In very simple terms then we are probably best serving God by example, living as frugally and lovingly as we can and trying to influence others by our actions that this is the way to be; that the forthcoming pain many will face is because of their attachment to a life of worshipping mammon and the easiest way to get rid of the pain and a…
In very simple terms then we are probably best serving God by example, living as frugally and lovingly as we can and trying to influence others by our actions that this is the way to be; that the forthcoming pain many will face is because of their attachment to a life of worshipping mammon and the easiest way to get rid of the pain and anxiety is to let go.
I tend to agree Beth, that all of us scattering and "heading to the hills" physically and permanently won't solve anything, more likely it will just sow division and conflict. We need to bring folk with us, not run away from them, however unattractive that option may appear right now.
You are right. With a billion plus Christians in the world even a sizable minority heading to the hills wouldn't work. But it can be part of a larger trend of moving away from the machine. I envision an integrated way of seeing Wild Christianity in its various contexts. They won't be the same but the won't be dissimilar either. I say that without knowing what that might look like other than in the most general terms. Maybe not even that.
I don't have any desire to live in a city at this point (though I might end up there) but if I don't then it would be better to leave it to city-dwellers to figure out what works and what doesn't. Each situation will need to find its own way of doing it. All can have a place. That's the beauty of it. I don't have to figure it all out! I can learn by going where to go.
You have put it very well ! And it really is unattractive - I much prefer the vision of being “outside” of the coming chaos rather than the reality of mucking through it with a bunch of imperfect people ( me being the most imperfect of them all…sigh!).
I just keep thinking about so many of the saints - who withdrew from the world to lay hold of God through spiritual discipline - found Him in profound ways - and no sooner had that happened then the “word got out” - and the WORLD showed up at their door and dragged them back to it. To serve others because they had found the pearl of great price - I guess finding it means you have to share it.
And from the stories and writings they have left behind it seems they while they remained faithful to Gods new call - their hearts remained in the desert and they longed to return to it.
What I take from the lives of the saints and from the scriptures themselves is that the best way to prepare for what ever comes next is to do the spiritual work needed to pick up our cross and follow him. To leave our “best guesses” behind and listen for HIS instructions to us. This can be a terrifying thought! But here is the irony- God knows our strengths, our weaknesses and where ( and in what circumstances) we are best equipped to do His work - and that is exactly where He will send us. He may well send some out to the wilderness and others to the cities- as the master general He knows how to deploy His troops. And we as soldiers- we go where we are sent.
So it seems to me our job to prepare for the unknown future is to die to self and do the “work” of taking on the spiritual disciplines - so that we can be changed and thus prepared to do Gods work.
Of course these are not new marching orders. Every generation has been challenged to follow this path and each has had to face their own version of the machine.
The world has been corrupt since the fall - it is just the features which change from era to era.
So this work is not glamorous, intellectually stimulating or “fun” at the start. There are most definitely spiritual consolations as we progress but the first part - the choosing this path and taking it? That seems to require an act of will - a decision to leave behind mother and father, let the dead bury the dead, sell all that we have - so we can begin.
It is funny - I keep thinking that this type of “ death” in our day and age may involve unplugging from social media ( at least for a season). If that thought makes one break out in a cold sweat? Point made.
So it seems that our generation of christians is no different than the many that preceded us. The challenge of the gospel lies before us - how we respond to it determines not just our future here on earth but our eternal one as well.
Let us run the race that is set before us - let us run it well.
In very simple terms then we are probably best serving God by example, living as frugally and lovingly as we can and trying to influence others by our actions that this is the way to be; that the forthcoming pain many will face is because of their attachment to a life of worshipping mammon and the easiest way to get rid of the pain and anxiety is to let go.
I tend to agree Beth, that all of us scattering and "heading to the hills" physically and permanently won't solve anything, more likely it will just sow division and conflict. We need to bring folk with us, not run away from them, however unattractive that option may appear right now.
Andrew-
You are right. With a billion plus Christians in the world even a sizable minority heading to the hills wouldn't work. But it can be part of a larger trend of moving away from the machine. I envision an integrated way of seeing Wild Christianity in its various contexts. They won't be the same but the won't be dissimilar either. I say that without knowing what that might look like other than in the most general terms. Maybe not even that.
I don't have any desire to live in a city at this point (though I might end up there) but if I don't then it would be better to leave it to city-dwellers to figure out what works and what doesn't. Each situation will need to find its own way of doing it. All can have a place. That's the beauty of it. I don't have to figure it all out! I can learn by going where to go.
I hope all is well. -Jack
You have put it very well ! And it really is unattractive - I much prefer the vision of being “outside” of the coming chaos rather than the reality of mucking through it with a bunch of imperfect people ( me being the most imperfect of them all…sigh!).
I just keep thinking about so many of the saints - who withdrew from the world to lay hold of God through spiritual discipline - found Him in profound ways - and no sooner had that happened then the “word got out” - and the WORLD showed up at their door and dragged them back to it. To serve others because they had found the pearl of great price - I guess finding it means you have to share it.
And from the stories and writings they have left behind it seems they while they remained faithful to Gods new call - their hearts remained in the desert and they longed to return to it.
What I take from the lives of the saints and from the scriptures themselves is that the best way to prepare for what ever comes next is to do the spiritual work needed to pick up our cross and follow him. To leave our “best guesses” behind and listen for HIS instructions to us. This can be a terrifying thought! But here is the irony- God knows our strengths, our weaknesses and where ( and in what circumstances) we are best equipped to do His work - and that is exactly where He will send us. He may well send some out to the wilderness and others to the cities- as the master general He knows how to deploy His troops. And we as soldiers- we go where we are sent.
So it seems to me our job to prepare for the unknown future is to die to self and do the “work” of taking on the spiritual disciplines - so that we can be changed and thus prepared to do Gods work.
Of course these are not new marching orders. Every generation has been challenged to follow this path and each has had to face their own version of the machine.
The world has been corrupt since the fall - it is just the features which change from era to era.
So this work is not glamorous, intellectually stimulating or “fun” at the start. There are most definitely spiritual consolations as we progress but the first part - the choosing this path and taking it? That seems to require an act of will - a decision to leave behind mother and father, let the dead bury the dead, sell all that we have - so we can begin.
It is funny - I keep thinking that this type of “ death” in our day and age may involve unplugging from social media ( at least for a season). If that thought makes one break out in a cold sweat? Point made.
So it seems that our generation of christians is no different than the many that preceded us. The challenge of the gospel lies before us - how we respond to it determines not just our future here on earth but our eternal one as well.
Let us run the race that is set before us - let us run it well.