Gospel and Church

In The Church Between Gospel and Culture, Richard Halverson wrote: "When the Greeks got the gospel they turned it into a philosophy. When the Romans got it they turned it into a government. When the Europeans got it they turned it into a culture. When the Americans got it they turned it into an enterprise."
Quoted from Ed Stetzer

The point is: the Gospel is so powerful at redefining humanity both individually and corporately that it redefines and satisfies our ways of thinking about ourselves, truth and life (philosophy), our ways of relating to each other organizationally(government) our ways of being together artistically and relationally (culture), and even our ways of wanting to bring the best of ourselves to God's work (enterprise).  However. the gospel is more than all of those things. It is God's mission - the 'Misseo Dei' as it is now fashionably called by the insiders.  

Reflecting back on the last decade and half, I find myself turning to thinking about the Gospel in very simple ways.  I want to open my Bible with people who are outsiders, and to tell them the story of The God who is Father, who came as Jesus, loved us, died for us, and came again as Spirit to live within and among us.  I want to pass a cup of wine and break-open a loaf of bread.  I want to sing the songs of previously unknown love.  I want to be accepted, valued, nurtured and deeply loved by people who will look out for me, especially when I don't love as a I should. I want to do that for other people too.  That will be enough Church for me for the rest of my life.