(The writer here is Paul-a man who once inflicted upon Christians the same pains he received.)
I cannot recall ever hearing a sermon discussing these reality of these dangers. I cannot recall this passage being read during Confirmation Sunday. I cannot recall this passage being declared at a baptism. For obvious reasons, we like to gloss over this.
There is a reason that following Christ involves such discomfort, because it is revolutionary; it is transformative. It is not about us but about the other.
Having read and watched this summer Fast Food Nation and Supersize Me, I have become troubled by the abundance most of us First Worlders take for granted. Similarly, we (the church folks) have created enviroments where people show up to church to "be feed" instead of "feeding others." In other words we have a created Spiritual Obesity. We offer How To sermons, or Gold-Star childcare, or free Caribu coffee and tend to forget that following Christ is a dangerous endeavor that costs us our entire lives. Therefore, the meat of the message probably is not very seeker sensitive.
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