Good is neutral

God is working outside traditional ministries. Because of fear, control, pride, legalism etc

Be in the world but not of it. Traditional ministries have emphasized the “not of it” part so much and forgotten the first part. They have carefully crafted a fortress where all variables are controlled and there is no room for discussion or dialogue. Some more than others

There are many things that are Godly and good that non-believers are doing. We tend to want to scrap and build people. Start from scratch and build them into a religious image of God that we have been trained in. Throw the baby out with the bath water so to speak.

People have healthy communities built around the creativity that God has instilled in them. Is it completely pure? Are we? Doesn’t mean we chuck it.

Someone was mentioning to me with great pride how one pastor was so far above his parishioners but chose to get down in the mud with them. What a horrible distortion of the truth. The mud is where we all live. We have this same attitude toward non-believers. We are simply one step further, an important step, but one step none the less

We need to start looking for God and what he is doing maybe in not so obvious places and people. We need to stop being so negative toward the world. We need to actually encourage people as much as possible and acknowledge what they are doing right instead of pouncing on what they are doing wrong as if we ourselves don’t sin daily. We think we are better. We also think our churches are better than say the local tennis club or pub or artist event. This is pride. Who do we think we are?

This same person said how impressed he was that Japanese people, although very reserved in their emotions were acting so free in this particular church as if to imply they do not do this anywhere else. He is simply mistaken. He doesn’t know Japanese people well is all and he wants to believe there is something unique going on because it tells him what he is involved in is worth the effort and time and he wants to believe what he is doing is right. He also wants to brag to others that his thing is better than theirs. But what he says is simply not true. I have seen Japanese people very close to one another in many situations and freely saying what is on their minds. It is a Japanese cultural aspect called soto/uchi or outside/ inside. If you are one of the group you are in and if not you are out.

Truth is important. We don’t need to be delusional or think we have some special revelation concerning every aspect of life just because we are Christian. We don’t need to deny truth in other places or people as well. God made us in His image. Do we believe some of that image is not still on all human beings? Do we believe everything they do is bad? If someone gives a poor person what they need are they not doing God’s work? Even if their motive is impure (isn't ours as well). Likewise is everything we do good just because we are Christians?

For example the reason we feel so uncomfortable in say a bar is not because we are so holy or pure or that bars are so other than God but because we are anti-social, awkward, prideful, and insecure. We don’t know how to act outside our carefully crafted Christian world. We need to get out more out of the House/church and into the real world instead of fearing demons in every corner.