Thanks for commenting. I think you have misread my comments and am confused that you came to the conclusions about my comments that you did. I don’t disagree with what was said in the video at all and I have no issue with Eric or his political standing. In fact, I tend to lean more left in my political views. I did quite the opposite of what you stated. I praised the optimism and desire for positive change and I think we need to engage that and help those with a secularist viewpoint to see that there are those who do follow Christ and hold a high view of Scripture who want the same things… but for the reason of being a part of making God’s invisible Kingdom visible.

Looks like someone I would want as a friend. Folks like this are treasures – they care about people, the planet, and our collective future. As Christians, if all we have to offer is a historical event granting pie in the sky after we die, we’ve so missed the point of faith. The Kingdom is here, now.

Greenberg sees the need for an Apollo-like program to get ourselves off fossil fuels. I couldn’t agree more – I think this is the #1 structural issue facing our country (and planet) today. I support Greenberg’s Gen-we agenda, yet I’m sure we could find plenty to disagree about elsewhere (!).

Can we learn how to live in a plural culture, embracing both our faith and those we may at times disagree with? I’ll go out on a limb here and predict that, over coming generations, the insular, institutional, finger-pointing, wall-building, us-against-them, Fox News kind of faith that characterized late-20th century Western Christendom will fail.

In it’s place, we will see the emergence of a faith that embraces all peoples, not for their beliefs, but for their innate worth as creations of God.

The vast majority of American Christendom equates their faith with conservative politics. Yet, beyond the issues of homosexuality and abortion, the biblical Jesus presents a far left progressive agenda on virtually every other issue, while reminding us that the Kingdom is NOT found in politics (top-down leadership) but in shared community and servantship.

I found HenryJZ’s reply to be the common “party line” U.S. Christian response to a secular humanist like Greenberg. Yet, in Desiree’s responses, I sense a willingness to drop the baggage, look past the partisanship, and embrace the good and true wherever it may be.

Just because someone doesn’t see the world like we do doesn’t mean they’re not used of God in myriad ways. God does work in mysterious ways, is not bound to our understanding (of which we lean on far too heavily), and God is certainly not a Christian.

Time to move past Christendom and reach out and work with those we may not always agree with. This is real faith – real missional awareness – and it is a far more effective form of evangelism than the kind that sets up ideological barriers.

I am sitting in a cafe’ having a coffee and reading through Psalms. (139 to be exact which is awesome in regards to what we are talking about) I see this teen girl in the parking lot waiting by the car for the driver to come out and unlock the door. She is very concerned about her looks as she trys to get her hair just right and checks over her outfit.
I thought to myself: she will never be satisfied because she sees her value in her ability to attract the opposite sex. Her circumstances will never allow her to do that long term and she will find herself empty trying.

But what if she found sufficiency in God? She would be free! Free to love and experience all He has for her! Could she be approached by someone she trusted to show her that? I say yes.

I want to respond to Desiree’s “what is the best way to do CM?”
For the first time, I am finding my satisfaction in God. In the past I would say, “God needs to be the only thing that satisfies me.” Which really meant – I can find satisfaction in other things but it should be God. God has opened my eyes to see that there is NO satisfaction in anything else but Him.

What does that look like practically? ( **Warning** complete honesty ahead) For the first time in my adult life, sex isn’t the driving thought in my head. I have to tell you that created a huge sense of freedom for me. It has helped me see everything differently including the gospel. (no Jesus, no freedom) I now have something I am excited to share. Oh, I have shared the gospel with people but it is hard for them to understand when “life” seems to be working for them. But freedom and joy no matter what the circumstances? Now that is something totally different.

Where does CM fit in? Parents have got to come to grips with this kind of relationship with God so it can be nurtured in their kids. It has completely changed me as a parent.

What resinated with me about what you said is “Oh, I have shared the gospel with people but it is hard for them to understand when “life” seems to be working for them. But freedom and joy no matter what the circumstances? Now that is something totally different.” In our class right now we are studying prayer and one of the guys in there basically wondered why we should even pray for the things we need because he knows that God will give him what he needs. He gave examples how God took care of his need before he even prayed about it. Now we both know that the Bible tells us to pray and recognize the source. But it can be hard to really grasp that when things seem to be fine.

I’ve been reading the book “Have a New Kid by Friday” by Dr. Kevin Leman. In his book he talks about how we lose the battle when we engage in our child’s rebellion. Instead of going toe to toe with them, he talks about letting reality be the their teacher. It’s letting them live in the consequences of their choices. I had a battle with my preschool aged daughter this morning and it was only until she realized she couldn’t accomplish what was important to her until she did what I wanted her to do.

I think this really parallels what we are talking about here because people will never except God until they see a need for him. They will have to come to terms with the fact that even in their quest for goodness and meaning, only God can fill the “God shaped hole” that is missing from their life.

So what does this mean? I think that is what part of what the Lead Now people were saying by telling us to focus on our “inner life” through scripture reading and prayer, and following the Holy Spirit’s leading. We can’t force people to see their need for God. God has to bring them to that place, and when they are ready, they will see and want the “something” they don’t have. That is when they will be ready to hear what we have to say. That is when they will recognize that sin is not freedom but actually slavery to their own sinful nature. Knowing God and obeying him is what gives true freedom. It seems like such a backwards concept which is why we can’t force it.

I’m glad to hear you went to the Lead Now Conference and are being influenced by people like Chan, Chandler, Phillips, McManus and Miller (I don’t know who Feinberg is and couldn’t find anything about her.). If you like what they are saying, then you and I probably agree more than disagree. I read and am influenced by many of the same writers, thinkers and theologians as they are. We may just be looking at things from different perspectives. I haven’t jumped off the deep end of orthodoxy.