is what we all of us hunger for above all other things even when we don't know its name or realize that it's what we're starving to death for. The Kingdom of God is where our best dreams come from and our truest prayers. We catch sight of it when at some moment of crisis a strength seems to come to us that is greater than our own strength. The Kingdom of God is where we belong. It is home, and whether we realize it or not, I think we are all of us homesick for it. + Frederick Buechner, Secrets in the Dark
Next post: A Gospel Story within a Church Community
Christ is all,
Rev. Mike "Sully" Sullivan
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