... and 5 of the quotes that give me reason to read Shane Claiborne's books this summer:
"... We wrestle to free ourselves from macrocharity and distant acts of charity that serve to legitimise apathetic lifestyles of good intentions but rob us of the gift of community.
It’s a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer a missions project but become genuine friends and family with whom we laugh, cry, dream and struggle.
[citing the late Catholic Bishop Dom Helder Camara] “when I fed the hungry, they called me a saint. When I asked why people are hungry they called me a communist”.
I used to think you were all missionaries bringing the gospel to your neighbourhood. But now I see that it is in your neighbourhood that you have learned the gospel, and that you are actually missionaries to the church.
We have never considered ourselves a ‘church plant’ … I’m not sure we need more churches. What we really need is a church … I have tried to remove the plural churches from my vocabulary."
Here is the sample excerpt from "The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical"
[329:1995]
2 comments:
It seems like he's getting at some of the same ideas that Jim Peterson writes about in his book, The Insider. In order for us, as the church, to fully do God's work, we have to really connect with the people God's put us around.
Have you read more Shane Claiborne since you posted?
yes, i read his first book cover to cover in about a week (i hardly ever get past the 3rd chapter of a book!). i can't say i agree with everything he thinks, but i find his biblical worldview, the apparent out-workings of that in his life, and the way he recalls his journey to be greatly encouraging.
here are some quotes that struck me and i thought were noteworthy:
"... we are a people of expectation, we are so convinced that another world is coming that we start living as if it were already here.
... the church is like noah's ark. it stinks. but if you get out of it, you'll drown.
... [citing brennan manning] the greatest cause of atheism is christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny him with their lifestyle.
... [citing soren kierkegaard on the cost of discipleship] christian scholarship is the church's prodigious invention to defend itself against the bible ..."
(we are following your family developments on your blog with great excitement and anticipation!)
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