This article from Dallas Willard is life changing. (Thank you, Janet, for sending it to me.)

What, to you, is the Gospel? Is it wealth, absence of illness, inner peace, contentment, forgiveness, church membership?

Perhaps, we should go to the Scriptures (daily) to see if the Gospel preached in our churches and our walkabout lives lines up with the one Jesus preached. When Christ told us about the Good News, was he saying "convert" or "repent and believe"? Of course it was the latter. But what does it mean to turn from our ways and believe in Him?

Dr. Willard says it means trusting Christ will all of me, all I have, all I am, my being, my personhood, my philosophy, my will and driving mechanisms and systems. Philosophical mumbo jumbo? Hardly. Trust him with my work, my food, my sleep, my house, my money, kids, marriage, parents, career, school . . . all of it. I even have to trust him with his church (HIS church by the way).

That level of trust, my friends looks and feels weird and very unAmerican. Unless my observations are way off the mark, we tend to trust all our stuff to our best education, practices, manipulations and marketing savvy. We do NOT really tend to trust Jesus or his idea that "the kingdom of God is at hand;" i.e., the Gospel as Christ told it.

If the radically simple Gospel "trust Jesus with everything" finds its primary voice in word, action, and strategy of American Pastors, many (most?) Pastors will soon be looking for work. On the other hand, the power of the Holy Spirit will return to the churches bearing Christ's name. Hard decision, trading today's income for tomorrow's faith-based initiative, don't you agree?