The Colossian Jesus
posted by Little Mo | Permalink |
That hideous thing "The Gospel conversation." For years it was the holy grail I pursued with particular friends, when I waited for the opportunity and the spilt two ways to live or the four spiritual laws out onto them. Looking for ways to "Get the Gospel in". Eeek.
That's not the way Paul seems to view it happening with the Colossians, as me and my lovely Relay Worker noted last week. We have had a great time as he has led me through and we got to the random bit at the end of chapter 4. Rather he says "let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt." What that means is, I think, not that we are looking for ways to get the Gospel in (although we should do that) but rather that there is something different about the way we speak all the time that reflects the grace of the Gospel.
And that isn't about merely trying to be different. Its believing what Colossians says about Jesus - that everything, that means everything, is created by him and for him. That means there is no topic of conversation to which Jesus is unrelated and no situation where it is impossible to give a distinctive Christian perspective.
Recently in church one of the other elders told the story of how his wife was chatting to another Mum about life and its stresses and said, quite naturally "there is a great sense of peace knowing someone you trust is in control." Discussing it afterwards the reaction of people seemed to be "I'd never have thought of that" or "I'd never have the nerve to say that". It seems to me the solution to those problems is simply to believe in the Colossian Christ - that all we talk about is made by him and for him anyway.
That's not the way Paul seems to view it happening with the Colossians, as me and my lovely Relay Worker noted last week. We have had a great time as he has led me through and we got to the random bit at the end of chapter 4. Rather he says "let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt." What that means is, I think, not that we are looking for ways to get the Gospel in (although we should do that) but rather that there is something different about the way we speak all the time that reflects the grace of the Gospel.
And that isn't about merely trying to be different. Its believing what Colossians says about Jesus - that everything, that means everything, is created by him and for him. That means there is no topic of conversation to which Jesus is unrelated and no situation where it is impossible to give a distinctive Christian perspective.
Recently in church one of the other elders told the story of how his wife was chatting to another Mum about life and its stresses and said, quite naturally "there is a great sense of peace knowing someone you trust is in control." Discussing it afterwards the reaction of people seemed to be "I'd never have thought of that" or "I'd never have the nerve to say that". It seems to me the solution to those problems is simply to believe in the Colossian Christ - that all we talk about is made by him and for him anyway.
posted by Little Mo at 4:06 AM
4 Comments:
wow how straightforward! amen.
Hi Mo!
Your post reminded me of Chapter 12 of Spurgeon's Lectures to my Students: "The Minister's ordinary conversation". The chapter is very funny, as well as devastatingly helpful, agreeing with what you have said here.
Brilliant.
So, it's not talking so much about 'gospel conversations' - a special class of conversation - but rather he is talking about 'gospel conversation' - grace and saltyness characterising all our conversations. Right?
There's something so much more beautiful about conversation seasoned with salt than sliced open and stuffed with 'the message'. I love that as we realise more who Jesus is and what that means for life, we apply in a way that is much more true to how God created us. And undoubtably easier understood and heard by those we meet.
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