We’ve talked before
about being able to sum up our experience with God, our healing journey with
Christ. We have talked about distilling our journey with God in words
that can be said in 30-60 seconds. Although I read a statement from
someone who said, “If you want to know my story with God it’ll take a lot
longer than a minute or two” I still believe it is helpful to say -in a
plain, clear way- what is the heart of our life with God in Christ.
In the September 5th issue of Christian Century several faith leaders were asked to summarize the Gospel in seven words. Here are some of their responses:
“In Christ, God’s yes defeats our no,” states Beverly Roberts Gaventa. “We belong to God’s love from which we cannot flee.”
“Divinely persistent, God really loves us,” writes Donald W. Shriver. “The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is working to infiltrate the whole creation with God’s love."
“We are the church of infinite chances,” says Mary Karr. The banner over the church says “Sinners Welcome.”
Blake wrote, “And we are put on earth a little space, that we may learn to bear the beams of love.”
Lutheran scholar Martin E. Marty says, “God, through Jesus Christ, welcomes you anyhow.”
Brian McLaren summarizes the Gospel with the words, “In Christ, God calls all to reconciliation.”
“Love your neighbor as yourself,” Bill McKibben says. “Loving mainly ourselves –which is the definition of the high consumer society we inhabit- means creating a world that stinks. It’s a world that is getting steadily hotter, where almost all of us increasingly feel economically insecure. Jesus had it figured it out: It only works when we’re in it together.”
“God was born. We can be reborn,” writes Carol Howard Merritt. “We are who God says we are,” states Nadia Bolz-Weber.
Martin B. Copenhaver uses a phrase you have heard me use: “God gets the last word.” He explains, “In the death and resurrection of Jesus it is clear that our God is the kind of God who insists on having the last word…and that is always a word of hope, of reconciliation, of healing, of goodness and of life.”
What seven words would you string together to summarize the heart of God’s good news?
In Christ and for Christ,
Mark
In the September 5th issue of Christian Century several faith leaders were asked to summarize the Gospel in seven words. Here are some of their responses:
“In Christ, God’s yes defeats our no,” states Beverly Roberts Gaventa. “We belong to God’s love from which we cannot flee.”
“Divinely persistent, God really loves us,” writes Donald W. Shriver. “The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is working to infiltrate the whole creation with God’s love."
“We are the church of infinite chances,” says Mary Karr. The banner over the church says “Sinners Welcome.”
Blake wrote, “And we are put on earth a little space, that we may learn to bear the beams of love.”
Lutheran scholar Martin E. Marty says, “God, through Jesus Christ, welcomes you anyhow.”
Brian McLaren summarizes the Gospel with the words, “In Christ, God calls all to reconciliation.”
“Love your neighbor as yourself,” Bill McKibben says. “Loving mainly ourselves –which is the definition of the high consumer society we inhabit- means creating a world that stinks. It’s a world that is getting steadily hotter, where almost all of us increasingly feel economically insecure. Jesus had it figured it out: It only works when we’re in it together.”
“God was born. We can be reborn,” writes Carol Howard Merritt. “We are who God says we are,” states Nadia Bolz-Weber.
Martin B. Copenhaver uses a phrase you have heard me use: “God gets the last word.” He explains, “In the death and resurrection of Jesus it is clear that our God is the kind of God who insists on having the last word…and that is always a word of hope, of reconciliation, of healing, of goodness and of life.”
What seven words would you string together to summarize the heart of God’s good news?
In Christ and for Christ,
Mark
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