What do you do with "Jesus Christ?"

by Rev. Chris Chase


I found the conversation at the home forums wonderful. I particularly enjoyed the conversation around the wording of the proposed mission statement. To remind you, or introduce you, the mission statement goes like this:

......holding hands, reaching out to our neighbors, striving to love and be loved......

At every forum there was comment made that the statement ignored the very purpose for our being, Jesus Christ. There was a desire to see "Jesus," "Jesus Christ," "God," some reference to the Divine added so that we did not come across as a "club" but as a Church. After all we gather to worship the one who saves us, Jesus Christ and him crucified. 

The retort to this addition was that the word/name "Jesus" has such a negative connotation to those who are marginally churched or unchurched that it is an immediate barrier, preventing those lost sheep from hearing the gospel. Instead, the mission statement speaks of the actions of The Good Samaritan and Good Samaritan Church which are based in and upon the witness and worship of Jesus Christ and him crucified. 

The conversation is worthy and essential. The truth is we only gather because of the Love and Sacrifice of Jesus. He is our Lord and our foundation and we need to proclaim the Light of the World to the world and not hide under the basket. However, as this is our purpose and goal every Sunday and hopefully during our week, to be a light in the Light our goal is to make ourselves as accessible as possible to a cynical and suspicious culture. How can we be a beacon if our very name "CHRISTian" is a wall, a barrier? Especially, if we are not in the business of sheep stealing (mega-churches are experts at this routine) but about finding lost sheep. To go after the lost sheep is our commission. From our God, Jesus Christ and him crucified. 

Again, it is a worthy and essential conversation for us to have. I would invite your comments and continued conversation around this statement:

.....holding hands, reaching out to our neighbor, striving to love and be loved...


After all, it goes to the heart of what it means and how to be an evangelist for our times.