Change the Right Thing (Part Three)
August 31, 2010 // By: Bob Hamp // 11 Comments
It is our own misunderstanding of Jesus’ mission and message that has us continually needing to release the next update of “church”. Cultural relevance, whether it is an adjustment to the Reformation or to Post-Modernism should never be the target. If cultural relevance must be the target then let’s define the culture rightly. To what culture should we be conforming? The edgy new culture that is arriving on the scene? The traditional culture which many find difficult to release? Here is how Jesus would answer this question.
“When you pray, pray like this; Our Father (Source, Origin) in Heaven (Whose culture is the Spiritual realm) hallowed be Your Name (You belong at the center of all things). Your Kingdom come (may the culture of the Heavenly Realm, the Presence of your Nature, be the thing that we conform to) your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven (please be the shaping and transforming power that restores to earth and all its’ inhabitants, the original design of creation).
Because the Knowledge of Good and Evil has shaped our understanding and perceptual pathways we associate God with the Traditions from which we are trying to extricate ourselves, instead of associating Him with the Life-Giving encounters the whole world is starved for.
God heartily invites us to spend our day moving in His life-soaked presence. We fear He wants us to give up fun stuff. God urges us to let go of the things which choke our soul. We fear He wants to control us. God offers us a connection to the very Force that brought all things into existence. We fear He wants us to be slaves.
Listen again this week to the teachings of Jesus. Though He occasionally instructed us about navigating the Earth-realm; overwhelmingly, the bulk of His teaching had much more to do with the Nature and Availability of the Heavenly Realm. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like...” is not a statement which introduces institutional principles. It is the beginning of a description of a place that He has been and we have not. It is the description of a place that is available to us in our day to day lives.
Let’s not change what the church does again. Let’s change instead, the realm and the Source from which we operate.
11 Comments
I am reading “Think Differently Live Differently” today I read pg 206 at the bottom of the page it is describing the Sword of the Spirit, the definition of the “two worded sword” God’s spoken word and my words in agreement are a powerful weapon, it took me about 30 min. to realize how amazing this is. then I could only think WOW. W-e O-perating W-onderfully. I agree with him today and have asked him to help me see any area where I am not in agreement.
Love this reminder that it’s not shaping our culture, rather than it shaping us.
Wait… I said that backward… Kingdom shapes culture. The point is… timely reminder. Thank you.
I agree wholeheartedly. My first church was so concerned with being relevant, that sometimes the message got lost in the translations. ‘Tis the danger of post-modernization, methinks.
Your post is simple and to the point, it immediately helped me think of culture differently. I’ve heard it is said before, “Culture is religion externalized”. So much energy and resource is spent and sacrificed in the attempt to bring “religion” into a cultural relevancy, which is circular and exasperating if the saying is true. Thank you again for the continued encouragements from the words and truth of Jesus.
this totally rockin already
Ay Dios!!!!! It seems like I have been gone for decades. Reading back this wise lines again. Yeah! I’ve been in a great round and now writing to congratulate you for the book as well. Wohooo!!!! You finally get it as it was mean to, awesome I heard! I’m sure there would be a great copy in Spanish waiting for me in some Peruvian or else bookshelf. I want to have that goodie. I would like to write some more but as I’m starving for God I am going for some more fresh oil right now…still figuring out some word I’m studing. I send you thousand blessings and to all who are close to your heart. Specially Gateway Church Family. Peru is very good nowdays. Great Love to you all!!!! ~God Bless!!!
~Mirian. “)
“God urges us to let go of the things which choke our soul.”
Sometimes God steps in and makes changes that we are taking too long to make. The earth is stretching and bending in birth pains at an unprecedented rate. People barely able to cling to a living and housing are spiraling into uncharted places because so many things have taken the place of Godly interaction, communication, and relationships. What I am trying to say is that God is always awake and aware of what is happening and He hasn’t stopped acting, moving, healing, creating, or being God. I am humbled to confess my sin before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords because when all is said and done, He does more than urge us to change. He will do it Himself when we can’t do it for ourselves.
Excellent truth shared! This is the message God is speaking to the church!
““The Kingdom of Heaven is like…” is not a statement which introduces institutional principles. It is the beginning of a description of a place that He has been and we have not.”
This is a beautiful statement. Really. Beautiful is what came to my mind immediately. This was my revelation moment in this blog. I felt Holy Spirit whisper those words as I read them … and they instantly transformed (supernaturally) from words into a beautiful doorway, awaiting my entrance. Walk through, don’t just read.
That’s what I heard. And my heart has begun singing…
As soon as I finished reading this and commenting, Holy Spirit showed me this and I wrote it on my blog. I just wanted to share it with you so you could see how your obedience to write is used like a pebble skipping on water…
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like…” is not a statement which introduces institutional principles. It is the beginning of a description of a place that He has been and we have not.” Bob Hamp: Change The Right Thing, Pt. 3
“This is a beautiful statement. Really. Beautiful is what came to my mind immediately. This was my revelation moment in this blog. I felt Holy Spirit whisper those words as I read them … and they instantly transformed (supernaturally) from words into a beautiful doorway, awaiting my entrance. “Walk through, don’t just read.” That’s what I heard. And my heart has begun singing…” [my comment on this blog]
When Holy Spirit decides to breathe life into words, I’m generally unprepared for the moment. It hits me upside my heart like a locomotive running head long into the most ginormous pile of TempurPedic mattresses. I feel the force of the blow of truth and can hear the steaming hiss of wisdom; but instead of the impact being life-threatening, it’s cushioned by grace, and the foreboding hiss is transformed into a life-giving whisper.
Revelation is caught in my heart in the same manner a water balloon is caught in a balloon tossing contest, except Holy Spirit is both the tosser and the catcher. He lobs up a balloon full of living water and then rushes over and uses a purposefully gentle motion to bring that balloon into my heart. Instead of allowing LIFE to hit his hands like a brick wall and splatter – leaving the contents to evaporate on the ground – He uses tenderness to absorb the blow so that same LIFE is given the opportunity to soak into my soul and become transformational.