I attended a local consultation over the last two days regarding community transformation. The promotional material said it was “a roundtable gathering of Christian leaders looking at church outside the walls.” I didn’t really expect them to mean it. But one of the questions we sorted through on the first day was, “What is the problem with church as we know it?”
We were given some interesting statistics to ponder. This from a book By Reggie McNeal titled The Present Future
Or this:
Or this:
In research done by Thorn Rainer regarding those who are born again in America, he came up with the following percentages:
Those born before 1946 (Builders) – 65%
Those born between 1946 and 1964 (Boomers) – 35%
Those born between 1965 and 1976 (Busters) = 15%
those born between 1976-1994 (Bridgers) – 4%
Or this:
This kind of information is coming from all over. I received this quote in a letter from an institutional bunch:
So what are we to make of all of this? At least a number of people are seeing the irrelevance of institutional Christianity as it as evolved into this century. Of course most of these studies hope to encourage Christian institutions to reform the box so that those who’ve left will come back in.
In the end, that’s where our discussion ended after two days. People trapped in the box just cannot see outside it long enough to know that there are some incredible ways to live out this Christian experience without wasting so much time, energy and resources on the machinery our culture has come to equate with Christianity?
For the most part, I am convinced the box is a deterrent not only to growing in intimacy with Christ but also in engaging the culture with the reality of who Christ is rather than the baggage of Christianity. But I was also reminded that there are a lot of people who really love Jesus and are seeking to follow him who are still in that box. They are trying to make the most of it, not realizing, that it is getting the best of them.
At the same time, I know some who would quote the statistics above as proof of a world-wide movement of people seeing through the frailties of the box and are abandoning it for a greater relationship with God and with other believers. They point to this information as proof that they are right and others caught up in the system are wrong. That would be a mistake. People coming to be part of a movement will only create another box in time and still miss the relationship Jesus wants most with them.
Wouldn’t it be better if we got our eyes off of systems and hope about movements and fix them squarely on Jesus? Do what he tells you to do. Follow where he tells you to go and encourage others to do the same. Then we’ll simply be the church in our day, with a variety of expressions as God shows us how to share his life together and how to make his love known in the world.
>Wouldn’t it be better if we got our eyes off of systems and >hope about movements and fix them squarely on Jesus.
Amen!
Somebody said to me yesterday; "I don’t think that house church can succeed". I don’t either! ‘church’ dosen’t need an adjective in front of it to qualify it. Jesus didn’t say "I will build my house church" or "I will build my non-institutional church" The word that fits best before ‘church’ is ‘my’. He said "I will build My church". Is the focus and treasure of our hearts somthing that Jesus can refer to as "mine"?. Thats what he has promised to build.
Stuart.
>Wouldn’t it be better if we got our eyes off of systems and >hope about movements and fix them squarely on Jesus.
Amen!
Somebody said to me yesterday; "I don’t think that house church can succeed". I don’t either! ‘church’ dosen’t need an adjective in front of it to qualify it. Jesus didn’t say "I will build my house church" or "I will build my non-institutional church" The word that fits best before ‘church’ is ‘my’. He said "I will build My church". Is the focus and treasure of our hearts somthing that Jesus can refer to as "mine"?. Thats what he has promised to build.
Stuart.
Amen. John 13:8 really touched me this week and it reminds me of this article. Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." This passage not only signifies the physical washing of Peter’s feet, but the Spiritual washing of our sins. Just as our feet get dirty from the "places" we have been, so do our souls get dirty from the "places" we have been. Regardless of whether or not we call ourselves disciples of Jesus, has Jesus been allowed to wash our feet? Are we true disciples of Jesus, or have we simply convinced ourselves that going to church is what it takes to get to Heaven? Instead, lets go to Jesus! Lets ask the Lord to instill in us a desperation for His Son. Lets pray to the Lord to increase our desire and capacity to love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Amen. John 13:8 really touched me this week and it reminds me of this article. Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." This passage not only signifies the physical washing of Peter’s feet, but the Spiritual washing of our sins. Just as our feet get dirty from the "places" we have been, so do our souls get dirty from the "places" we have been. Regardless of whether or not we call ourselves disciples of Jesus, has Jesus been allowed to wash our feet? Are we true disciples of Jesus, or have we simply convinced ourselves that going to church is what it takes to get to Heaven? Instead, lets go to Jesus! Lets ask the Lord to instill in us a desperation for His Son. Lets pray to the Lord to increase our desire and capacity to love our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
I think I’ve mentioned before that, when we stepped out of the "box," we almost immediately realized that we were happily constructing another one. I am trying now to walk with Father, looking to Jesus, by the power of the Spirit. I"m finding that I am blessed by the faith of people in and out of all kinds of boxes now. The common denominator is Jesus, and He is able to build His church!
I think I’ve mentioned before that, when we stepped out of the "box," we almost immediately realized that we were happily constructing another one. I am trying now to walk with Father, looking to Jesus, by the power of the Spirit. I"m finding that I am blessed by the faith of people in and out of all kinds of boxes now. The common denominator is Jesus, and He is able to build His church!
Thanks Wayne,
Dave sent me a copy of this entry. Loved it.
What wonder there is in Him being able to uniquely express Himself through the individual believer.
Rather than trying to imitate what we see our Father doing through one of His sons and believing that is the new standard for us, we simply allow Him to display the wonder of His grace, the hues, colours, flavors, unique to our package.
Thanks Wayne,
Dave sent me a copy of this entry. Loved it.
What wonder there is in Him being able to uniquely express Himself through the individual believer.
Rather than trying to imitate what we see our Father doing through one of His sons and believing that is the new standard for us, we simply allow Him to display the wonder of His grace, the hues, colours, flavors, unique to our package.