The Gospel Interrupted

Steve recently came across this quote by Dallas Willard about the "emerging church":

"They have a justifiable and healthy reaction against the model of programmatic church, and I think that it's good in many respects. I hope and pray that they find their way and bring us something really positive and good. That remains to be seen. The great challenge for the emerging church is determining their message. Reacting against the modern church is not a gospel. But if their message becomes living in the kingdom at the street level, then that's going to be wonderful." - Dallas Willard

I am not a huge emerging church fan and am simply tired and bored of discussions about the emerging church - but I like this quote. I like it because it calls for accountability, it calls for the so called 'emergers' (I will be kind and include myself in this) to take stock of their message and the gospel that they preach.

I have a justifiable (sometimes not) and healthy (sometimes unhealthy) reaction against the model of programmatic church because I have seen and experienced the 'fruit' of it. I am tired of reacting and don't wanna live there anymore!

The True Gospel of the Kingdom, the Message of Jesus, impacts people at street level - it can't be hidden in the confines of a livingroom - it is visible and in your face. It draws the carrier to the unwanted, the forgotten, the broken and the unlovely. It offends, impacts, heals, delivers and brings freedom to all those who embrace it.

So what is the gospel we preach?

It's not about words as much as it is about a Person - Jesus. The challenge for us is to make sure that we present the Person and not just the words.