The Church In My Mind
I should be careful to note that things like candles, seating configurations, formats...these really are secondary preference issues. The real meat of what I'm feeling and trying to express in these posts is that we should find ways to bring our church experience into harmony with the rythmns of life.
I fear that our American brand of church has to a great extent compartmentalized people's lives. We have our church life, which happens for an hour and a half on Sunday. And then we have our life life the other six days of the week. And they don't harmonize together because we've created a Sunday morning event that is so un-natural and foreign to the rythmns of our life. In doing so, church in America has become weak and powerless to carry the the life-changing power of Christ into the culture.
I remember an episode several years ago in DuQuoin, IL. There was a man there who was a long-time United Pentecostal pastor. He also owned a used car dealership in town. His dealership was known for peddling lemons and shady business dealing. One time he was challenged by another Christian who asked how he could be a pastor and yet conduct business in such an ungodly way. His response was shocking.
"My life at the dealership and my life at the church are two different things. I don't sell cars the same way I pastor and I don't pastor the same way I sell cars."
Amazing. My understanding of the gospel is that Jesus intended (as demonstrated by his numerous parables of the Kingdom) for the Kingdom of God and life of Christ to permeate the entirety of our being, radically changing the way we do everything in life. Christ's intention is that no facet of our being and lifestyle should remain untouched by the Kingdom.
All of that to say that I want to lead and be part of a body of believers who are fully immersed in Christ. I want to be part of a body of believers who experience God through authentic worship, genuine relationships, and meaningful conversation. I simply don't think the scripted Sunday morning show can take us to that place.
You'll hear more from Brandon in the next post.
posted by Bill @ 8:12 AM
8 comments
8 Comments:
Many thoughts come to mind concerning your last three posts. To be sure, you and the Holy Spirit will need to do some serious de-frag of people's minds in order for this type of church to even be possible. But, I know anything is possible with God.
My second thought is that most people are not like the car salesman/pastor in DuQuoin. I guess you are contending that they are but I would submit otherwise. I think it simply takes submission to grace in order to NOT live like the DuQuoin guy. I guess that's what your church would be trying to bring about in a more "natural" way.
Thirdly, I think that you are going to have to be careful about the various ways in which people best "connect with God." It borders on postmodern thought to me due to the "what works for you..." model. Sometimes, I think that people best connect with God through good, old-fashioned conviction, which is missing from a lot of churches. Anyway, what if you get someone in your church who best connects with God through screaming "hallelujah" loudly and distracting the painter/journalist? Would you ask him/her to leave or move?
I cannot wait to see/read more about the church you have in mind. I look forward to more from Brandon. I apologize if I sounded negative. I think you understand that I just have questions because it is so far from what people (like me) are used to.
That's why I like you so much Ann. :-)
There are numerous churches like this emerging around the country that are attracting hundreds of people. Churches like Mosaic, Solomon's Porch...too many to mention.
You are right about the defrag. Honestly, you won't find many people above the age of 30 doing church this way. "The way we've always done it" is so ingrained in the minds of so many older Christians that this approach to spiritual community would just freak them out.
The battle over hymns and choruses or over organs or bands still rages.
The current generation of teens and 20's however are deeply craving this kind of raw, authentic, unscripted spirituality that really does result in changed lives and changed culture.
Oh yeah...and no...I'm not contending that "everyone" who calls themselves Christians are like the guy in DuQuoin.
But I would contend that to a great extent we in the Western church have often magnified grace to such an extent that a lifestyle of personal holiness is too often viewed as un-necessary...even a legalistic idea. When in fact you find all of the New Testament writers clearly and emphatically saying that people who don't have the evidence of holiness visible in their lives haven't truly tasted of God's grace to begin with.
James, for instance, is a book that very clearly explains that those under grace should be the ones who's lifestyle most clearly reflects the holiness of God. I have "hyper-grace" friends who have actually said that they won't even read the book of James because it feels too legalistic.
How did I get off on this topic???
I can say that there was a time in my life when I was a Sunday Christian and then whatever else during the rest of the week. It is very easy to put on a facade and parade around, fooling those who think they really know you.
My father recently met a real estate agent in the area who made this statement to him:
"The reason I have been as successful as I have is because I am the same Christian man outside of church that I am inside of church."
I have a friend who left here to be a college minister at West Virginia University. He and I have discussed how church has become too "political" with their laws, by-laws, and just complete way of its inner workings. I understand that in Acts, things were set up differently. What will it take to open the eyes of God's people?
Uh, I'm confused about why you like me so much...ha ha.
Because you have a mind of your own. You don't just blindly follow whatever blather someone may be spouting.
You like to process through things...test them. That's good. :-)
"blather." Hee hee.
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