"As I once heard, 'Doing church differently is like rearranging chairs on the Titanic.' We must realize that slight tweaks, new music, creative lighting, wearing hula shirts, shorts and flip-flops won't make doing church more attractive. Church must not be the goal of the gospel anymore. Church should not be the focus of our efforts or the banner we hold up to explain what we are all about. Church should be what ends up happening as a natural response to people wanting to follow us, be with us and be like us as we are following the way of Christ." (p30)
This is the passage that resonated most with me in this chapter. How many times have we looked at our "gospel presentations" and found only an invitation to attend a church. One of the large churches in our country that I have learned a ton from even used it as a strategy - Invite them to a service and we'll take care of the rest! No, no, no! I am not an advocate for cold-sell evangelism strategies, but I do believe that when people look at our lives - personally and corporately - they should see an accurate reflection of Jesus. The way they see that in us is if we invite them to something bigger, something more substantive, something more engaging than a "worship service."
The focus should not be about the show. Cameron and I sat at the Chick today discussing our "Sunday services" and especially this weekend, and our desire is for the gatherings on Sundays to be a result of something more, not an end in themselves. Both can be good and both are needed, but the church has been too preoccupied with themselves on Sunday mornings for too long. I am weary of come-and-see ministries because the "show" is not what is attractive to the people we hope to meet and introduce to Jesus. What appears to be attractive now is the life lived the way Jesus would live - people actually taking seriously the living out of the Christ-life in every place, with everything, every day!
Let's talk now...
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Chapter 5 :: Moving Violations
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3 comments:
Sorry but I am wordy.(PJT)
Most of us have this facade/fig leaf that we hide behind, even with other christians. It's who we think we are supposed be. Usually it is according to some picture someone else painted for us, or some laundry list of activities/behaviours that our favorite flavor of church has defined as being what is Christ-like behavior. This is what drives us to act/behave the way we think we are supposed to. It's why we do what we do for the most part and it is soul wearying. It leaves us spent and wasted. And is more transparent than we might realize, which may be why the world often calls us hypocrites.
I think if we are going to say exhibiting Christ like behavior is important, then it should flow from a heart that is like God's. David was called a man after God's own heart, and understood it this way: (Psalm 61:1) "O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water."
When we thirst for God in such a manner, then He will reward us by filling us up not just to quench our thirst, but to be a spring of living water flowing for all to taste of. That's what will make us look like Christ. The activities we do may even be the same, but the motivation will be completely different.
I think, like Curly in the movie City Slickers, you can boil it down to one thing: Loving God. When you love God, then your heart will resonate with His, and everything else will flow from that. No facades necessary, no fig leaf to manufacture and hide behind. No soul wearying double life.
One of our old pastors said something like this at a service. It still reasonates with me and I applauded him then and now for having the courage to say it.
"I had someone come up to me last week and tell me that the service was the best part of his week (from a faith standpoint). I was sad for him and asked him if he was getting anytime alone with God and if he was in a group. He replied no to both- not enough time. I was more saddened to hear that and encouraged him to have an even greater experience daily with God. I'm here to tell you that if this service is the high point of your week- you're missing the point! This is good- but God has more in store for you when you live with him daily."
The crowd was quiet- think many of them didn't want the challenge to live it and not just check it off. But what he said holds true- we have to live it out daily, "If anyone come after me, he must deny himself and take up your cross daily and follow me."
Bravo, Brad! I am standing for you!
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