Church On The Way or In The Way?
I have to say - the bit i enjoy most in blogging is trying to come up with a headline. SO..... most important bits done.
Well well well well well.....well, why do we spend so much time and focus on getting well? ive picked up on How well is well enough when God uses a broken army in an earlier article, but really....What is taking centre stage in our expending of energy?
Ive seen several community birthings which have in my redactional view (stripping) have not become church at all. Usually it STARTS with a very noble cause such as: Finding Authentic Faith / Becoming The True Bride / Having Real Fellowship etc etc.... the list of well meant causes could go on and im sure you could think of a few - even a few worth embarking on a another journey after?
BUT...................... what ive seen has tended to have the LOST AS AN AFTER THOUGHT, "when we ARRIVE at a point of X then we will have something to offer the lost". Now i really do understand the gesture, but i dont see an arrival point in scripture, i dont see any ellement AT ALL of churchmanship....of being a disciple, whereby once we have crossed a certain 'inner vow or agreed value' line...we can then pursue the lost. In truth, in many settings we never get to this point - i dont htink such a point actually exists anyways. But while we shuffle forwards towards such an undivine human goal - we enflict the sin of not helping people come to faith cause WE or IT isnt ready.
BOTTOM LINE: You cant ever be church - if you are not extending kingdom into the hearts of the lost from the outset. What Jesus centred church can move forwards without the commission in its very dna from the outset? aspiration...a church maketh not - a disciple maketh not. Surely this from the start and on the way pursuit of the lost is what shapes us and makes us eternally rich now? How many saints live daily in hope deferred as the 'gods compassion for the lost breaks our hearts' reality of all of our cores gets surpressed once more.
So what ideals? what line have we consiously or unconsciously put before us that have become a stumbling block to the gospel? how long have you been working towards that place of arrival - how long have the lost that God has placed you in and around got to wait? What in truth would stop you from doing something about that tomorrow - now? and i ask myself the same. hope your cool with joining in the mud of my inner world for a friendly wrestle.
posted by al bino at 5:00 pm
5 Comments:
Donning my garrishly coloured spandex tights on my manly frame, I gladly step into the mud pit . . .
In 1 Corinthians 12:15~31 we are given the "church body/gifting/funtion" analogy. The last two threads (Don't start with Church/Church on the way) speak to me of balance. There are those that need discipling, and those that need salvation. But I can't do it all, at least not at the same time. I can only be in one place at one time. That's why we need body ministry. If I'm a hand, I can't be a foot.
I don't know, maybe this is one of those "ideals/lines" that get in the way. Now a-days, we tend to talk of the lost/unsaved as "pre-christians". So, do we walk this out farther and start conversations/dialogues with them in the context as discipling? Is it possible to be mentor and evangelist all at the same time? I don't know.
But then again, are we just mucking it all up by getting too complicated? My senior pastors returned earlier this year from a missions trip to Pakistan.
They key thing they learned was this:
Simplicity; Preach Jesus. Preach His Love, Preach Jesus. Let everything you do flow from that.
Got more to ruminate on, but must climb out of the pit for now and get back to the grind . . .
5:09 pm
gaz,
After reading through this post I found my self thinking about this poem:
"The Fate of the Zoad”
Did I ever tell you about the young Zoad,
who came to a sign at the fork of the road.
The Zoad had to make up his mind what to do.
Well, the Zoad scratched his head, and his chin, and his pants—
-and he said to himself “I’ll be taking a chance.”
If I go to place One, that place may be hot, so how will I know if I like it or not.
If I go to Place Two and find it’s too cool, in that case I may catch a chill and turn blue.
So Place One may be best and not Place Two. “Play safe!” cried the Zoad.
“I’ll play safe, I’m no dunce. I’ll simply start off to both places at once.”
And that’s how the Zoad who would not take a chance went no place at all with a split in his pants.
-Dr Seuss
I don't mean to speak lightly or go negative on your insights and great thoughts but I often am overwhelmed by it all. The simplicity seems to be lost in such intricate analysis. It reminds me of someone who said it is like dissecting a body...you may come up with all kinds of information and facts about it...but its still not alive. I sometimes wonder if God simply hides the LIFE from us who would seek to chart it, diagram it, print it, record it and in the end disgorge it in an unholy manner. I am not saying that is what you are doing, I am just trying to put words to my own struggle with figuring it out.
Its like sex, if such introspection went into analyzing it...we would never experience it.
I am not saying there isn't a need for deep thought and right patterns but it seems we might be creating mental straight jackets that we wont be able to get out of. So afraid of doing it wrong that we lose the adventure and chance of doing it at all.
3:08 am
SPLITTING OUR PANTS
So...'Church' is like sex, and not going to church or asking questions about church is like splitting your pants?
In my experience, the mental straight jackets are everywhere but Gaz here seems to be doing alright in my book. It's the ones that struggle, fight, spit and kick, dislocating the odd shoulder as they go that usually escape from the asylum.
Maybe it's time the church in Britain needs to split its pants.
But of course there'll always be the kindly men in white coats to take us away...
4:56 pm
Whoa that is taking my response farther than I was intending. I am not saying questioning or debating, or asking questions and all that isn't extremely important and needed. Deconstruction and all that is essential to growth.
I was trying to say, that in the process of it all, I have found myself being tied up and frozen in the questions. Like the person that is so hung up on not stepping out of Gods will that they live in fear of taking any step. A view of Gods will being a tight rope Vs a path. Erwin Mcmanus says following God is more often done with a compass than a map. Head north...has some much more freedom than turn left, turn right, straight etc...maybe I am alone in these thoughts but I thought I would voice them anyway.
And as for the sex comparison, I remember John Eldridge sharing in one of his books about the depth of intimacy, vulnerability and otherness experienced in sex and how it is the closest most people get to understanding the deep dimensions of worship. But the physical is a mere shadow of the reality found in the shared life in Christ, through Christ and among the body of Christ. Not the flesh aspects but the oneness of heart, soul and spirit.
One as He and the father are one is a high calling indeed...true worship in spirit and in truth. But I was simply talking about how such critical analysis in our attempts to share life together might...just a thought, might...be hindering some from experiencing it. I am not saying Gaz isnt doing something worth doing, I have greatly been ministered to by his words in person and on this blog.
6:48 pm
Hello All - Gaz here, late at night, should be off to bed but just cant resist a late night blog snack. Thanks guys - good god chewing going on.
Well, im a funny ol' fella. I think when i look at stuff i pick up and voice at times - i recognise that i overstate things and have come to terms with the fact that i am not at all balanced in my views. I tend to leave the balancing act to others after the dust ive kicked up settles. I think my role in whats coming to life is to strongly assert where there is deficits, deficits in care, defecits in substance and also in life living. I enjoy being a little angry about stuff - its like adam sadlers 'water boy' its my 'tackling fuel'.
So...thats my excuses out of the way, now ill continue to be unbalanced about deficits with a loud voice - i value deeply all you folks filtering all that into something we can actually work with.
Arent analogies funny - Brits are full of them - good and bad.
My fave has been that "most christians are lousy at making love but well rehearsed in ion" - in fact (the blog mediators may even remove this but its worth saying) - i think were are, by and large, a right bunch of wankers! By which i mean, we have a huge infrastructure in place and resources which are largely absorbed by us 'self loving'. Hows that for a link??
I heard a certain pioneer of the 24/7 prayer movement say that once - thought it was spot on, more spot on than when he once said in full flow " god is a rapist - not a lover" and quickly realised the significance of sentence order!
So... behind every Gaz shout is a practitioner, actually a whole bunch of practitioners trying to flesh out some very simple things. My rants arent really for them, they are doing a good job of walking out life post inherited church detox. In fact i think my rants are a little like a diary, that thing you do when your a kid and in love, things you feel wont be heard but you have to get them off your chest, when unconscioulsy perhaps you hope the one your pouring your life out for picks it up and reads it - gets to know your heart and gets transformed.
I love the church - thank you for reading my diary and seeing my passionate heart,
g
9:35 pm
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