Radical and Subversive View of Life

Excerpt from John Starke post:  Not Your Typical Christian Conference

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But the conference landed on a unique weekend for me, personally. That weekend I also preached my first sermon as the lead pastor of All Souls Church in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and my sermon text just happened to be on the topic of work. My manuscript was already typed and set to be preached the next morning, so there wasn't much time to borrow any thoughtful content. But Mouw's opening address subtly helped changed my tone.

He began with challenging the usual divide between secular and sacred, but he did so by setting our minds upon the presence of Christ. "Welcome to the center of the universe," Mouw said, "not because you're in New York City, but because you're in the presence of Christ." We were in the presence of Christ, not because we were in the beautiful St. Bartholomew's Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan, and not because we were gathered together with 400 other Christians, but because Christ is present everywhere and holding together the universe. Like Abraham Kuyper famously said, Christ is sovereign over every square inch of this world. The reign of Christ is not only central for our Sunday gatherings, but it also infiltrates our work, family, and friendships. It shifts and transforms our obligations and allegiances.

The next morning, I'm confident my preaching was different than if I had not listened to the questions and concerns of the conference attenders and reflected the foundation of a sovereign Christ. How? I didn't just preach to the congregation of All Souls Church. I preached to congregants who were ad agents, writers, financial consultants, and teachers, who all had commitments, deadlines, and obligations. And their ultimate allegiance to Christ does not lessen those obligations; rather, it deepens them. Paul in Colossians 3:22-23 instructs slaves, whose ultimate allegiance is to Christ (Col. 3:24), not to neglect their duties to their masters, but rather to "obey in everything" and "work heartily." What a radical and subversive view of life!

In Paul's words and in our work we see that our relationship to God is not merely an ethereal reality detached from life on earth. Actually, how we relate to God has a significant effect on the world around us. Our relationship with God helps make sense of the world around us, not simply take us out of it. That is Christianity, and there's nothing in this world like it.