I am overwhelmed with excitement as our church prepares to begin working alongside our Hispanic brothers in reaching out this community in our area. As one of our elders sent an email announcing the beginning of Spanish classes at our building this is the response back to the entire email list from one member:
I am MOST certainly thankful that Christ did not require me to learn Aramaic, or worse to make myself righteous before he was willing to offer me salvation. I can only imagine how this might have worked out on Spiritual Scale:It seems to me we should better teach an English class to all those who want to learn. Seems like it would prove to be more useful since they have come to the United States to live.
Love you all,
X
Step 1: Live Sinless
Step 2: Since you failed step 1 you're already screwed, report to the lake of fire upon death.
CHRIST HUMBLED HIMSELF! CHRIST TOOK ON FLESH! CHRIST BECAME LIKE US! Why? So that we might be SAVED!!! This idea that we will only provide outreach to those willing to conform themselves to our Social, Civil, Political ideals is an affront to God and detestable to His gospel! THE KING and CREATOR did not demand his disciples take up the towel to wash his feet. HE carried the basin to THEIR feet and cleaned them by his efforts. Finally he instructed them to GO AND DO LIKEWISE!!!!
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL!!!! It is not an invitation to CONFORM to Conservative 1950 WASP ideals of Americana!!! It is not a path to better US residency policy. It is not a call to outsiders to sacrifice their identity for our convenience. THE GOSPEL is a call to SELF SACRIFICE. The gospel's goal is that we will KILL OUR ENTIRE SENSE OF SELF for the sake and name of God's Kingdom!
I sit here with tears flowing from my eyes as I type this! We must confess this arrogance and rid it from our churches by true repentance, the kind that is TREASONOUS to our former selves. WE too are only pilgrims and guest of the nation, WE ARE CITIZENS OF GOD'S KINGDOM!!! We should plant our faces to the ground, and cry out for God's mercy in the face of our arrogance!
2 comments:
AMEN BROTHER!!!
That email was a self-centered response to a very real need. I'm sad with you my friend!
So Benny thinks both should be done. Offering English classes might be helpful so those interested might be able to better function in the society they've chosen to live in, AND teaching members Spanish could help bridge the gap left by the language barrier.
Good point. I hadn't thought of that. Then again, I don't know the heart or motivation for the email of that member.
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