This week I am preaching at FPC on the Missional topic of what it means to be "In but not of" the world. The focus scripture passage is John 17:6-19. I have been struggling with this passage in connection with some of the "tension" things I have been discussing lately. The tension of the already but not yet of the Kingdom of God, the already but not yet of my transition in calling, and even in my sports team as I posted a few days ago. I have struggled to put into words what Jesus might have been praying about how his followers no longer belong to the world, but that he is sending them into the world. That they are sanctified in God's truth but still need protection from the evil one in the world. And what does it really mean when we say that we are to be in the world, but somehow not "of" it. What does it mean that we, as followers of Christ, are people who are active in the world, but somehow not affected by it (if that's what "of" really means). As I was working through this passage and this topic, a movie from a few years ago came to me.
I am not going to go into detail about the whys of the connection between this film and the topic at hand (I don't want to spoil anything for folks coming to worship on Sunday), but take a look at the trailer for this film and see what comes to mind for you as you view this trailer and think of the Scripture and topic at hand...
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE9dNt45CPw&w=425&h=344]
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