Middle Space
Last night I had my first experience with Middle Space.
Middle Space is the term we use at Coram Deo for that "third space" - a neutral place for dialogue and conversation about spiritual matters. It's the middle ground between a church service environment and the secular, "talk about anything except God" environment we often work in.
Last night, Derrick and I sat down for coffee with three of our friends from Starbucks who have definite issues with church. We read the first chapter of John out loud and talked about what questions it raised in our minds. Then we just chatted for an hour about all sorts of things: their view of Christianity, the existence of the soul, their understanding of God, what bothered them most about church people. It was an honest, no-bull conversation.
I walked away feeling full in my soul. I hurt for their bad experiences with Christians. I feel united with them in the brokenness of life because of sin. I long for them to find Jesus attractive and compelling. And most of all, I am thankful for their friendship. I don't feel compelled to "share the gospel" with them, as if what is keeping them from Jesus is just a lack of facts about sin and salvation. What is keeping them from Jesus is Christians. And that will only change through long-term friendship, and dialogue, and them understanding that following Jesus doesn't mean voting Republican and hating gays.
Derrick and I created this middle space opportunity just by asking. People are pretty cool about reading the Bible or talking about God when you give them the chance. May God use Coram Deo to create all sorts of these conversations, all over the city!!
Middle Space is the term we use at Coram Deo for that "third space" - a neutral place for dialogue and conversation about spiritual matters. It's the middle ground between a church service environment and the secular, "talk about anything except God" environment we often work in.
Last night, Derrick and I sat down for coffee with three of our friends from Starbucks who have definite issues with church. We read the first chapter of John out loud and talked about what questions it raised in our minds. Then we just chatted for an hour about all sorts of things: their view of Christianity, the existence of the soul, their understanding of God, what bothered them most about church people. It was an honest, no-bull conversation.
I walked away feeling full in my soul. I hurt for their bad experiences with Christians. I feel united with them in the brokenness of life because of sin. I long for them to find Jesus attractive and compelling. And most of all, I am thankful for their friendship. I don't feel compelled to "share the gospel" with them, as if what is keeping them from Jesus is just a lack of facts about sin and salvation. What is keeping them from Jesus is Christians. And that will only change through long-term friendship, and dialogue, and them understanding that following Jesus doesn't mean voting Republican and hating gays.
Derrick and I created this middle space opportunity just by asking. People are pretty cool about reading the Bible or talking about God when you give them the chance. May God use Coram Deo to create all sorts of these conversations, all over the city!!
posted by Bob | 8:13 AM
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