A Youth Worker’s Thoughts

The Naked Christian

April 23, 2009 at 3:55 pm (Uncategorized)

I just finished reading: Jesus wants to save Christians by Rob Bell and I am blown away. Between that and YM 3.0 by Mark Oestreicher, listening to David Crowder, Remedy, Jars of Clay’s new album, the long fall back to Earth and Jon Foreman’s, leaves and branches. I have seen a lot of parallels and points that bring my faith to a whole new level of honesty, simplicity, grace, love and passion.

In Rob’s book he shares a lot about what a Christian is in relation to God. What God has been trying to do and how we have constantly misunderstood Him and took what he has given us for granted and selfishness, to the point of our own destruction and damnation.

The idea that we are blind to God makes a lot of sense since, even though passively, we are the oppressors of the world. God is with the poor and broken. We see God moving, in the midst of out pains. But honestly we are shattering on the inside and not turning to God for healing and freedom. We look to drugs and  methods. We see God in the people who need God. Not those of us who act like we are God.

This is what Rob said in his book that struck me most: We are God’s body and blood called to use whatever blessing we’ve received, whatever resources, talents, skills and passions God has given us, to make the world a better place. We are to suffer, to bleed, to open the heart, to roll up the sleeves, to have hope that God has a plan to put the world back together, and it is called the church.

It is so simple and so naked. That is took me ten years of hearing about God, learning about theology, praying, worshipping and serving. To hear this to get it. It takes a long time to be intimate with anyone, but this has been a journey that has brought me to my knees, to the edge of disbelief, to South Carolina, Wisconsin, New Brunswick and everywhere in between.

All of this to say that God wants us to be in a committed loving relationship with Him and join him in the healing of the world by doing good, where ever and however possible. I think it’s simplicity that makes it so powerful for me. It isn’t easy and it can’t be done in a moment or finished in a lifetime, it is the process of being God’s and living out that relationship in all seriousness and being practical, REAL. Really engaging this world, which a struggle with, the people, the injustice, the misuse of power all of this we must engage wrestle with and find ways to make things better.

I hope you hear me in this. God is doing something amazing here. He is stripping us down to our bare bones and showing us that it is okay to be vulnerable, to be real, to be naked again. Believe me people will notice.

Jesus has paid the price and given us this glorious opportunity. Join us, be part of the remaking of the world, be part of making all things new.

Strip down your faith and run naked with nothing but God’s love and a passion to make things better. Just don’t stop running, don’t stop loving and don’t stop making things better. This is a war, we have no weapons, but we can win because God has laid on us all eternity, a hope for something better and a feeling that things aren’t as they should be.

Grace and Peace

Adam