Tuesday Reflection for Week 8

Ryan said Tuesday, "The barriers of people coming to faith are sociological, rather than theological" (emphases added). That statement really hit me hard, because that means then that we are getting in the way of the Gospel. By insisting that church be done in a certain fashion, or trying to copy someone else's model of church in a totally different context we are missing the point. We are asking the wrong questions. I think that we are much too concerned with the forms rather than trying to embody the Gospel within a particular context: What does it mean to follow Christ in this culture? At least one thing that is hopeful is that we are much less secular than the UK, but if we do not make that shift from being missional as opposed to attractional, we are not that far behind. I hope it doesn't take 100 years like Van Engen said it would, but if somehow we can embody the Gospel in my college ministry in my stay there, then it will be all the more worth it...