Quote of the Day: 03/10/06

"The mission of the church is to love Jesus. Everything else is just strategy."

Mark Allan Powell

Comments

[kevin]

This is a powerful, but lacking quote. If it neglects loving people, or subordinates it to a "strategy to love God", then it undercuts one of Christ's greatest commandments - Love God AND your neighbor.

I'm not Reformed, so I have a hard time with "All for the Glory of God" theology...to me it is Big God flexing his muscles in the mirror (I have many Reformed friends who I love), but God placed us in fellowship and humanity, not so we could worship better but because that is his imprint within his creation - community.

[Bill]

It seems like "loving Jesus" is pretty meaningless by itself, anyway. I think I would say "following Jesus" instead.

[Sivin]

interesting quote, excellent for centering - made me think deeper ... the reaction from the comments were helpful too :-)e.g. if one genuinely "loves" Jesus, wouldn't one "follow" him as well. Perhaps I was thinking of Jesus' question to Peter in John 21, where he asked "do you love me?" (and not "do you want to follow me"). I'm still reflecting on this.

[luthsem/Rich]

Mark Allan Powell is actually Lutheran and not Reformed. In the context, Loving Jesus means loving and serving others in his name.