Transcript:
A lot of times people do have tensions; they either have theological tensions; they have preferences, so some people, because of their gifts, they’re all about serving the poor and other folks, or loving the city and other folks. Because they have gifts that serve inside the church, they think this is the most important thing.
My take is that proper church services should be shaping people for mission all week long; what they’re doing during the course of the week. So there’s not a conflict if you’re understanding the role of the gathering properly – we gather before God to be formed as people who rightly love and desire what he desires, to respond to him and then we’re sent out with reordered hearts to love and bless the world. So you’re probably addressing the tension of just church services that sometimes fall towards entertainment, or they’re too inward-focused. I think that church done properly leads out of an encounter with God to naturally love and serve those around you.
Jesus put those together, he said “love the Lord your God with all your hearts, your mind and strength” and the second is like it, “love your neighbour as yourself” and so Jesus was the first Rabbi that I know of who linked those together as the key thing, so if we love God properly it will lead to caring about those who are around us during the week.
