Thursday, January 08, 2009
How To Look At Church
Starting with Milt Stanley, who quotes somebody, quoting somebody... (You follow the links, my fingers will wear out following this trail) we get this:
Worse, when looked at as ideas, and not just words, this discussion is as old as the church itself. We keep debating what the church should be, and keep neglecting the fact that the church is supposed to be US and everything else is just a means of organizing.
The bottom line is that we want to control church. We want to have it organized sufficiently that we can take it in and control it somehow. I don't care how we organize, hierarchically or democratically, conventionally or denominationally - organization - as we practice it is about CONTROL.
Look, whenever people get together they have to organize themselves, but I think God has a very different view of organization than we do. We are commanded:
Which means, I think, we will stop arguing about what kind pf church we ought to be and start being ALL kinds of churches. The church will serve those called to do "attractional" ministry by training, equipping and provided those with the resources necessary to do it. Likewise with those called to do "missional" ministry, not to mention every other form of ministry. (Provided, of course, that it really is ministry and not just an excuse for self-indulgence in God's name)
Paul set the example for us:
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But in my talk I suggested it attractional church verses missional church is a false polarization. The problem is in fact that both sides view church as a meeting you attend. Even those who reject attractional church implicitly view church as a meeting. But everything changes if you view church as a community or a network of relationships. Then attractional church is not about putting on a good show, but about a community life that attracts people to God.You want to know what I really think? I agree with that quote about 150% - BUT - I really am uncomfortable with the fact that the idea is coming forth in the "missional/attractional" discussion as if that matters. He starts in the right place - it's a false polarization, but then he proceeds to conduct his discussion in the terms that generate the polarization to begin with.
Worse, when looked at as ideas, and not just words, this discussion is as old as the church itself. We keep debating what the church should be, and keep neglecting the fact that the church is supposed to be US and everything else is just a means of organizing.
The bottom line is that we want to control church. We want to have it organized sufficiently that we can take it in and control it somehow. I don't care how we organize, hierarchically or democratically, conventionally or denominationally - organization - as we practice it is about CONTROL.
Look, whenever people get together they have to organize themselves, but I think God has a very different view of organization than we do. We are commanded:
Phil 2:3 - Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;Don't you think that maybe that has corporate as well as personal application? The organization of the church exists to SERVE, not to control.
Which means, I think, we will stop arguing about what kind pf church we ought to be and start being ALL kinds of churches. The church will serve those called to do "attractional" ministry by training, equipping and provided those with the resources necessary to do it. Likewise with those called to do "missional" ministry, not to mention every other form of ministry. (Provided, of course, that it really is ministry and not just an excuse for self-indulgence in God's name)
Paul set the example for us:
1 Cor 9:20-22 - And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.The church must be WHATEVER it takes to do the job. Every time we try to be one thing, but not the other, we exclude someone - WRONG! We need to include everyone.
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