It is the height of club water polo season. I spent a good chunk of the past weekend at our son's water polo tournament. Our kids' involvement open doors for us into existing communities. His water polo team and the players' parents make up a pretty tight knit community.
Right now our goal is to be a part of this community. This means we are engaged in our children's pursuit of the sport of water polo. It is in itself important. Water polo and this team is not merely a context to be used for imparting the REAL important thing - the gospel. If we do not value what the community values within reason, then we will remain apart. This also means we are getting know the people who make up this community. In the same spirit, we are not getting to know them so that we can impart the gospel. We are getting to know them because relationship with them is in itself of great value.
It's a subtle shift, but sometimes in trying to elevate the gospel we diminish it. By failing to recognize that the gospel gives meaning to all things, we sequester it until we've set up for it its delivery. The gospel is not the point. It's the whole story. Christ is beginning, middle, and the point.
I really like this!
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