The Goal of The Gospel

I wrote this quote down from the book "The Tangible Kingdom" 

"The church is not the goal of the gospel"

Does this quote grab you like it did me?  Have we turned the goal of sharing Christ into converting people to a membership into an organization?  Is the gospel more than church membership?

The premise of the gospel is the GOOD NEWS--that Jesus Christ has come to restore a relationship with the creation and that through that relationship we can have fellowship again with God and consequently we can have relationships here on earth that add value to this life we have in Christ. 

However, these earthly relationships are never the end in themselves. The church is never the goal of the gospel. The goal of the gospel is the life changing message of Christ living in and through his redeemed creation. It's never been to get people to CHURCH.  The church is the expression of this gospel ( a group of redeemed and reclaimed misfits for the kingdom)

So, what do you think?  Is this quote right or wrong?

Third Place--The Great Good Gathering Place

“Life without community has produced, for many, a life style consisting mainly of a home-to-work-and-back-again shuttle. Social well-being and psychological health depend upon community. It is no coincidence that the ‘helping professions’ became a major industry in the United States as suburban planning helped destroy local public life and the community support it once lent.”


I'm finishing up the book "THE TANGIBLE KINGDOM" and towards the back of the book the author refers, in reference to community, to something called THE THIRD PLACE.  He's using the terminology coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg in his 1990 book THE GREAT GOOD PLACE.  In it Oldenburg says that the First place (Home) and Second place (work) provide for us means of relationships and sustinance, but that we need a Third place--where we can be known on another level.

I know, right now you are singing  the "Cheers" song--"You want to go where everybody knows your name".  But isn't it funny that a TV show from the 80's captured the essence of community and we still refer to it some 20 years later.  


Churches used to be the Third place.  When the church  was the center of the community culture, you were known in that place (culture and church were more similar then than now-agree?) as parties and gatherings took on more of a feeling of "community".  Not so anymore.  Can anyone remember what it was like when it was that way?


Third places are still essential to the culture of a local community.  I live in a small rural town with a "picturesque" downtown square.  I regularly hear people say that they remember "when" the downtown area was the place to go on the weekends.  That was their third place.


We have people who are trying to recreate that in our town now--not as it was, but as it could be as a gathering space for friends and family (Thanks to Marianne and Bill for bringing this back to our attention) and people who come to town notice this and remark "this is a happening little place down here".  Somehow in our own psyche it does encourage us when we find Third Places (be it a McDonald's coffee shop, or another local hangout) where people know you on another level.


Will the church ever return to THIRD PLACE?   I don't know .   I can't see the culture coming to our coffee shops and bookstores and things inside our buildings.  Maybe this is just the call for us to all "go" and "be" in the culture that we are called to.  There are far more ministry opportunities in these "THIRD PLACES"  than we'll ever find inside the walls of a church dwelling.


Third Place--Wikipedia

The Tangible Kingdom

I'm kind of late to the game on this book. About a year ago I heard the buzz about it, but just now have cracked the cover on it and boy can I tell you that in the first 30 pages I tagged something about every third paragraph. There's just something when you see something in writing that has been rambling around in your mind and heart. I'm afraid I know how this will end--it will be another book to "ruin" me to status quo in the local church.  I won't ever be the same again.

I'll keep you posted as I go and as I delve into the issues and statements that I read. All those that I've already marked are worthy of individual blogs and posts here. I'll try not to overwhelm you with all of my gleanings.

You can download 16 pages of the book here and read it for yourself.