Christians repent!?

In an online learning community I am part of we currently interact about the need of us Christians to repent. The train of thought is, that the Christian church is in exile, like Israel was in exile in Babylon, and that we need to turn around, which is the movement in repenting.

I would be interested in your opinion: What is it we Christians need to repent from? To put it differently: What is it we Christians could, should or must apologize for?

I'll start the list and would love to see you add to it by commenting.

What we need to apologize for/repent from:
- a consumerist attitude towards God and church (expecting to be fed)
- building our own little sub-culture, rather then fully enculturating
- thinking superior about us in this little sub-culture
- not caring for the environment enough
- leaving issues of social justice to secular social institutions rather then leading the way
- ...

What else?

[picture from "matchstick" at sxc.hu]

Comments

[Stefan Lingott]

First of all: Ronald and Jessica, thanks a lot for your comments. Appreciate your thoughts! Thanks for making the decision not only to "consume blog posts" but pro-actively chipping in, Jessica! That's great! ;-)

Yes, I agree, it is first a heart issue. Although I love thinking strategy, it is only a secondary thing. The center is most important. The question in my mind is: What is my/our "system story", my/our paradigma we are functioning on, the thing that drives me/us? It seems to me that, often and for many of us, it is not Jesus anymore. Sounds simplistic, but is quite crucial in my eyes: We, the blogging community me included, seem to talk more about the latest hip idea, then about experiencing Jesus on a daily basis in our lifes (not only in the sub-culture we created, named church). Regaining the core of it all would result in passionate living a 24/7 faith, wouldn't it? And that would include talking about our life after death, Ronald, but not as a thing to do or to bring across, but as an outflow of our passionately held believe and actively lived faith.
Seems to be a constant struggle.

Life in God's epic story.

Perhaps I should blog more about a missional lifestyle, then about church. I could definitely start blogging more again, period. :-)

[Jessica Guthrie]

I haven't commented before, but I've read your blog regularly since I came across it while researching postmodernity, europe and the next generation, three topics that have been on my mind and my heart for a long time. You reference the need to repent for an attitude of consumerism rather than investment, and I read the same comment made specifically about blogging on a friend's page recently--consuming others' thoughts casually rather than engaging and offering. So since I appreciate many of the ideas you express regarding building a church for the next generation, I will comment!

I agree that the present church (and especially for us who want to further it in and beyond our lifetime) need a serious reexamination. I think you're right in tagging our lack of care and stewardship for the earth God's given us, and being like the world in worshipping consumption, rather than creating life. I also agree with Ronald above that the main problem is we just don't want to give all of our lives at cost for God everyday, both in reaching out to the lost and expressing Him in every aspect of our work, our homes, relationships, etc. I think out of giving all our lives to worship God would come a heart for people, social justice and environmental needs. Bottom line: I'd say its a heart problem first, then an issue of not being strategic with our lives on earth.

[Ronald Gabrielsen]

Hi There :-) … Interesting question …what do we need to repent from? … I think it’s important to get things in perspective. There are things regarding this life that I think most people need to repent from and then I’m thinking of social and environmental issues.

But what does CHRISTIANS need to repent from? Then I think we should think larger than this life, because no matter how you look at it, this life is short and eternity much longer. If the Bible is true when it comes to issues like Heaven and Hell, and it is correct that Jesus is the only way to get to Heaven and the alternative is Hell …Then I think we Christians should repent for not having done more to communicate the seriousness of what awaits all people after this life. Now, you are maybe thinking that I’m some kind of fire and brimstone preacher, but that is not the case.

Christians think that unsaved people don’t wanna hear about Heaven and Hell, but that is not true. I have tried it out when witnessing to people and there is not other topic that they wanna talk so much about. Of course if you act like some kind of hot-shot turn or burn preacher, they will not listen, but it is possible to warn people about Hell, without being rude.

I think the one thing we Christians need to repent from more than anything is that we every day use more time on our self, than reaching the lost.