Thoughts to Ponder

There are many things in The Missional Leader (the book I'm reading) that are challenging. Some of the challenging ideas have been expected, but others are requiring me to re-think ideas and approaches I've believed in for several years. But, I guess that's the point, isn't it?!?

One thing I get is the shift from being a church that operates through attraction... attracting people to the facility by offering Christian goods and services like children's ministry, dynamic preacher, youth program, better small groups, couples classes, sports teams, maybe a Starbucks... you get the picture, right? The church with the best programs wins. Now I realize that's a bit tongue-in-cheek, but, honestly, that's how it's been all of my life. True that the "goods and services" have changed over the years, but we've always "done church" by attracting people to the building. It's a different focus to see the church as people who are going out to bring Jesus to the world... not by knocking doors or setting up Bible studies (although that might be part of it), but by doing the day-to-day things that need to be done to care for people... sorta like Jesus did.

One implication is that because the church is ekklesia (called out), God calls us to be a community of people that is different than the world... different values, different priorities, a community that is Christ-centered rather than Caesar-centered. The thing is that the modern American church isn't very good at that. Our rates of divorce, abuse, etc. are roughly the same as the cultural at large. We are just as consumed with commercialism and me-ism and other isms as those around us. And many of our churches preach Americanism right along side of or instead of the gospel. I've gradually become aware of these realities over the last few years, but what had not totally clicked for me is how difficult it is for a church to make a missional shift when we are so like the culture around us. The problem is that if we aren't truly ekklesia, growing Christ-like qualities as a community, looking different than the culture, etc, then we aren't different from it. If we aren't different, then we have a hard time being missional.

One current example is the Pennsylvania Amish families whose girls were murdered this week. The Amish live as a community that is ekklesia (on steroids)... truly called out of the culture. Now, you don't really think about the Amish wanting to influence culture... being missional. Yet, their difference from culture - specifically their Christ-like ability and desire to forgive the murderer and pray for his family - has had an impact... a missional impact on the cultural at large... even if that was not their intention. God knows what he's doing... if we will allow the Spirit to grow his fruit in us and shape us into Christlikeness as those called out of the culture around us, he will use us to draw others to him... in everyday ways in our day to day lives.

That's enough. More challenges later...