It seems to me that most of the angst that I hear about the church and the culture we live in is the result of the growing realization that Christianity is no longer (or at least will soon be no longer) the dominant culture of our society.

As I reflected on that I realized that as I read the NT that was the very truth of those early Christians. They were not the dominant culture of their day – they lived counter-cultural lives.

I was reading today in Matthew 5 and 6 – the Sermon on the Mount. There is a series of repeated reflections that begin with the words – “You have heard it said”. That was a reflection of the dominant culture of their day. You have heard it said. But then Jesus went on to say – “But I say unto you.”

You have heard it said “You shall not murder” but i say unto you – don’t be angry with a brother or sister.

You have heard it said “you shall not commit adultery”, but I say unto you don’t look with lust on another.

And so it goes – a call to the early disciples to live Kingdom lives – lives dominated by the Kingdom of God and not by the kingdom of man. Has that call changed?

The prophet Jeremiah spoke to a people in exile. He told them some rather startling things. In Jeremiah 29 we find these words:

4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce.

6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.

7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.