Known for our love? Defend the space.

Jim Henderson was at church to speak to our Covenant Community (the membership of our church) at Grace Community Church on Friday and Saturday morning, November 9 & 10. Basically the deal with his book is Jim hired an athiest to attend 10 churches with him around the country and they wrote about what they experienced. It is a fascinating little book, and many are getting pretty worked up about it. You can learn more about Jim and his organization at:

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http://www.offthemap.com/

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Two things that have stuck with me in a big, big way from our time with Jim Henderson. First, he told a story of when he was in the South speaking to a church and he hired two athiests to be interviewed in front of this church he was speaking. He asked this biker bar owner and this medical doctor from India the following question: If you could tell Christians one thing and they would listen to you, and it would increase their credibility with you, what would you say? (Okay, I can't remember if this is the exact questions, but this is the jist of it).

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The biker dude said "You should do more of the stuff you do when there is a hurricane."

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The doctor said, "you should really get along with one another more. Lutheran, Baptists, Catholics...why don't you get along more?"

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And I thought, yes!! Followers of Jesus SHOULD be known for the good works that they do, and for the way they love...especially one another. It saddens me that this is not the case.

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Second thing that stuck with me is the idea of "Defending the Space" of our relationships. There are typically three reactions that church people have to his book and things they want to talk about when he speaks. First is his "aberrent beliefs"...they feel the need to talk theology with Jim and "correct" him, or tell Matt that he is going to hell. Second, they want to talk about his expeirences at the churches and what kind of services they should put together. Jim is quick to add caveats that he was not a very effective pastor when he was a pastor, and Matt Casper is an athiest. They are NOT experts in this arena.

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Less often is the case (and the real reason the book was written) do people want to talk about the space between Matt Casper (the athiest) and Jim Henderson (the lover of Jesus) and protecting that space. He spoke about moving from debate to dialogue, or from apologetics to apology, and a number of other really helpful ideas concerning our relationships with other people. But that which is most important is the space of relationship between Matt and Jim.

It seems to me that Jim has captured something true in our culture...how we are consumers and our churches are steeped in catering to consumers. And he has also captured some helpful thoughts in how to relate to "the other", what it feels like to be outside of the mainstream. And he does so in some powerful ways. I am very grateful for the book and even more so, for having Jim here with us.