Over time, all churches, no matter how sound their theology, tend to lose sight of the uniqueness of the gospel and fall into practices that conform more to other religions or to irreligion. Their doctrinal instruction loses sight of how each doctrine plays a role in the gospel message, and their moral instruction is not grounded in and motivated by the finished work and grace of Christ. The leaders of the church must always be bringing the gospel to bear on people’s minds and hearts so that they see it as not just a set of beliefs but as a power that changes us profoundly and continually. Without this kind of application of the gospel, mere teaching, preaching, baptizing, and catechizing are not sufficient.
Kristyn and I finished watching Food, Inc. this evening, which means I’m now taking any and all recommendations on how we might utterly restructure our approach to buying and consuming food.
(from the CD booklet for Arcade Fire’s Reflektor, vol. 2)
The gospel is not a simple thing…. The gospel has supernatural versatility to address the particular hopes, fears, and idols of every culture and every person. […]
One of the reasons the gospel is never given in exactly the same form [in Scripture] is not only the diverse richness of the biblical material itself…but the diverse richness of humanity…. The gospel is so rich that it can be communicated in a form that fits every situation. It is a singular message, but it is not a simple message.
(from the CD booklet for Arcade Fire’s Reflektor, vol. 1)
