Just some questions.
Galatians 4:19…”My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…”
I wonder if we really want that. I wonder if we are really ready to want that. I wonder, I just wonder, if most of us have really seen this as the goal of the Christian life. I wonder what would my life look like if this were my goal even 80% of the time. I wonder, what would our community be like if we read this passage as a message to all of us together, as a community. I wonder, is what does “Christ being formed in you” look like to us. What do we think of when we hear the words “Christ being formed in you?”
Do we think of things we should refrain from? Like premarital sex, cussing, rated R movies? Like drinking too much, refraining from that “little white lie” or losing our cool in traffic?
Or, do we think of more positive things we do outwardly? Do we think of being like Jesus? Do we think of being people of grace to those around us? Do we think of seeking justice where we see oppression? Do we think of bringing a smile to a friend’s face? Do we think of that extra amount on the tip to the waiter who looks like they have had the bad day?
Or, do we think of more personal spiritually forming ideas like regular personal time with God and sitting in silence while reflecting on his work in our lives? Do we think of special times of worship and special times of prayer? Do we think of study of the Holy Scriptures or conversation with a friend about growing forward in our faith? Do we think of reflection on God’s continued grace in our lives?
What does it mean to have Christ formed in you? How does this happen for you? What does it look like?
As we think about what it means to “be the church” and “live as a follower of Jesus” isn’t this the goal? To have Christ formed within us? Do we pursue this? Or do we pursue other things more passionately? What things do we put in front of these things? Do we settle for just knowing about Jesus or do we run after having his life formed within us?
What do we need to do, be, think, say and feel in order for us to be better partners with the Spirit as He desires and does the work of forming Christ within us as individuals and as communities?
Ryan Bell said...
1I think you’re right on, Todd, to suggest that this is the purpose of the church – to be a community that together is seeking to be what Stan Hauerwas calls “a community of character.” Here’s a quote from Michael Budde’s book, The (Magic) Kingdom of God:
“As Church, we are called, I argue, to become disciples of Jesus, to help one another take on the mind and heart of Christ, and to live our everyday lives in ways that reflect the choices, priorities and dispositions of Jesus as narrated in Scripture” (p. 7).
In particular, Budde starts with our present cultural position as dominated by what he calls the “global culture industries.” As a professor of political science and with a keen eye for economics, Budde issues a prophetic call to the church to live by it’s own narrative and resist the pull of of the market and the commodification of everything.
So, with you, Todd, I muse: what if the church just put it’s efforts into this project of, together, seeing “Christ formed in us” [plural].
04/20/06 11:12 AM | Comment Link
Todd said...
2Ryan, i image part of the struggle is that the call for the church to “live by it’s own narrative and resist the pull of the market and the commodification of everything” is such a hard, difficult, elusive idea that is hard to define in three simple steps.
this is something that takes some serious thought and struggle.
thanks for the thought.
04/21/06 4:41 AM | Comment Link
Gabrielle said...
3Anytime you wanna come in the blue fountain diner and leave a huge tip for me, I’ll be grateful!!!! I don’t wanna joke to much because what you say is really serious and shouldn’t be taken lightly. I guess all I can say is that personally I have a great joy pursuing Jesus and acting out in the world in a Christ-like way, then I do when I start to just strive for personal pleasures. But its hard to constantly focus on Living out Christ when the wordly pleasures are so tangible. Staying in the spirit is really going against the grains of where the world calls you to be.
04/21/06 8:08 AM | Comment Link
Prince said...
4Performance-driven christianity has the been the bane of real discipleship. Christians, from the pulpit to the pew seem to be under-pressure TO DO SOMETHING, most of the time things that the Master may not have approved of, its legitimacy not witstanding–Luke 10:40-42
For Christ to be formed in us, we have to BE WITH HIM (Jesus) FIRST. We must be ready to lose our independence and serve Him with no inhibitions. This was how the disciples lived. In Acts 4:13 the priests, and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees were quick to note that the men standing before them had BEEN WITH JESUS. It was the people of Antioch that dubbed them CHRISTians. The moon is said to have no light of its own but only reflects the light of the sun. Without doubt when we are with Him His Light becomes our light (Ps 36:9)
07/6/09 9:55 PM | Comment Link