Living Theology
In the past around Christmas and Easter I start talking a lot about theology. Instead, this Holy Week, I've been talking a lot about, well, me. Or rather, how I've been applying theology to my life. My life is so incredibly broken, and there is so much that becomes applicable.
In Christian circles, or at least in my Christian circles, there is a lot of talk about "preaching the Gospel" to yourself or "living cross-centered lives." I'd imagine that many, like me, have heard these phrases but have not actually read the books. We Christians like our phrases. Organic. Missional. Kingdom-living. Cross-centeredness. But what do these phrases mean? How is it that we apply theology to our lives?
I co-led a Bible study once. Something my co-leader would always say is, "What does this look like?" Someone would answer, "Well, it means we always have to remember the cross." Then he would counter, "Well, what does remembering the cross look like? What does it look like, really?" That question was something that always struck me. After leaving the group, I expanded on his question with my new Christian friends: "What does this look like on Tuesday morning? Thursday afternoon? What does it look like, really?"
If the Bible is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in all righteousness, if it is a double-edged sword piercing through flesh and marrow, if it is living and active- if it is any of these things, then we should be able to point at our lives and think about how the Bible speaks to that area of our life. Conversely, we should be able to point to the Bible and think about how we can apply that verse in our lives.
Tomorrow is Good Friday. What does it mean? And what does it mean to make the cross a daily reality for us, not just this week, but next month?
In Christian circles, or at least in my Christian circles, there is a lot of talk about "preaching the Gospel" to yourself or "living cross-centered lives." I'd imagine that many, like me, have heard these phrases but have not actually read the books. We Christians like our phrases. Organic. Missional. Kingdom-living. Cross-centeredness. But what do these phrases mean? How is it that we apply theology to our lives?
I co-led a Bible study once. Something my co-leader would always say is, "What does this look like?" Someone would answer, "Well, it means we always have to remember the cross." Then he would counter, "Well, what does remembering the cross look like? What does it look like, really?" That question was something that always struck me. After leaving the group, I expanded on his question with my new Christian friends: "What does this look like on Tuesday morning? Thursday afternoon? What does it look like, really?"
If the Bible is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in all righteousness, if it is a double-edged sword piercing through flesh and marrow, if it is living and active- if it is any of these things, then we should be able to point at our lives and think about how the Bible speaks to that area of our life. Conversely, we should be able to point to the Bible and think about how we can apply that verse in our lives.
Tomorrow is Good Friday. What does it mean? And what does it mean to make the cross a daily reality for us, not just this week, but next month?
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