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Blogging NOC07: Dan Kimball
By Jeremy | November 8, 2007
Engaging the Cultural Landscape
Dan Kimball + Jesus intrigues the current pop cultural landscape: ... "Jesus is my homeboy" t-shirts (Pam Anderson, Ashton Kutcher, etc) ... Jesus bobble-head dolls ... During a 2006 concert tour where Madonna performed in front of 1.2 million people, she appeared on-stage on a cross while performing "Live to tell." Projecting on the screen behind her were the words of Jesus: "Inasmuch as you've done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me." She explained herself during the controversy this way:"[Putting myself on a cross] is no different than a person wearing a cross or 'taking up the cross' as it says in the Bible. ... It is my plea to the audience to encourage mankind to help one another. I believe in my heart that if Jesus were alive he would be doing the same thing."+ Man on the street video clip, people describe Jesus as: "wise, kind, active in the community, pure, nonjudgmental, first feminist, unconditionally loving, and compassionate." BUT Christians were described as: "segregated, regimented, dogmatic, intolerant, close-minded, Bible thumper, organized crime, politicized, no bearing to Jesus, and judgmental." + Ghandi: "Your Christians are nothing like your Christ." + If our heart is reaching people, why the disconnect? A) They don't know many Christians. B) The ones they do know are aggressive. + The culture has changed over generations. We now live in a post-Christian culture with kids growing up outside the church. To engage this culture, we must embrace a missionary mindset. Missionaries don't create a Christian subculture bubble. No need to protect selves from culture with Christian mints, socks and poker chips. + Outreach innovation is getting in the world and meeting non-Christians. Traditionally, the longer we are Christians, the fewer non-Christians we hang out with; the more salty and bright we get, the less useful we are. But in a changed landscape, we must go into the world and engage.
Topics: culture, dan kimball, evangelism, missional, noc07 | No Comments »
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