Here’s an interesting article about attending church. If you know me well you’ll know how funny I am about the words that we use to describe stuff and this article focusses on the way we use the word ‘church’ and what we often inevitably mean by it.
Why Paradox???
I often get asked the question as to why I named our church Paradox. Besides the fact that it sounded kind of cool and “non-churchy”, it is also because I believe that the gospel is a paradox in so many ways.
Here’s the dictionary meaning:
par·a·dox [par-uh-doks]
- a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
- an opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion.
The message and life of Jesus doesn’t fit with the majority of the worlds ways of thinking. It’s upside down and back to front. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:21-25:
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Without a revelation from the Holy Spirit the message of Jesus is foolish and weak. Therefore the life of Christians should seem out of the ordinary for many people. As followers of Jesus our lives are being shaped after a foolish and weak saviour; at least in the worlds eyes; yet for anyone who is a Christian they understand, hopefully, that the life and person of Christ is true and complete wisdom and strength. Therefore as we live a radically counter-cultural life following Jesus it will not make sense to many people but hopefully some will ask us why and we can point them to Jesus.
I was sent this puritan prayer and it really summed it up well for me:
The Valley of Vision
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.
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Missional Velocity by Alan Hirsch
Interesting video looking at the role of the contemporary church in Australian culture and the need to rethink how we do mission in a western context.
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