Foundations for Christian Mission, Mentor's Guide, MG04

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F O U N D A T I O N S F O R C H R I S T I A N M I S S I O N

with a historical understanding of the Christian faith before it begins to speak of its sharing that faith with others. Why does Paul’s view of the resurrection as the ground of all true preaching and teaching about Christ disallow any view of Christianity that refuses to embrace the historical truth value of our story and Gospel?

Are We Completely Misreading the Signs of Culture?

At a time when Hollywood is exploding with grand, epic tales of myth and fairy tale ( Gladiator , The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia , etc.) many Christian pulpits remain bound to the “three-points, a poem, and a prayer” format of homiletics and sermon giving. This kind of preaching and presentation appears to be ignoring the power of story in our general society. More concerned with offering “proofs” of Christianity and apologetic defenses with “evidences that demand a verdict,” many Christian expositors and preachers have all but abandoned the telling of the Story as the heart and soul of Christian ministry and mission. In an effort to reach the hearts and minds of those accustomed to speaking of truth in a digital age, many have abandoned the native language of the Bible in terms of imagery, prophecy, poetry, and story for more teaching that deals with “contemporary” issues of concern, issues of morality and social change than with the kinds of stories that both Hollywood and the Bible seem to be interested in. Do you think the current focus on moralistic teaching and straightforward theological outlines is a misread of culture? What do you believe—is the culture looking for a story that can command their attention and vision or an explanation that can resolve their problems? Explain. With fewer and fewer instances in general society where promises are taken seriously, how do we make the story of the promise of God clear and convincing? Promises are made and broken with dramatic ease in our society today: promises of marriage are ending up as horrible divisive divorces, politicians take vows to protect their constituencies only to be caught in corruption and abuse, preachers weep crocodile tears while they confess their remorse for (getting caught?) their shameful escapades now the subject of late night comic monologues. It seems today that very few people tend to keep or value the power of a kept promise. Yet, the entire story of Christian faith is rooted in the ability to recognize how significant the promise of Nobody Keeps Their Promises These Days

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