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In the last two months, the two major Christian magazines in America (Christianity Today and Charisma) have run three major articles about people who no longer fit into our Sunday (or Saturday) morning congregations. Each of these articles speak negatively of those who have left and advance the notion that it is the duty of every Christian to belong to one of the institutions that call themselves church to be part of the body of Christ. One even points that out while admitting that the structures itself are dead. Here are the articles in case you missed them:

• The Church Why Bother? by Tim Stafford


• When Christians Quit Church by Andy Butcher


• Spirituality for All the Wrong Reasons an interview with Eugene Peterson

Interesting… Three articles in two months? It sounds like someone is worried about something. I wonder why that is? Wouldn’t it be helpful to discuss the pros and cons of these articles? That’s exactly what Brad and I plan to do in our next edition of The God Journey, to be taped on Wednesday, May 4. We hope to shed some light on the growing conflict between those who are in the institutions and those who are not and for that we would love some of you to help us out with your thoughts, questions and insights.

• Do you agree or disagree with these articles?


• Are you no longer part of an organized congregation? Why? Have you found your experience with church has increased or decreased by this choice?


• Are you part of a congregation and miss those who have left and wish they’d come back?

If you would, we’d love to include many different voices, and you can record your comments or questions by calling our comment line in the U.S. at (805) 626-4212. You can also contribute by commenting on this blog by clicking on the ‘feedback’ button below.

Our Fifth Webcast of The God Journey has just been posted on our sister website. “A Journey Into Renewal” chronicles one congregation as they sought God’s heart for spiritual renewal. Five years ago this congregation in Sacramento had a building, a staff, a slew of programs and a heart for renewal. Over the last five years in simple acts of obedience they have deconstructed their congregational life. In November they stopped meeting on Sunday mornings. In December the staff voluntarily resigned their salaries, and in January they sold the building. In a story reminiscent of That Lot in Fairlee, they are now learning to live as God’s people in Sacramento and are discovering a renewal they had not imagined. In this special Webcast, Wayne interviews one of the key people in this process, as he relates their journey and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. It’s an incredible story of people on a journey to friend freedom and vitality in their relationship with God and each other.

A newly found Internet sister wrote me the other day about something other believers were pushing her to do. They felt like she should be writing up her story as an encouragement to others. She didn’t feel that was God’s priority for her, but felt a bit selfish in giving herself to her family if others thought there was a ‘greater ministry’ afoot.

I wrote her the following: “I think God unfolds his work to us as we do each day what he puts in our heart to do. Other people suggesting we have a story to write can certainly be a seed God is planting into our heart, but it is not enough motivation to do what he has not made clear with us. I have felt I’ve had clear direction on the books I have undertaken. I see that not as a specific ‘word’ he spoke to me, but a growing conviction over time of what he wanted me to do. Not all of those have worked out like I thought, but I gave time to them as he made the way clear. I’m certain you can trust that. If there comes a time he wants you to tell that story in a more formal way, you’ll know it in your heart. People’s suggestions can be a great seed being planted, or even a confirmation of what he might be speaking to us. But they are not ever to be our sole motivation for something so extensive as this.”

Here is her response:

Isn’t it funny how religion can make us feel guilty even about the things Father asks us to do? I have not read a better description of the power and simplicity of freedom than what she wrote in that last paragraph. If you need a deep breath today to follow what God has put on your heart especially if it crosses the well-intentioned encouragements of good friends, take it. God is able to make his way clear to you as you live each day in him.

I’m sorry the blog is so quiet, but I am currently in Pocatello, Idaho hanging out with some folks that are thinking outside the box. I started last Friday in Boise and spent three days there with some great folks. We had two days with a house full of people who are at various stages in the journey, but all of them hungry to walk in God’s life. One of the joys of my travels is seeing people connect from the same area who have some knowledge of me, but don’t know about each other. There was a lot of that in Boise. I’ll be in Pocatello all week with a number of different groups and a regional conference on Saturday. Then I’m headed down to Salt Lake City for Saturday night and Sunday.

I got an interesting email over the weekend that I thought you might enjoy reading. It’s from David in Michigan and before anyone accuses him of painting with a broad brush, he is sharing his experience. And, believe me he is not alone in his experience…

My response: Love it! Love it! Love it!

I think you’ve put your finger on something that is so important… and sad! I know from having been a pastor that building relationships is something we wanted people to do, but saw the success of the job far more dependent on programs and activities that wear people out more than build relationships. I also thing the need of systems to build dependency on itself and push people to conformity undermines real, honest and supportive relationships.

I like to think of my life now as doing this with God rather than for him. That keeps me on his agenda rather than confusing me with my own, even the things I do in his name. Thanks for sharing your insight. I appreciate it very much and I like where your head and heart are at.

Our Fourth Webcast of The God Journey has just been posted on our sister website. The Things God Uses… includes some comments from Tom Mohn of Tulsa, Oklahoma about his life lessons as Brad and I interact with them. You’ll love the this out-of-the-box view of the ways in which God works. At least we did!

I last weekend in Sacramento where I had a BridgeBuilders presentation and then got to spend the weekend with some wonderful folks on an incredible journey. Five years ago these folks have gone from being a traditional congregation with a facility, staff, Sunday morning meeting and a full complement of the normal programs. And this was a group that did those things better than most and were very commitment-oriented and outreach minded. However, not content with the depth of their spiritual growth or their life together, they began to ask God what was the matter and what did he want to do with them. Over the last five years they have slowly deconstructed their institution out of existence and became even more the people of God. Over that time in simple steps of obedience that they were never sure where it would lead them they gave up their programs, opened up their gatherings, gave up the hierarchy of leadership and eventually the salaries of the staff, stopped their Sunday morning gatherings, and sold the building.

Anyone looking from the outside might conclude this church failed and went under. In truth those that made it through the process have discovered what it is to live as the body of Christ and their lives have been transformed as they live out that relationship together. We’re going to let them tell their story next week on The God Journey. While they don’t offer their process as a model for others, it’s encouraging to see what hungry hearts and following Jesus can do.

I’ve been with these people a number of times over the past three years, and no, I did not recommend the course they took. I’ve been as surprised as they have. What I noticed among them, however, on this last trip was how much ownership most of these people haven now taken for their own spiritual growth. No longer able to rely on the false substitutes of programs and leadership they have had to ‘sink or swim’ in their own relationship with God. And swim they have! The things they are learning and the initiative they take in getting together and in sharing what they are learning when they are together are incredible. All of them talk about how hard this process was, but they also recognize how much it has challenged them to live more deeply in Jesus. I didn’t meet anyone who told me they wanted to go back to the more comfortable, but less effective arrangement they had five years ago.

I see this same active engagement of spiritual growth in many who spilled out of organized religion, especially those that didn’t immediately find an alternative gathering, theology or leader to fill the void. Learning to walk with him is the essence of life in this kingdom. Can it happen inside a religious institution? It can. That’s where my life began. But it can also walk outside of it and not whither away to nothing, but actually grow and become even more dynamic.

I know we’re so worried that if people learn to do that they will live independently and not share life with other Christians. But it is an unfounded worry! People who are growing in the love for Father, desperately want real and vital connections with others in the family. The two go hand in hand. But if you let others become a substitute for his presence, you will miss out on both real relationships with him and effective relationships in the body.

I see the Catholics have a new Pope. Someone asked me last night if I thought the Holy Spirit was involved in that decision. I do! If God raises up rulers for nations, why wouldn’t he care about the Vatican nation-state, even though it also claims to be the church? While I’m convinced the Catholic system is significantly at odds with the priorities and example of Jesus, I have known many Catholics in my life who exhibit a deep and profound relationship to God. It always amazes me what God is free to use to draw people to himself. Of course God would be concerned with who leads them, though his reasons for choosing their leader might be very different from what we would assume.

And lest you think that system is significantly different from Protestant ones, don’t be too sure. It’s just that it has had 1700 years to build its exhaustive machinery. The Lutherans have only had 500, the Baptists about that as well, and Charismatics only 40 or so. But the seeds of institutionalism and exalted clergy infect those systems as well. They just may not be as developed.

I like what Sara said about all of this while we watched part of the funeral for Pope John Paul II. “Wouldn’t you like to hear the sermon he would preach today?” Sara asked me.

Ahh, I would! He had been five days already in eternity and I’m certain he sees things far differently now than he did during his sojourn on the earth.

And I think that will be true for all of us as well when the time comes!

I’m sorry I’ve been so busy of late. I wanted to finish the next chapter of Jake Colsen before I leave town tomorrow. I’m headed up to Sacramento for some BridgeBuilders assignments and to hang out with some brothers and sisters on a pretty cool, though sometimes difficult journey.

Thus, I’ve not been able to add to this blog nor the discussion going on below regarding how God transforms us. I’ve followed it, but I haven’t had time to chime in, though I like a lot of what folks have written there. It might be worth your reading through all the comments if you haven’t. But don’t think anyone has any final answers there.

The answers are in Christ alone. As I’ve read through that discussion on how we deal with sin and temptation, I am reminded how easily words fail us. I know some of the people in that discussion and when I read their words I both know what they are trying to communicate, and how others might take what they are saying in a way they may not mean. Don’t misunderstand that comment. Theological discussions can be helpful, but the kinds of things being discussed there will not be solved by theology alone. Those things are sorted out in the reality of a relationship with the Living God that flows from our security in his love, even at our most damaged. That doesn’t justify our damage or provide us with an excuse to be cavalier about our brokenness. But it does allow his healing love to flow through our lives and us to hear his heartbeat as he leads us into ever greater heights of his freedom. < /p>

I’ve had people right me this last week with a host of questions about how to deal with people in the Body of Christ who bully others, or use others to build their own following. I’ve been asked what people should do in specific situations with people or body life. It seems that we’ve been trained well to look for structures, methods or a process that we can just implement and know we’ve done what God wanted.

I don’t mind offering some thoughts where I have them. It is valuable for us to sort out in Scripture and in the experience of others who are following Jesus the ways in which God works. Those are powerful tools. But in the end our deepest issues will only be solved relationally. He has not left us with systems and formulas, but with his Spirit. When you don’t know what you’re to do, go to him. If you don’t know what he is saying to you, it is a perfect time to let that relationship deepen so that you will. If you need help, get help learning to listen, not getting the answers from someone else so you won’t have to.

The answers are in Christ alone. He will use the very things going on in your life to draw you to him. Get with him—alone! Ask him for what you need. Then go through your days looking for him to make clear his way to you. That can happen a thousand ways, from a growing conviction in the heart to a circumstance change that opens an unseen door. Learn to follow him and you can face anything, even those lonely moments when you don’t have any idea what he is up to!

Our Third Webcast of The God Journey has just been posted on our sister website. This one takes a look the recent deaths of Terry Shiavo and Pope John Paul II and the reactions to them that have dominated our headlines and news shows for the past two weeks. What are we to make of these historic moments? Click on the links above to listen to the mp3 file and if you want, take advantage of the new channels at The God Journey to join the conversation.

Over the last couple of days I’ve been sharing some quotes from Robert Farrar Capon’s Kingdom, Grace and Judgment. It is an interesting look at the parables of Jesus from an Episcopal priest. I’ll warn you that the reading isn’t always easy, but there are some real nuggets in this man’s heart.

I love it when people inside the box are thinking and, it would appear, living outside of it. Here are some of his thoughts about how religious thinking has become so embedded in Christianity that it has distorted the reality and power of the Gospel of the Kingdom. The kingdom defies every box we try to smash it into. It invites us to live in the extravagant love of God as he comes into our lives and transforms us.

That’s why it is so important to me that we learn to live in Father’s reality apart from our religious paradigms and thus experience the fullness of his mystery at work in our hearts.