Comments on: Gospelling One Another

By: Seth McBee

Seth McBee — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:09:18 +0000

Mike.
First…great sermon. Really enjoyed it. And…we didn’t leave our church because there wasn’t enough meat , we left because the vision wasn’t to spread the fame of Christ to all nations, including our own community. I don’t want more meat…I want more Christ.

Pam.
We visited Harambee about three weeks ago, and will be visiting again this week and one of the things we said (my wife and I are 31 years old) is that we liked seeing that the church had older (mind you not old ) people that could teach us their practical wisdom, which I believe is very important. Many speak about cultural diversity and I say amen to that, but many believe that only to mean color and forget about age.

Anyways…really enjoyed the sermon and had me questioning not others, but myself and the transforming power of the gospel in my own life.

By: mike

mike — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:59:15 +0000

Great thoughts all! Two things, first what I mean by an unhealthy desire for “Meat” are those that ask for “Deeper” teaching without really wanting that. It’s assumed because they are not being fed (ie. they still struggle in their lives), but quite often it is a result of their own issues and not living the truth that they already know, and they become “Dull of hearing” (Hebrews 5:11-12). There are however situations where a church is not teaching and preaching the word/gospel, and there is a famine, and a need for the teaching of the word (The “Meat” which is the truth of the gospel).

Secondly Pam, thanks for your thoughts, I do think our culture glorifies youth, and often doesn’t listen to the more seasoned adults in the church (Like my diplomacy re: “Seasoned Adults?”). It is frustrating when young families don’t listen to older couples whose children are older because they “Don’t understand,” but I have seen many young people desire to hear from their elders, and they do listen, but it has to be done in relational community. I think we “More seasoned” folks think that the youth do not want to hear from us, and we stay in our age specific groups, and we don’t do life with our younger brothers and sisters, so we have no voice because there is no relationship there. That’s why Harambee doesn’t have age/gender specific groups, because we believe the body is best served by the young and old, male and female, etc. together sharing life and experiences. You are an encouragement, and I think you just need to keep being an encouragement and getting into people’s lives, and the church will benefit greatly from your wisdom!! Thanks much, you are needed and loved!!

By: Pam

Pam — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:20:37 +0000

So Mike…is that Chicken???
Hmmmm…seems fitting!
How do we senior citizens fit into gospelling one another when so many of the younger generation discount us as being old and out of touch? We may look older on the outside…but that’s only body betrayal inside…we are still green and growing in the Holy Spirit. How does the church respond???
We are soo very grateful for those who have allowed us into thier lives and young families to gospel and encourage!!!

By: Mike Smith

Mike Smith — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:59:54 +0000

Using the political metaphor. I think the meat that believers claim to want is similar to the Pork that politicians promise to bring home. The bacon if you will. True meat is the word, but the fragile souls that require even more are those that like the pork of extra biblical pop christian culture. Things like, health and wealth gospel, “I’m Okay, You’re Okay”, junk like that.

So, when these spiritual dynamos leave a church, looking for more meat; I think they are looking for the compromise of gospel pork. Or as one of my Jewish friends used to call it: “The other white meat.”

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:09:45 +0000

You asked what it means to want “more meat” out of sermons. I’m thinking it means more church barbeques!