Is it just me or are we supposed to be talking about Jesus?

[image: MYi2U]

While on a recent Vice-Mod trip, I was having a good discussion with a Commissioned Lay Pastor (CLP) who serves a small congregation in Northern New York. We were getting to know each other when all of a sudden out of the blue he asked "What is your belief about the concept of salvation?" The question stunned me and I remember jokingly telling him that I believe in it. He seemed a little embarrassed to have asked but he went on to tell me a story about a discussion he had with the minister who moderated the CLP's session and asked the minister the same question. The minister shrugged off the question and made it sound like preaching Jesus Christ was not important. On the same trip after I made a presentation on my reflections in this position and mentioning that Mod Bruce and I believe that Jesus Christ holds us together despite our differences, another person approached me and expressed his appreciation that I mentioned Jesus Christ and couldn't understand why more pastors could/would not do so.

The surprising thing that I have heard in my travels is the lack of pastors/laity that do not preach and/or mention Jesus Christ. While I have not heard it a lot, it has been said to me enough that it caused me some alarm. But as I thought about it I can't say that I am really shocked. Following are some true stories that I have heard from others -

*A minister colleague who formerly served in my presbytery was invited by a clergy couple who attended seminary with him to preach a Community worship service at their church in another part of the country. He went and preached so well that people from another denomination on the spot invited him to preach at their church the next night. All seemed to be happy - except the clergy couple who invited him. They were concerned and wanted to talk to him privately. During the discussion one of them said "I have a problem with Jesus." The other spouse politely asked if he would not place so much emphasis on mentioning Jesus. My colleague said "no" and the rest of his time there was strained, to say the least.

*Going back to the airport after a conference, another colleague told the story of interning in a large church on the East Coast during the summer. Her responsibility was working with the church's large Youth Group. The activities were mostly of a social nature and she wanted to do more biblical teaching. As she tried this, the parents of the youth began to complain. Not about how or what was being taught but the kids were on "summer break" and needed to have activities focused on having fun. It got to the point that the pastor in charge over her acquiesced to the parents' demands and my colleague was told to "follow the program."

*At the COGA meeting I attended last week in Louisville, we were told of a Pastor Nominating Committee who didn't mention Jesus Christ at all in their Church Information Form (CIF) as they searched for a pastor. When asked, they said "Jesus is too controversial."

I am in no way a Fundamentalist or a person who is considered an "evangelical street preacher." What I am saying is that I believe that we who called ourselves followers of Jesus Christ may want to preach him to others, for if we don't people will go elsewhere. And I would hate to think that we are losing out on witnessing to others because we don't talk about Jesus. My favorite story that I tell was told to me by an African-American minister colleague:

A young African-American pastor was called to a church right out of a prestigious seminary. He was well trained and theologically brilliant. In his first sermon he wanted to impress the congregation with his theological knowledge and quoted some great theologians and philosophers such as Schleiermacher, Barth, and Kant. After the service was over, he stood at the church door to greet members as they left. Most shook his hand and said polite words. However, the woman who was considered the "Mother" of the Church shook his hand and said, " I don't want to know about Shierman, Bath and Can't. I just want to know what did Jesus say?"

I believe when people come to church they want to hear and experience Jesus Christ the risen Lord. I'd be interested to see what you think!

[image:Amanda]

Comments

[Mark Smith]

I have two thoughts on this.

1. I agree - I have experienced exactly the same thing as your colleague in working with youth. The parents fight harder than their youth against scripture or theology being mentioned in youth group. They say that they are afraid that the kids will stop wanting to go, but then fail when asked why we are different than the local youth center.

2. I disagree - I have seen Jesus turned into a kind of evangelical litmus test. I've gone to meetings where we were just trying to figure out how to accomplish a goal or pull off an event, and someone will complain that we haven't mentioned Jesus enough. My answer to that - I don't mention breathing all that often either. For me, all church work is an environment where Jesus is in the air. He doesn't have to be mentioned every 2 minutes, particularly when working with people who feel the same way.

Besides, just as TV preachers and people who proclaim a love for Jesus but can't keep their pants on have destroyed many people's opinions of the church, they have damaged Jesus's name. All of the exclusion and judgmental practices of some Christians is reflected in opinions about the Son they worship.

So I'm less concerned when Jesus isn't mentioned all that often by people honestly working for His glory, particularly when they are working with people of the same mind. If we stop mentioning Him in worship - that's another story.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus - there, that oughta cover me for a while.

[Xan]

"Well said," is what I think.

[Jody Harrington]

Very well said, indeed.

[Tom Paine]

I find this incredibly sad. While the previous poster is right that we don't need to say Jesus' name in every paragraph we speak, we have lost our way if the Church finds Jesus too controversial or if he makes us think too much. Churches can get all mixed up and think they are either the local neighborhood club or some quasi religious version of the United Way. But, guess what, there are better neighborhood clubs and better charities out there.

We are called to be Christ's Church. If Jesus becomes too much for us to talk about, it's time to cut bait and go home.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=627374079]

Well it is a great post brother. Balanced, open, gracious and vulnerable.

I wanna think about it some more before saying more. But one thing I have noticed is that a great many churches (of all denominations) are comfortable with a "commemorative Jesus"...but a resurrected and living (NOW) Jesus wigs them a bit. Hey, sometimes it wigs me...but it is true nonetheless.

I am enjoying the Mod Squad. I was in PCUSA for a decade, a college minster and served alongside the Rev Darrell Johnson (Regent College now).

Appreciate your service.

Grace
Mac
oh..chistology blog:
http://www.spokeblog.wordpress.com

[Don Griggs]

Amen!! Thanks much for the reminder, the challenge, and the hopeful words.

[Viola Larson]

Thank you for this- And I wasn't going to mention that person that Mac mentioned-but he was my first Presbyterian Pastor and got told by many that he was preaching Jesus to much. I am so glad he did. Because of his preaching,Of Jesus, many lives were changed.

[Adel Thalos]

Wasn't it the PCUSA that had the whole Dirk Ficca "What's the big deal about Jesus" fiasco? Aren't we talking about a denomination that openly embraces pluralism of the boldest and crassest form? Are we not talking about a denomination who have large percentages of ordained leaders closer in theological outlook to UUs then they are to historic orthodox Protestantism?

So why should it be a surprise that Jesus is never mentioned or when he is it is purely perfunctory?

[john shuck]

Good thoughts. I am all for talking about Jesus. Even more so, I am advocate following Jesus. But which Jesus?

Is it the Jesus of superstition, Jesus the violent conqueror, Jesus who you get rich quick with, Jesus who affirms all your prejudices (against gays, people of other faiths etc.), Jesus who sends everyone to hell except those who think like you?

I am not interested in talking about that Jesus. He gets enough press already.

But the Jesus who calls me from the pages of the gospels to a radical new way of living, to resurrection through crucifixion, whose Spirit anoints us...

"to bring good news to the poor...to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’

...yeah, I'll talk about that Jesus.

[Rev Kim]

Very well said.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=720584683]

Preach it, brother. I've been doing research on college campus faith/spirituality groups. One example is emblematic of what I see in many other places:

VCU has 72 registered Christian/spiritual groups. One is nominally Presbyterian. Many of the 71 others are either organizations well known for their "Jesus preaching" (i.e., IV, FCA, CCC, etc.) or are clearly so in their self-description posted on the "student spiritual activity groups" webpage. And a colleague at Duke tells me that a number of students who belong to the groups with a strong conservative reputation are not, in fact, all that conservative.

Do the math.