this excerpt comes from Francis Chan’s book “Crazy Love.”
“The american church is a difficult place to fit in if you want to live out New Testament Christianity. The goals of American Christianity are often a nice marriage, children who don’t swear, and good church attendance. Taking the words of Christ literally and seriously is rarely considered. That’s for the “radicals” who are “unbalanced” and who go “overboard.” Most of us want a balanced life that we can control, that is safe, and that does not involve suffering.”
Wow. Just thought i’d share what smacked me in the face.
yeah no doubt, this has been the problem with church as we know it. We’ve tried way to hard to be “Christians” instead of being “like Christ”. In fact I would say much of the contemporary church movement has been about making people comfortable with with the idea of christianity, instead of radical ‘in your face’ Jesus! I am glad to see, and be part of a church (churches, The Church, collectively speaking) that is trying to change that mindset!
I just finished “Crazy Love” yesterday afternoon. I keep going back and reading excerpts that I have highlighted. This book has had an profound impact on my thoughts. Occassionally, someone comes along that seems to be a modern prophet. Francis Chan appears to be one of those people.
“As a pastor I hear a lot of emergent leaders talk about what is wrong with the church. It comes across as someone who doesdn’t love the church. I’m a pastor first and foremost, and I’m trying to offer a solution or a model of what church should look like. I’m going back to Scripture and seeing what the church was in its simplest form and trying to recreate that in my own church. I’m not coming up with anything new. I’m calling people to go back to the way it was. I’m not bashing the church. I’m loving it.” -Francis Chan
good word Eddie.
yes, thanks for this. I had the chance to see Chan at Willow Arts Conference this year and I love his insights. challenging and Christ-centered through and through.
I like the first quote, just not the second (eddies)
A whole notha spin on this is the aspect that WE are the church.
Francis’s effort to offer a solution or a model, is still in my opinion, missing the mark.
I think the capitalist in all of us, says “here is a need, now let’s fulfill it on a huge scale and replicate it”
But, I still like where he is going with it.
Just an honest opinion.
I’ll have to check out the book.
There’s a few other places in his book where I felt the same as you do…smacked in the face. Thanks for sharing it, because it seems to be true, even for me as a pastor who’s planting a church.
I’ve actually become more and more aware of that truth lately. I’ve begun to dig into what a Disciple of Christ is instead of just a feel-good Christian. Very cool! I wanna check out that book!
I hope you guys are doing awesome Jeff and I hope I get to visit yall soon again.
Just got through the book today and I would rate it in the top 5 books I have read. I would describe the book as a definition of LOVE. Check out http://www.crazylovebook.com/. If you are a Lewis fan check out the following – Chan talks about this in the book – http://www.cslewisinstitute.org/sites/www.cslewisinstitute.org/files/webfm/reflections/Feb06.pdf
Amanda, that may be the most encouraging comment I’ve read in a long long while! Keep digging! I’m digging right along side of you and I suspect alot of others are too.
I think a lot of people are moving in that direction. They have become dissatisfied with the church as a system and are longing for Christ alone. The church as we may know it will soon have to come to the crossroads of no longer attempting to fulfill the place that only Jesus can. This will indeed change roles. Yet the bride of Christ will be strengthened with nourishment that they have never known before.
I heard on NPR (why I listen I don’t know) today that 57% of Evangelicals believe that there are other ways to heaven besides Christ. I think there needs to be a little more smacking and a lot less comfort.
THANK YOU! JEFF!!!
I agree! I think we have to change some things to be more like the bible, and be more effective and etc. Thank you Eddie for your other quote from Francis. I’m right there with him.
hey this random but i’m bored soooooo idk
god bless bye
haven
Hi, I’ve noticed that you’ve blogged about Crazy Love, by Francis Chan. Just wanted you to know that the videos to accompany the book are now available to download at:
http://www.crazylovebook.com/videos
Also, a Crazy Love small group dvd with never-before-seen content will be available in January. Because of your wonderful blog post about the book, I’d like to offer you a free pre-release copy of the dvd to review. Please email me your address, and I’d be happy to send it. Thanks!
Angela.Ralston@davidccook.com