Jesus Cropped from the Picture

The SLIMming Effect

Regardless of the Substitute Center , some who crop Jesus from the picture in this way eventually burn out, no longer finding fulfillment in their pursuit. They find themselves back in the same SLIM prison, seeking a new Substitute Center to replace the previous one, repeating the cycle of frustration (see Figure 14).

Figure 14: A Prison Called SLIM

The Second Means of Escape The second way to escape the SLIM prison is to leave the aggravations of church and attempt to be a Christian without church, an increasingly common response according to Barna’s Revolution . Such people have been deceived to think that Christianity is about “me and my personal relationship,” failing to see their role is to join Christ in his work to destroy the work of the devil through the Church. Unfortunately, except under rare circumstances, there is no Christianity outside of the Church (see Chapter 3). Separated from a local body, these refugees may further crop Jesus from the picture by becoming increasingly self-absorbed.

97