the    sides

So we’ve got these 4 places: public, social, personal, and intimate. The modern mind wants to see these as phases to be worked through. There is some validity/truth to that as long as you are not picky as to which one is the starting point and which direction that process goes.

Here’s what I’m ’supposing’ (at least in Little Rock.) You’ve got a segment of folks whose entry point to meeting Jesus is going to be the public place. It’s large, they can get lost, they can test and taste with major exposure. It’s also a part of the culture of the South - you go to church.

(Although I’d quickly add that this is changing. In the next 5 to 10 years, Little Rock will be decidedly less churched…that’s another post, another day.)

For this type of folk - their growth challenge will be to move toward community/intimacy.

However, there are people who just hate the public space and will immediately gravitate towards the personal place. They are wired that way, they want that kind of friendship…lots of reasons why. The point is that personal space becomes their entry point.

I’d argue it’s still about intimacy with Christ and others that is the bullseye, but the starting point is different.

At Grace - our public space is good. Sure, we’ve got some places to grow and stretch but overall the public place is a great first taste of God and Grace.

The wheels fall off the wagon for us in the next two places…which I’ll unpack tomorrow.