Power and Suffering

I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

Philippians 3:10-11 The Message

I was asked today if there was a danger of becoming too relaxed in our approach to Christian faith. Perhaps we might become so laid back that we lose the depth of spirituality that is possible when we're totally committed to a rigorous discipline of worship. I replied by saying that meeting with one another in community takes us beyond the discipline of private engagement with God. As we take part in shared mission, we're moved beyond intellectual assent to join in a life-changing, costly experience of Christ.