Spinning the Gospel

Every Christmas and Easter a tendency comes out in the church. We want to find a new way to preach the old stories, to unearth a new facet of the Gospel, to find a new angle on the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. We figure people have heard it all before. What will bring them to church and to faith if we can't find a new edge?

Martin Luther, when asked by members of his congregation why he insisted on preaching the Gospel every week, responded that he preached the Gospel every week because every week they forgot it. He would move on to something else when he saw evidence that they had truly received the Gospel and were living accordingly.

Paul wrote, in his letter to the Romans, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes..." In his letter (with Timothy) to the Philippians, he wrote, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord... I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings."

The Gospel is enough. We don't need to spin it or twist it or find a new way to present it. May the truth be spoken, may it fall on ready hearts, and may God be glorified in our representation of Jesus now as He was in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection 2000 years ago.