Greg

“Evangelicals in America have a choice, and it’s a big one. Are we going to continue to pursue the growth of the church above all else, or are we going to pursue the holistic stewardship of life, the land, the people, the animals, the environment, and the world in which we are situated? Our culture is changing rapidly, and we are not going to survive if we do not live for the life of the world, because the culture will reject us and our message out of hand. Are we going to continue to pursue and perpetuate church models, church growth, conversions, and the survival of Christian culture no matter what? Or are we going to live like Jesus lived? Are we going to embrace the cruciform life of discipleship? Are we going to continue to preach a soterian gospel meant to provide us with more “conversions”? Or are we going to lay down our lives for the sake of the world? If we do, we might find the courage and strength to begin to dive headlong into a better understanding of what the church is and what it is for.”
― Tim Suttle, Shrink: Faithful Ministry in a Church-Growth Culture

“Christians best thrive as a minority, a counterculture. Historically, when they reach a majority they too have yielded to the temptations of power in ways that are clearly anti-gospel. Charlemagne ordered a death penalty for all Saxons who would not convert, and in 1492 Spain decreed that all Jews convert to Christianity or be expelled. British Protestants in Ireland once imposed a stiff fine on anyone who did not attend church and deputies forcibly dragged Catholics into Protestant churches. Priests in the American West sometimes chained Indians to church pews to enforce church attendance. After many such episodes in Christendom it became clear that religion allied too closely to the state leads to the abuse of power. Much of the current hostility against Christians evokes the memory of such examples. The blending of church and state may work for a time but it inevitably provokes a backlash, such as that seen in secular Europe today.”
― Philip Yancey, Vanishing Grace: What Ever Happened to the Good News?

“We are people of worship and work in service to God and to each other. It’s that simple. It’s that hard. While many run from Islam, or from poverty, immigration, AIDS, third-world debt relief, the church runs toward them all. It is a dangerous mission. But it is the mission to which God has called us. In our baptism, he calls us to a life of search and rescue. Each time we gather, we do so with the full knowledge that we are being sent. Sent to usher in the shalom of God, to bring shalom to every person, space, and place. The first step in not killing your Muslim neighbor is to join a church that reads the gospels (particularly Luke 10) and puts those words into action. We’re moving beyond stereotypes. The future depends upon it. Beyond fear. Beyond anger. Beyond rage. Beyond caricatures. So be bold. And do not be afraid.”
― Joshua Graves, How Not to Kill a Muslim: A Manifesto of Hope for Christianity and Islam in North America

“Anxiety over persecution tends to take precedence over every other issue. Continually being on the lookout for Christian persecution distracts us from concern about hunger, abuse, poverty, and the issues about which Jesus told his followers to be concerned. Jesus had a lot to say about the way his followers treated others. He talked about their care for the hungry and helpless. Never once though did he tell his disciples to fight for religious freedom or to stand up for what they believed.”
― Jason Wiedel, Persecution Complex: Why American Christians Need to Stop Playing the Victim