So I have had my thinking challenged in the past few days…
We are starting a new church wide bible study based on “The Hole in Our Gospel” by Richard Stearns, President of World Vision -U.S. The book addresses what does God expect from us? And are we living the “whole” gospel or one with a hole in it. Immediately I am faced with am I doing what makes me feel good or what makes God feel good and that is a telling revelation.
I am the picture of what most would have as a “good Christian”. I live a morally sound life, I do no harm, I go to church almost every Sunday with my family, I support the church with my presence, my gifts, my service and my witness. But do I really?
The Hole in the World
The gospel as told by Jesus and documented in the new testament is pretty clear that we as Christians are supposed to take care of the “least of those” among us and by doing so are serving not only the human but our very Lord that we claim to believe in. No less than a couple of thousand references throughout the bible tell us to serve the poor, the widows, the sick and the downtrodden. We as a community of faith do a good job out outreach as a whole church to address the gospel above.
And when we do one of those missions we come away feeling good that we have served those that are less fortunate than us or have just come into bad circumstances. But is that the “whole” gospel or did we just do that which is not too messy or personal so that we missed the “hole” in the gospel. For example, I am the lay leader at our church and the primary outreach that is laity is a food bank restocking every winter. This year we took a leap of faith to double what we did last year. We had the goal to provide 12,000 non perishable food items to the food bank of another local church. It was a stretch and was well beyond what other churches were able to do, not because we are a big church because we are not. Instead it was because we identified and focused on a need and were faithful to our calling to live the gospel and we made that goal. It was very fulfilling to deliver that food and see the faces and hear the voices of thanks from those that run the food bank. We did our job, we helped those of lesser means.
That was February…not a one of us has been back since. I am guilty as anyone. So am I living the gospel? Occasionally. What is faith without deeds. I know I can not earn salvation, that is given through belief and the grace of Jesus but when we pray that “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” doesn’t that mean we have to focus on doing what the bible says over and over about those of us that have plenty should give to those that don’t? This bothers me and continues to nag at me almost to the point of not being able to keep it off my mind.
This study brings much attention to the poverty of other parts of the world outside the United States. I must admit that I have been guilty to turning a deaf ear at times for pleas to help with African missions or help in Haiti or any other developing country but given what the gospel is saying to us, it appears as if I am missing the boat on being a disciple of Jesus Christ if I can’t soften my heart to these issues. It is absolutely frightening at the amount of death that is happening around the world by causes like hunger, clean water and disease that we have the knowledge to prevent. We can change the world through the power of our Savior if we have the guts to do His will in our lives and live the whole gospel as we have been taught.
Other Resources:
Maria Abelaye and A Camera: Annoyingly Good Books That Ask You to …
Richard Stearn, “The Hole in Our Gospel” I hate when I read books that leave you no choice but to re-examine and probe at your own heart and intentions and well, everything that makes up the core of your very being. …
Publish Date: 02/19/2010 17:00
http://www.mariaabelaye.com/2010/02/preach-gospel-always-when-necessary-use.html
{Kristen Welch} i didn't understand | liferearranged.com
(Anonymous) -a quote from A Hole in the Gospel, by Richard Stearn, President of World Vision. I didn’t plan to go to Africa. It wasn’t a dream of mine, it didn’t take up space on my bucket list. I didn’t want to fall in love with a …
Publish Date: 08/09/2010 11:21
http://liferearranged.com/2010/08/kristen-welch-i-didnt-understand/
The will of God is to transform His Bride into the image of Christ and He does this through the trials, suffering, fiery furnaces which we go through when we follow Jesus daily, obeying all His commands. It is about a relationship with Jesus with the Holy Spirit, who leads us very specifically every step of the narrow way. It is about cleaning the inside of the cup, otherwise our best works will not make us any different from the Pharisees.