tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post114556632946787312..comments2023-06-02T05:56:55.748-05:00Comments on Love Each Stone: The End of ChristendomDavid Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11701934251748260267noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-1145686003944996612006-04-22T01:06:00.000-05:002006-04-22T01:06:00.000-05:00Thanks for your excellent thoughts. I serve east ...Thanks for your excellent thoughts. I serve east of you but still in a "western" context. You have summarized the spiritual condition very accurately. Mike's comment concerning reception of the gospel is also insightful. If there is no hope, why keep going? Why move family and life to a place unknown and in a language that seems impossible to master?<BR/><BR/>The only thought I have is God's sacrifice of His Son and His call to His people. He has not promised an easy path or even that people will listen (the Old Testament prophets were told at times to go but nobody will listen). The fact that He sacrificed His Son for all of us sinful people who don't even want to know Him is enoughf to have hope. The fact the He calls people to take the gospel into hard and barren lands, gives me even more hope.<BR/><BR/>The hope will not be found in "traditional" church models. Europe is covered with those and it has done more to push people away from the gospel than to draw them. It seems that models which involve relationships, time, openness, safety, and hospitality are having an impact. They are small right now but can become very significant in time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-1145683593148570602006-04-22T00:26:00.000-05:002006-04-22T00:26:00.000-05:00A very profound and provocative excerpt. My conce...A very profound and provocative excerpt. My concern here in the USA is that by and large the church is not preparing ourselves spiritually for the day when we no longer enjoy a privileged position in society. Instead of preparing for this, we tend to devote our efforts to trying to reestablish our privileged position.Tim Sweatmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12207080258485611356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-1145664207032696932006-04-21T19:03:00.000-05:002006-04-21T19:03:00.000-05:00David,There is scriptural basis for continuing to...David,<BR/>There is scriptural basis for continuing to do what you and I do. Paul gives the most complete treatise in Romans: How can they hear etc., but that does not fully respond to your question. Related scripture indicates that God is concerned that all peoples have the chance to "hear" the news. In our context in Lisbon, I know of few people who have actually heard the gospel. Mike's post points to some barriers that we have in common. I must confess that I fall into the relevance camp... While the gospel is inherently relevant, all too often, we focus on the irrelevant. Again, this is nothing new... all of the first century churches seem to have struggled in this area! But that is what gives me the most hope for Europe. Over the centuries, God has shown that matter what kind of mess we make, He is still sovereign. Maybe that is too simplistic, but i believe that is better than complicating it all with a bunch of trash.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01620521498839119423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-1145630022088938322006-04-21T09:33:00.000-05:002006-04-21T09:33:00.000-05:00If you listen to a lot of Christian talk radio you...If you listen to a lot of Christian talk radio you get a steady diet of: a) taking back the country for God; b) restoring our country to our Godly principles; c) standing for righteousness<BR/><BR/>The c) topic sounds innocuous enough until you realize that it is just the "spiritualized" version of a) and b).<BR/><BR/>How is the gospel <B>received</B> in Europe? Is it received as God making a way to have eternal relationship with you, or is it received as an attempt to take back the Western culture for Christ? (see a), b), c) above)<BR/><BR/>I find when I am talking with friends and family about Christ, I have to spend a lot of time saying what the Gospel <B>is not</B>.Mike Woodwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14539827619137083234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-1145602280511354772006-04-21T01:51:00.000-05:002006-04-21T01:51:00.000-05:00That is absolutely awesome! If that doesn't make y...That is absolutely awesome! If that doesn't make you want to strap on your spiritual armor and storm the gates of hell what will?Jeff Whitfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09727638032039531394noreply@blogger.com