Jesus Cropped from the Picture

Jesus Cropped from the Picture

(post)modern world, but these studies do not themselves give the church its agenda.” 138 Innovation is not a bad thing when done properly, but only when Jesus has replaced “the customer” as King.

Give Me the Bottom Line Another difficulty for Pragmatics will be conceptualizing how Jesus was cropped from the picture, since they are accustomed to short, simple, easy-to-communicate sound bites. Pragmatics want “the bottom line,” so it may be overwhelming to keep their attention long enough to communicate the complexities of the cropping and de-cropping processes . Because SLIM assumptions run deep, people may have difficulty com- prehending the profound differences between my personal relationship and his Kingdom Story , and gloss over the ideas too quickly. In fact, the Pragmatics’ impulse to jump to practical application will make it nearly impossible to clarify the differences between “personal relationship” and “the Kingdom Story.” They will hastily ask, “Now what do I do?” Developing deep roots takes time and will not happen overnight. A better question is, “How can I live out this Kingdom identity?” Accepting Suffering Pragmatics may also find it difficult to embrace a theology of suffering. The Bible’s sources of evil (the world, the flesh, and the devil) may be new to many Pragmatics, and disengaging them from a therapeutic mindset may prove daunting. In fact, some Pragmatics became Christians for the very purpose of evading hardship.

However, for those who have faced personal tragedies, a biblical understanding of suffering could be liberating. It should be a relief to

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