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Sitting in a Starbucks on a Sunday morning, it impressed me to see so many people hanging out, discussing news and life, while enjoying a day without scheduled work. I guess I had never thought through it before, but what does someone do when church is not something they do on a Sunday? Maybe the bigger question is, "What do we as the church do about reaching and engaging our culture on a Sunday morning or any of the other six days of the week?"
Christ commanded us to be and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). We get excited about the idea of "going" or being "sent" by God to reach the world, but when looking at our neighborhood and our current reality, we tend to point apathetic fingers. We wait for others to do the very calling God has given to us. This state of isolation seeks comfort over obedience, as a person will do what feels right within his/her reach rather then leaning on the provisions of God.
Take for example the interaction with Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-47). Jesus not only engaged a culture in which the Jewish population frowned upon, but did it in a way that spread the truth of the gospel to this region. He did this by calling out the sins of this woman and inviting her to partake in the living water in which He gives to those who worship Him. As was custom, many Jews, heading up north to Galilee could have avoided this Samaria region, going east along the Jordan River, but Jesus purposefully interacted with this woman to show His gospel (good news) was not just reserved for a select few.
What Christ calls us towards is to engage culture, without compromising the gospel. The rule based avoidance and apathetic responses further separate us from being culturally relevant in a world that we are commanded to love and point back to Christ (Matthew 5:13-16). It is our choice, will we take the comfortable route in engaging culture, or will we be obedient, actively loving and trusting God through our service to others?