Citizen of the Bubble

Dan Kimball lays out the four stages of Christian life in America like this:

1: We become Christians.
2: We become part of the church life.
3: We become part of the Christian Bubble.
4: We become Jonah.

His conclusion is that we get into a "retreat mentality" where we "think of the church as a protection from the world club". In the end most Christians know few non-christians and the few they know they don't take the time to get to know on a level that would allow a real and relational sharing of our faith.

Jesus did not seem to want the church just to be a subculture... in fact he prayed for His disciples that: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one" (John 17:15).

For sure, He isn't praying here for what normally happens: We isolate ourselves from those outside the church.

And I would add here to Kimball's statement that the church also in subtle ways isolates itself from the un-churched. I've been to a few church cafes and meeting buildings and I notice something funny. There is no where for someone to comfortably step aside and smoke.

Don't get me wrong, I think the habit is gross. Extra gross really.

However, we tend to quietly support the idea that it's not OK to be a Christian and smoke (Find that for me in the Bible in any way other than a deduction please if you want to argue about it!), and if you do you dang well better hide it. So how much more does this make us look like a weird and inclusive bubble culture to the unchurched when we don't get what major restaurant's and coffee company's (you know which one I'm talking about) do. If you want them to come back, you have to make room for them... bad habits and all.