From Hell to freedom and more in one day

It has been an interesting day.  One that I’ll probably remember for quite some time as well as the interesting weekend that I’ve experienced.  More about that later but to what I just came from. Today’s experience really reminds me that it takes all kinds of people in the communication of one message.  Sure I’m specifically addressing the thought and practice of creating disciples of Jesus but I’m sure that it would apply to multiple other concepts, ideas, and such.  But man, we are some weird people, and there are some weird people out there.  In the first church that we visited today (we’re currently in-route to our third of four for today) we encountered a group of leaders who drastically are seeking to bring in the microsoft/boeing employees and their families that live in upper class Seattle suburbia.  What was incredibly interesting however was that as much as they had communicated to us that their mission was to provide a safe and comfortable place for these people, the topic of the day was really “if you don’t love Jesus and you are going to Heaven, well…today is the day to make that decision because it’s not going to happen today (because it’s a lovely sunny Northwest day) but Jesus is coming back and it could be any day now.  You don’t want to not live forever and you’d be dumb to not want life, so please choose life.”   Well…let’s just say that that experience was a little different for me as it really seemed not that this church community was doing anything different, but rather it was just a hip “hell, fire, and brimstone.”  Oh, by the way: Seattle is beautiful today as the sun is painting an amazing silhouette of the Seattle skyline. Back to the interesting stuff (at least to me)…  So this whole experience was just something that well, shocked me.  Is that the way people in that context, and culture really are looking for, or is that their only need?  I can’t properly answer that, nor would I really want to conclude for there are people who are much more knowledgeable and who have way more experience than I do, but I might just add that I felt extremely uncomfortable as well as I felt like the message was cheapened.  From there we went to a comfortable but unique favorite of mine, except it was a different flavor.  Mars Hill has radically impacted the belief structures in Seattle and we found ourselves sitting in the midst of their first real experiment with growth, the Shoreline campus.  From the big, cold, and visually un-attractive (of both the service and the building) to a church community operating our of rented space that felt like home.  The senses were engaged, my eyes were comfortable as well as my ears. Don’t get this wrong, there are some quirks that I found interesting, but from the “hell, fire, and brimstone” service to this other church experience I sat and listened to a familiar voice proclaim how Christian’s should DATE.  Yes, you heard me right.  We talked about dating, what was appropriate, the mentality and the approach.  It was more of a lecture, a practical approach and while some of the points made were helpful, interesting, and at times controversial, I found it extremely interesting to find that it was only at the beginning of the sermon in a prayer and then at the end of the sermon that we heard something about Jesus.  First it was that Jesus is the perfect example for us as he was without sexual fault, treated women appropriately and such.  While the first point was interesting the second point is what I’m really writing about.  He made a fleeting mention that maybe one might want to accept Jesus into their lives today, learn to follow him today…but ya know the feeling was like “Jesus and the hope that he provides is taking second stage to my thoughts about Christian dating.”  Yes their music and their staff made mention of the hope in Jesus (thought it was interesting to sing about the cross, the blood, and what Jesus did for us in the middle of Lent…but hey not everyone sees the liturgical calendar as important)  that we have but Jesus still felt quite cheap.  From the “You need Jesus to have eternal life” to “Jesus is somewhat practical…but here is some more practical information that I’m sure you would be interested in.”  Finally we met with a pastor who also just happened to write a book and start a dialogue with an atheist.  Here is what struck me and what I want to really comment on, he had a thought, a vision of Jesus that was central to him, his being, and how he lived and lives his life.  Is he open to discussion with all, yes..and then what is his fascination with Jesus? It is this, Jesus is the free-est man to ever live in his mind.  That no one had control over him, made him do anything, could take away anything from him.   That his freedom offers hope, and he brings peace.  That his faith and trust and life are placed in Jesus to the point that he is all in.  This thought really struck me.  Ya, it takes all kinds of people to bring all kinds of people to have a personal encounter/relationship with Jesus, but do we always do a good job of being clear and simply stating why we believe.  Not to persuade or argue but to throw what we have on the table saying “here I am, I want to be in conversation with you not to change you or harass you but to truly be your friend, love you, cause you are someone made in the image of God.”  I don’t think it really matters how we package it if we don’t really communicate that constantly and consistently.  It seems that having my hope in Jesus also answers both of the other churches thoughts for the day.  Jesus is long term, and with my hope in him I don’t have to worry.  Jesus is also practical and out of that I will find myself in authentic and REAL times with people and it will affect my practical life.  Interesting…that’s all.