There's an old joke about a Christian stranded in his house during a flood who prays that God will rescue him. When the water gets to waist height a man comes by in a canoe and asks him to climb in. But he tells him he is OK as he has asked God to save him. The water gets higher forcing him onto the first floor. He keeps praying. A lifeboat comes by and offers to take him, but he says he is OK and that God is going to save him. The water rises further and he climbs onto the roof and prays again. A helicopter arrives overhead and starts to lower a rope. But he says no thanks, I've asked God to save me and I have faith in him. The water gets higher and... he drowns. In heaven he complains to God: "I prayed that you would rescue me and you didn't!". To which God said: "Well I did send a canoe, a lifeboat and a helicopter..."
Anyone not heard that before? Thought so. Anyway, it came into my mind the other day when I was chatting with some friends about Peace Week, ChangeMakers and the whole 'mission with' thing that I have been banging on about. It seems to me that there are numerous obvious and major opportunities for churches and Christians to be involved in our society and culture, most of them stemming from two simple facts: (1) most of the things we are concerned about most other people are also concerned about; (2) it's where most of us live and move and have our being 6.5 days of the week. The other 0.5 we sing and talk and pray about justice and serving and and salt and light and having 'the Father's heart' for people, but I wonder if we have a very limited, maybe over-spiritualised, conception of what that looks like and miss the answers to our prayers.
Do Matthew 7 v21-23 and 25 v31-45 apply here or is that a step too far?
Anyone not heard that before? Thought so. Anyway, it came into my mind the other day when I was chatting with some friends about Peace Week, ChangeMakers and the whole 'mission with' thing that I have been banging on about. It seems to me that there are numerous obvious and major opportunities for churches and Christians to be involved in our society and culture, most of them stemming from two simple facts: (1) most of the things we are concerned about most other people are also concerned about; (2) it's where most of us live and move and have our being 6.5 days of the week. The other 0.5 we sing and talk and pray about justice and serving and and salt and light and having 'the Father's heart' for people, but I wonder if we have a very limited, maybe over-spiritualised, conception of what that looks like and miss the answers to our prayers.
Do Matthew 7 v21-23 and 25 v31-45 apply here or is that a step too far?
