THE ELEPHANT STANDING IN THE ROOM IS 'THE CHURCH HAD CEASED TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS AS IT WENT ABOUT CONGRATULATING ITSELF FOR TRANSFORMING THE WORLD, NOT NOTICING, THAT IN FACT THE WORLD HAD TAMED THE CHURCH'
- Stanely Hauerwas
Let's be honest . . . most ministers do not know how to grow a church, most Christians really don't know what they are doing spiritually, and most churches do not really know the first thing about discipleship and mentoring and training others how to grow as a follower of Jesus and to make more disciples. Ask someone to disciple or spiritually mentor you and they will probably hand you a book. Why? Because they were never discipled and so they can not give away what they have never been shown or taught.
I remember hearing the story of a young college aged man who wrote the three best Christian leaders he knew that taught on the spiritual life. Two of the men wrote back and recommended books to him. The third man, the late Henri Nouwen invited the young man to live with him for a short while and learn discipleship first hand. I do believe its this kind of daring courage and risky faith that Nouwen demonstrated over and over in his life that the Church desperately needs today.
Jesus never wrote a book (something worth pondering) but I always thought if Jesus did, it would be short, consise, and simple books like Nouwen wrote with few words and big print. The simplicity and the beauty of the gospel seems lost in today's confused and complicated world of mega-churches and televangelists. Nouwen fiercely loved Jesus and he spent his later years working with the handicapped and the disabled.
How daring and risky are you when it comes to living out your faith in an unbelieving world?
I remember hearing the story of a young college aged man who wrote the three best Christian leaders he knew that taught on the spiritual life. Two of the men wrote back and recommended books to him. The third man, the late Henri Nouwen invited the young man to live with him for a short while and learn discipleship first hand. I do believe its this kind of daring courage and risky faith that Nouwen demonstrated over and over in his life that the Church desperately needs today.
Jesus never wrote a book (something worth pondering) but I always thought if Jesus did, it would be short, consise, and simple books like Nouwen wrote with few words and big print. The simplicity and the beauty of the gospel seems lost in today's confused and complicated world of mega-churches and televangelists. Nouwen fiercely loved Jesus and he spent his later years working with the handicapped and the disabled.
How daring and risky are you when it comes to living out your faith in an unbelieving world?
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