I’ve been evaluating "what it’s all about... and why I’m here" issues recently and I’m discovering, albeit too slowly for my taste, what MY core values and motivations are.
I’ve been involved in music, mainly performing Christian music, for 37 years this month. About 20 years ago I finally discovered that it wasn’t so much music that I was enamored with, but worship... involving a congregation in seeking the "face of God." At about the same time I became aware that the only purpose for the church was to continue the work that Christ left us... to seek and save the lost and to make disciples of all who were becoming saved. To put that in a more modern vernacular is to say ’to help people, who are far from God, move closer to the true purpose they were created for... fellowship with their Creator."
I don’t have a bent toward evangelism in the traditional sense... where we try to convince others that the theology, or eschatology we’ve found is the "best or the only." But I am wired-up, at my core, to see people find their God connection and I am drawn to do all I can to get them started on that journey. I guess in that sense I am. at my core, seeker focused. But what does that mean?
I grew up in a denomination that was doctrine-centric and demanded strict conformity to their understanding of that doctrine... right down to the tiniest point.
In the denomination your heart was "your own business", but your behavior was EVERYBODY’S business. It was rigid, authoritarian, dictatorial and drove most of my generation far from the church. At the same time, the indoctrination in the denominational schools (which we all attended) reinforced the fact that to leave the denomination WAS to forsake God and the "special light" we’d been given. Consequently, when my peers discovered themselves worn out and broken from running up against the unscalable wall of "sinless perfection" many just jettisoned the whole deal and began to doubt the existence of a God who demanded what "no man could produce." Most of those who didn’t leave moved to a theology of choice where the hide their lives from their fellow church-members and put on the "Sabbath Face" when they’re together.
As I began to see this all play out, I realized that "Church" was a double-edged sword. It can so easily leave it’s reason for being (to be fishers of men, places of refuge and healing, and an environment to disciple "future fishermen") and travel along a continuum toward being self-focused and impotent. Instead of entering into and engaging culture like Christ did, they seek to create their own culture... insulated from the influences of "apostasy" around them.
The individuals in those churches look to their leaders for direction and permission to do what they themselves had been created for... to share Christ with a broken world as His disciple. They miss the joy of leading someone to Christ... the paid pastor does that. They miss the joy of baptizing their friends or their children... the paid pastor does that. When it reaches it’s logical conclusion, the only need the church has for the individual is to access them financially every week and to hope they create enough "new members" (kids) to keep the machine alive. That’s worst case, but there are some congregations that are desperately close to that end of the spectrum.
A couple weeks ago I had the honor of baptizing my oldest son. What a miraculous experience that was... To be that close to a great kid, who I’d spent more time with than with any other human being in my life, as he made his public stand for Christ.
It couldn’t have happened in my denomination of origin. I’m a music minister and team leader, but I’m not a pastor. Not ordained, not licensed, not credentialed in any way except that I’m a Christ follower and am called to the great commission. I’m called to go into the world and make disciples AND to baptize them... What Christ left me as his last instructions, most churches say I’m not qualified to do. What’s up with that?
I think that the hijacking of the great commission, with all it’s rights and privileges, by the clergy or denominations is the reason that our mission is in such a state of being misunderstood and overlooked. Christ asked us to go into all the world... we’ve been taught to give our money to missions so that missionaries can carry the gospel into the far corners of the earth. On the face of it that’s great, and shouldn’t be neglected... but isn’t my neighborhood part of the world. Foreign missions become a smoke-screen that separates us from the call to do the work of missions in our own town.
Engaging and attracting potential Christ-followers ourselves is a biblical concept. Jesus instructed the disciples to go to "Jerusalem, Judea... and to the uttermost parts of the earth." Notice he listed the city and state first! I’m beginning to realize that it could be because they’re our first priority!
I guess I’m slowly coming to the realization that the "church" as we know it is in danger of becoming an anachronism... "a tool without a function." It could be that this decline is because we’ve come through a period in time when institutions sought and maybe even demanded our loyalty. Over the last few decades we’ve seen countless institutions reward that loyalty with disenfranchisement, disinterest, and even abuse... the day of the institutional church is nearing an end.
Brace yourself for the expansion of the organic church...
The organic church is led by the common people...
The organic church involves ALL believers in ministry,
according to their gifting and passion...
The organic church is outwardly focused... Not a Christian club or theme-park!
The organic church is seeker targeted...
The organic church is not afraid of pain, or risk, or fun...
The organic church is made up of active participants... Not bystanders or patrons.
Tho organic church is focused on mission...
to bring people far from God into relationship and service to God.
I’ve tried it both ways...
I've been in situations where we said "we’re going to do what we do... focus on our flock and any outsiders are welcome to participate if they find their way here..."
I've also been a part of movements where we’ve said "our main thing is to be ’Fishers of Men... baiting our hooks to attract people who don’t know God yet’ and we’ll put all our efforts into doing that authentically and vigorously. He’ll grow us and our community along the way."
My bottom line...
As for me and my house, we wouldn’t give another dime or a moment of our time for the first, but we’d give everything we have and are for the latter.
I guess I "HAVE TO BE" seeker focused... it’s the only thing that gives me the impetus, focus, joy and energy for service!
Tell me where your heart is or what you think... Does any of that resonate with you?
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