Tuesday 23 October 2007

Trafficking #1

Back to a quotation that’s been rumbling around in the empty space above my neck…

“Our great problem is the problem of trafficking in unlived truth”
D L Moody

I was sitting in church on Sunday and thinking to myself - theology isn’t what we say, it’s how we live.

I think we often kid ourselves that theology requires huge intellectual capacity and 3 degrees from different universities (2 of which must be doctorates). But that’s daft. Yes, the words and thinking are important, but the lived out lives of Christians are always the best theology in my view.

I came across Camel Crossing, and was intrigued by ‘a conversation not a soapbox’. While the context was around blogging, I think that the thoughts can be applied equally to church and our mission. We need to find ways to have conversations not soapbox rants, both in church (hard to break the traditions though) and in our lives.

On the way home tonight I was listening to a Bill Hybels sermon. He said:
“When your back is against the wall, your true theology is revealed.”

I guess that’s when our truth is really lived, whether we like it or not – and after the day that I’ve had it’s ‘not’.

2 comments:

That Hideous Man said...

Reminds me of what the late Nigel Lee of UCCF said when given his diagnosis of terminal cancer: "Now you'll all get to see if I really believe all that I've been preaching about for so long".

Talking Bear said...

Great post, I posted your Moody quote on my blog and put a link back to your blog in the post. I have several of Bill's sermons on tape and have had some family and friends on his church staff. I love his teaching style. Anyway, I thought you made some great points and enjoyed the post thanks.