Becoming before proclaiming

…or "Embodied is more important than eloquent"

In earlier posts I’ve spoken of the importance of embodied witness, both in theological and missional terms. The concept implies that if I attempt to speak the words of the gospel without any evidence that the gospel has transformed my life in any way, I falsify the message.

We have to become good news before we can proclaim good news. Otherwise your life doesn’t back up your message. This doesn’t mean you have to have your life "together" before telling anyone else about anything, but I think that because of the cultural climate of suspicion that we live in, a metanarrative that is proclaimed without an integral connection to an authentic community will fall on deaf ears.

Because so many are suspicious that the Christian gospel is just another power play, embodied witness is much more powerful than eloquent proclamation. Before the gospel can be heard, you have to demonstrate what kind of community the gospel creates. This is why spiritual formation is such a vital part of the church’s mission.