Replies

I didn’t get to listen to the sermon this past Sunday, so I just listened to it now. It’s clear the church said “yes” as outreach to those who perhaps wouldn’t normally be accepting of the Christian message because the Christian community isn’t usually accepting of them. It’s available online for anyone who wants to hear it.

From my notes: You think you’re open-minded, you think you’re accepting, but we all settle into our own version of Christianity and can become pharisaical. Conflict between the gospel of right/wrong can conflict with the gospel of grace. Church people get really weird about conflicts—they build walls, they erect barriers. The ones that have been there for 10 years, volunteer there, put money in there are usually the ones to complain. People want to know what our policies are; I tell the staff we don’t have policies, we have conversations. Be bold, take risks, err on the side of grace. Don’t drift into Insider and away from Outsider. Don’t drift into Law and away from Grace. The first church dodged the first split by erring on the side of grace. They don’t have to act like us to become a part of us. Can’t let desire to preserve the church “like it is” get in the way of the mission to increase the kingdom. God accepted you as you were, should not make it difficult for others to come to Him.

The sermon was as sincere as any I’ve heard before, as consistent with the mission of the church as any I’ve heard before.