Day: May 26, 2010

Won’t You Be My Neighbor

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

A group of pastors invited the mayor of their city to discuss his dream for the city, along with the issues that were hindering that dream from becoming a reality.  The mayor came with a list of pervasive issues that the pastors in this group were eager to address: at-risk kids, elderly shut-ins, dilapidated housing, and hunger.

But before addressing these issues the mayor said to the gathered pastors:

“After thinking about all of these things, it occurred to me that what our city really needs are good neighbors….The majority of the issues our community is facing would be eliminated or drastically reduced if we could just become a community of people who are great neighbors.”

 To this statement one pastor responded:

“Here we are asking the mayor what areas of the city are most in need, and he basically tells us that it would be great if we could just get our people to obey the second half of the Great Commandment.”

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Gospel at the Center

/ Dennis Griffith / 1 Comment

At my core I am committed to gospel-centeredness and being gospel-driven. But I confess I don’t really know what that means.  The rich complexity of the gospel and the scope of the implications from the gospel are far beyond my ability to grasp, plumb, or fathom.  So I am drawn towards faithful expressions of the gospel that expand my understanding and depth of insight.

I am indebted to the Elders and leaders of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, California for their thoughtful and compelling explanation of what it means to be gospel-centered: 

The gospel is at the center of all we do.  The “gospel” is the good news that through Jesus, the Messiah, the power of God’s kingdom has entered history to renew the whole world.  Through the Savior God has established his reign. When we believe and rely on Jesus’ work and record (rather than ours) for our relationship to God, that kingdom power comes upon us and begins to work through us. We witness this radical new way of living by our renewed lives, beautiful community, social justice, and cultural transformation. This good news brings new life. The gospel motivates, guides and empowers every aspect of our living and worship.

Let me encourage you to read this again and again.  Spend some time thinking through what was said and what is demanded.  (You may even ask yourself if you agree with what they said.)  And join me in praying that God would not only grant us greater understanding, but that He would bring about personal and cultural transformation.