Radical Preaching: Dan Bell’s Response to Our Reflections

Too much of modern theology and contemporary Christian life seems to take not the good news of God’s gift, but sin as the starting point for talking about the Christian life. We talk with sin having already set limits on what God and we can do in this world. And then the Christian life becomes just a matter of managing sin, of a utilitarian calculus of making sure sin works out for the greatest good that always includes me.

What bridges the gap between these two realities? Between the possibility of victory in Christ and the (im)possibility of sin persisting in our life? Confession. Lamentation. The spiritual disciplines. The Means of Grace that make us better than we otherwise would be, that help us grow on the way of salvation, the way of holiness.

As I move through the Advent season and the “entering in” which Jesus embodied; the “God with us”; the “Means of Grace” is such a valuable thing and a needed thing for all who seek after God. This “way of holiness” is not possible without the formative structures of Godf’s people seeking to immerse themselves ever more fully in the Jesus story. The vision of church being forwarded in the little publication from Gordon Cosby and Kayla McLung of the Church of the Saviour communities (“little in terms of lenght but hefty in vision) has heightened the sense that tthere is something on the horizon. But I must say that I have been a bit disapoointed lately that things are not moving as quickly as I had hoped. I have to find some more ways, other than my blog here, and a couple of efforts to reach out and find some audience or reception for the things going on inside of me. There seems to be no outlets for me at the present that are local. That’s not to say that I’m giving up on this. I can’t.

I know that I need this “Means of Grace that make me-us better than I-we otherwise would be”. I can’t imagine what life must be like for people who long for something that they can’t envision or articulate or even know that it is the source of some undefined un-ease. I have the gift of awareness of the call of God into some expression of church. But as it says in many different ways in “Becoming the Authentic Church”, we are called to share this journey. But the structures in existence don’t seem to have room , or “opening” for this. I am seeing more clearly what Hauerwas may have been thinking when he spoke of “the cracks” where the church might find a way to break through and be the beloved community that it is meant to be. So much of what is trying to burst forth from the Spirit’s moving is needing to be let through.

If the church is not rightly gathered, then the only kingdom Christians end up preaching and proclaiming is that of whatever nation state or market they happen to be living in.

The Kingdom of God encompasses such riches, and opens the door to the ways of becoming freed. Our culture and its supporting and assumed “neccessary supports” is NOT be our guide. Dan Bell’s words in his comments I read tonight brought these thoughts to mind. I haven’t had too many words lately.

(Oh, BTW, thanks for pointing those comments out , Eric. I had read his first comment on Radical Preaching, and was not aware that he had posted again. )