Today over at Cerulean Sanctum, Dan Edelen talks a bit about what he sees as two competing “Christianities”:

Externally-Motivated (EM) Christianity sees the Kingdom of God existing in systems and institutions “erected by God” or by Christians faithful to God. The essence of what it means to be a Christian dwells in hallowed monolithic icons, largely existing outside the believer. We see the expression of EM Christianity whenever we encounter Christian groups and individuals seeking to preserve or defend some aspect of the truth they see encapsulated in a system, institution, or organization.

Internally-Motivated Christianity, in sharp contrast, invests little time and energy in externalities. Its hope is not in systems and institutions because it understands that those succumb to entropic forces. To the IM Christian, the Kingdom of God cannot rest on externalities prone to decay.

He’s got me thinking… again. It all seems so clear, and what he’s saying seems to meld with other things I’ve been harping on of late. It seems to match up with different things God’s put in front of me.

At the same time, I’ve seen his description of “Internally-Motivated Christianity” used by people who would otherwise solidly fall into what Dan would consider the “EM Christianity” camp. Those sorts of folks simply use explanations like “the Kingdom of God cannot rest on externalities prone to decay” to bolster their own pet projects that are supposedly “really” worth their time and energy… but are just more institutions and organizations with varying degrees of a “Christian” veneer.

For instance: Jesus said, “on this rock I will build my [ekklesia], and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, ESV). Here Jesus is speaking from a universal, eternal perspective, saying that Satan won’t win his war against the Church because the Church is being built on the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (v.16). However, time and again I’ve heard pastors claim that Jesus is saying something more like, “the gates of hell shall not get in the way of our particular congregation at this particular moment in history.” In other words, they take Jesus’ declaration that Satan will never win the war and warp it into a claim that Satan will never get a good shot in edgewise. (Tell that to the house churches in China.)

So with that disclaimer having been said, I heartily recommend Dan’s post and suggest you read it, think over it, and join the discussions in his comments section!

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Maybe it’s just me (and the feeds I’m subscribed to at Technorati), but this seems like a pretty slow Saturday. Really, none of the feeds I’ve got in there have updated since this morning. You’d think with over seventy feeds, something new would have been put up in the past eight hours, but apparently not.

I’ve got this “Best Blogs You Haven’t Read” category where I recommend other blogs to you, but maybe it’s time to turn the tables on myself! So you tell me who’s missing from my Technorati favorites and why I should add ‘em. (Bonus points if you aren’t recommending your own site!) Spread the word, too: I want to hear from as many folks as I can on this one!

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Rodney Stark and other sociologists tell us there were 10 values of early Christians that stood in stark (no pun intended) contrast to the pluralistic pagan culture of Rome. Let’s prayferfully think through these values and match them to the witness of our own churches. Do we see the city existing for us or do we see our church and our lives existing for the city? (David Fairchild, 10 Marks of the Early Church)

This is an interesting post! What I want to know is this: which of the 10 values listed in the post are exemplified in your local church… and why aren’t the others? (HT: JollyBlogger.)

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Two of my favorite bloggers just tackled roughly the same subject in their own unique ways. Here’s Dan Edelen:

I believe when we encounter the Lord in this way we should do the following:

• Confess any known sin.
• Ask the Spirit to search our hearts for hidden sin.
• Confess hidden sin when He reveals it.
• Praise Him for revealing sin in our lives.
• Praise Him for who He is.
• Ask Him to prepare us for what we might receive from Him.
• Ask Him to fill us with Himself, His gifts, and His direction.
• Thank Him for meeting those needs.
• Ask Him to transform our lives so that we are better able to serve him, so we leave the church with a greater revelation of Him to share with the community of faith and those still outside the flock.
• Thank Him and praise Him again.

I think if we take these ten steps in the presence of the Lord, He’ll bless us so much more than if we simply bask in Him then leave unchanged after the encounter.

(Source: “When the Spirit Falls,” Cerulean Sanctum)

…and now Scott Morgan:

Like my laptop, the issue is my internal compatibility with Him. Periodically, I need to run some diagnostic questions to check and see if there’s any interference. I ask questions like these…

• What are my motives right now?
• Have I confessed known sin in my life?
• Am I operating out of fear?
• What am I thinking about? Is it true and right and good?
• Am I trusting God in this situation?
• Am I obeying what I know God wants me to do?

This is what King David was dealing with when he prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV).

Thankfully, our prayer connection can be reestablished when we draw near to God.

(Source: “Connectivity Troubles,” Scott’s Bible Blog)

And they both used unordered lists. That’s the creepiest thing about it.

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Chris Giarrusso (of Bullpen Bits fame) got back from this year’s San Diego Comicon and posted what future generations will assuredly consider the penultimate ‘con report — check it out!

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