When things go wrong, our life is in shambles, and God seems distant, where do we turn? Often we turn to the encouragement of others, hoping a kind, caring word might give us the added strength needed to overcome our pain. Yet too often, attempts by others to be sympathetic and caring prove vain and fruitless at best or counterproductive at worst. Think about it; when you’ve gone through a time of sorrow and struggle, what is some of the cold comfort that has been offered to you? Maybe it’s been “things could be worse,” or the vainest of all encouragements: “Keep your chin up!” Perhaps others’ attempts at comfort have had a more spiritual bent: “I’ll pray for you,” or, “God has a wonderful plan for your life, and things will turn around!” But when we’ve prayed and prayed for that new job, to be able to finally leave the homeless shelter we’re living in, or for our illness to be healed and there is still no response from heaven, such trite cliches leave us even more frustrated than before. At some point, as the promises of a better day ahead slip from the grasp of our hope, where do we turn?
God’s solution for our suffering is a simple one: it is none other than Jesus himself. He offers us not tactics and strategies to cope with the sorrows of this world, but a Person: His only begotten Son. In our pain, our God does not provide mere vain, empty words but a tangible, visible solution to these trials: the cross of Jesus. Not only is our Savior a “man of sorrows and one well acquainted with suffering” (Is. 53), but He in fact bore, felt, and experienced our very personal sufferings as He suffered on the cross. Through His bearing of not only our sin at Calvary but our misery and sorrow there as well, when we suffer, He suffers; and when we mourn, He mourns. Yet the reverse must also be true for such divine comfort to be realized; as Christ died, so we must die. It is only when we bring our trials to the foot of the cross, and let our demands for their resolution die a slow, painful death that we can truly experience the resurrection power of Jesus (Phil 4). These demands the cross make upon us leave no room for bitterness, envy, or anger over our trials, but call us to “rejoice, as we are partakers of Christ’s sufferings” ( I Peter 4:12). Yet for us to truly “count it all joy” (Jas 1:2) in this fashion when we are faced with trials, a bloody and painful struggle must ensue as we choose to embrace the cross and bear daily the sufferings of Jesus.
But when this anguish and struggle has finally brought about our own death, the resurrection power of Jesus will truly be manifested in our lives (Phil. 4). When we have chosen to forfeit our own rights and claims in the pursuit of Someone greater, Christ promises that we will find that elusive joy, peace, and comfort in the midst of our suffering and pain. It is this process of submission to the cross alone and the resultant experience of His resurrection life that promises to bring about the encouragement that so many vain words, positive thinking and empty strategies cannot. May those of us at COAH so embrace the cross of Jesus in our trials today, and by God’s grace, may we die just a little bit more before this day is through. As Christ has invited us, so we invite you: come and die with us!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Consumerism: Steps Towards A Solution
On the face of things, all of us would rightfully decry the rank consumerism so prevalent in our churches today. But what would it look like for us to truly embrace a solution? How do we move from criticism of the existing model to the founding of a new model when it comes to the church?
Imagine a church that is built on the foundation of every member participation. Far from than being a mere minion in a faceless corporation, each member of this church, by their participation, is a minister of the eternal purpose of God. By their words and actions, each member passionately proclaims that it is truly “more blessed to give than to receive.”
Rather than only ministering inside, however, these members minister outside in the streets. Imagine a church that spends many of its weekly meetings not at a feeding trough, but dirtying its hands in the soil of a lost world. Rather than storing them in barns, this church sows the mustard seeds of the kingdom on weekends, finding ways to “be Jesus” to a world in need. A radical church such as this demonstrates true religion by visiting the orphan and widow in their affliction, rather than isolating itself in a universe of its own. Rather than sitting in a service every week, this church puts the gospel in action by showing the love of Christ to those in need. During these times, they not only serve the needy, but they build regular relationships with them as well. The children in this community experience the gospel as it was meant to be lived, and through their experience, find that Yahweh is a God who welcomes all.
Most importantly, by attempting to take church “outside the box” and explore new, fresh directions together, these believers are forced to rely on the Spirit of God for daily wisdom and guidance in these endeavors. As this church then “lives on the edge” in this way, stepping outside of their comfort zones and putting their own needs aside, the presence of God in their midst becomes evident in a tangible way to all. As the Holy Spirit is revealed in and through their congregation, those newcomers who witness His glory in their midst will “be convicted by all, and will fall on their faces and say that God is truly among [them]” (1 Cor. 14:24,25).
However, be warned: such a church cannot compete with the megachurch in quality of services and programs. From a consumer perspective, this model of church may be found wanting. Truly advancing the kingdom of God in this fashion would require every member’s commitment to making this dream a reality and their rejection of their own needs and wants. Those who hope to be ministered to without first ministering themselves will find themselves sorely disappointed with this arrangement.
Bob Hyatt says this: “We are doing our best to be a church community where people can belong before they believe- a church for the unchurched and the formerly churched. But that’s hard on the lifelong Christians among us- because we don’t get to have things done exactly the way we would like them. We are trying to think more about the people we are reaching than our own wants and needs. I tell our people, ‘We are not going to meet your needs. Your needs will get met, but by the people sitting beside you, not standing in front of you. We’d like to think that when we say “community” we mean it. I have told our people over and over again- you are the ones who will drive ministry here. We meet in a pub. There’s very little space for “kids ministry.’ I keep telling them- ‘I am not going to solve this problem for you. This is your community. If you love these kids, you’ll come up with something for them. I’m your pastor, not your cruise director. My job is to open God’s Word, and tell you what I think God seems to be saying through this book to our community. Your job is to figure out what that looks like and walk along side others who are also searching.’”
Without a doubt, this radical church’s success is predicated on every member’s commitment to full participation and service of the body. Certainly there are blanks to fill in, all of which must be answered by the body of Christ rising up together to find a solution. On the flip side, however, those who embrace such a vision through self-denial and commitment to those around them will find that God will provide for their spiritual needs in abundance. Far from their needs not being met, quite the opposite will be the case. Those who embrace service, self sacrifice, and the needs of others over their own will find that “all these things will be added to them,” whether in this endeavor or any other. For truly, “he who saves his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for [His] sake will find it.”
We have all the information we’ll ever need to serve Christ whole heartedly; we are educated far above our level of obedience. The time has now come for action. The time is upon us to leave the comfort of Ur for a better country; to slay the monster of consumerism once for all to embrace a larger vision. May we seek to be part of the solution rather than further contribute to the problem. Let us move forward to a vision of church that truly transends the consumerism of our day.
Imagine a church that is built on the foundation of every member participation. Far from than being a mere minion in a faceless corporation, each member of this church, by their participation, is a minister of the eternal purpose of God. By their words and actions, each member passionately proclaims that it is truly “more blessed to give than to receive.”
Rather than only ministering inside, however, these members minister outside in the streets. Imagine a church that spends many of its weekly meetings not at a feeding trough, but dirtying its hands in the soil of a lost world. Rather than storing them in barns, this church sows the mustard seeds of the kingdom on weekends, finding ways to “be Jesus” to a world in need. A radical church such as this demonstrates true religion by visiting the orphan and widow in their affliction, rather than isolating itself in a universe of its own. Rather than sitting in a service every week, this church puts the gospel in action by showing the love of Christ to those in need. During these times, they not only serve the needy, but they build regular relationships with them as well. The children in this community experience the gospel as it was meant to be lived, and through their experience, find that Yahweh is a God who welcomes all.
Most importantly, by attempting to take church “outside the box” and explore new, fresh directions together, these believers are forced to rely on the Spirit of God for daily wisdom and guidance in these endeavors. As this church then “lives on the edge” in this way, stepping outside of their comfort zones and putting their own needs aside, the presence of God in their midst becomes evident in a tangible way to all. As the Holy Spirit is revealed in and through their congregation, those newcomers who witness His glory in their midst will “be convicted by all, and will fall on their faces and say that God is truly among [them]” (1 Cor. 14:24,25).
However, be warned: such a church cannot compete with the megachurch in quality of services and programs. From a consumer perspective, this model of church may be found wanting. Truly advancing the kingdom of God in this fashion would require every member’s commitment to making this dream a reality and their rejection of their own needs and wants. Those who hope to be ministered to without first ministering themselves will find themselves sorely disappointed with this arrangement.
Bob Hyatt says this: “We are doing our best to be a church community where people can belong before they believe- a church for the unchurched and the formerly churched. But that’s hard on the lifelong Christians among us- because we don’t get to have things done exactly the way we would like them. We are trying to think more about the people we are reaching than our own wants and needs. I tell our people, ‘We are not going to meet your needs. Your needs will get met, but by the people sitting beside you, not standing in front of you. We’d like to think that when we say “community” we mean it. I have told our people over and over again- you are the ones who will drive ministry here. We meet in a pub. There’s very little space for “kids ministry.’ I keep telling them- ‘I am not going to solve this problem for you. This is your community. If you love these kids, you’ll come up with something for them. I’m your pastor, not your cruise director. My job is to open God’s Word, and tell you what I think God seems to be saying through this book to our community. Your job is to figure out what that looks like and walk along side others who are also searching.’”
Without a doubt, this radical church’s success is predicated on every member’s commitment to full participation and service of the body. Certainly there are blanks to fill in, all of which must be answered by the body of Christ rising up together to find a solution. On the flip side, however, those who embrace such a vision through self-denial and commitment to those around them will find that God will provide for their spiritual needs in abundance. Far from their needs not being met, quite the opposite will be the case. Those who embrace service, self sacrifice, and the needs of others over their own will find that “all these things will be added to them,” whether in this endeavor or any other. For truly, “he who saves his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for [His] sake will find it.”
We have all the information we’ll ever need to serve Christ whole heartedly; we are educated far above our level of obedience. The time has now come for action. The time is upon us to leave the comfort of Ur for a better country; to slay the monster of consumerism once for all to embrace a larger vision. May we seek to be part of the solution rather than further contribute to the problem. Let us move forward to a vision of church that truly transends the consumerism of our day.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Jesus vs. Consumerism, Part 2
In our recent posts, we have explored the devastating effects of consumerism on today’s church. Applying the lessons of the shopping mall to the church flies in the face of Jesus’ teachings, who taught us that “Whoever will save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose it for my sake will find it” (Matt. 16:25). Yet the implications of this concept are more far-reaching than we might first realize.
How guilty are each one of us of neglecting Christ’s words and seeking to meet our own needs first and foremost when it comes to the church? You might renounce your own needs in theory, but would you be quick to look for another church if you felt you weren’t “being fed” at your own? If another church had better preaching, a better Sunday morning service, or could simply “do church” better than yours, would you still attend your church?
What about the needs of your family? Though you may be successful in deferring your own needs, do you attend your church with the needs of your family first in mind? Certainly we are no less of a consumer if we shop for our children than we if shop for ourselves. If advancing God’s kingdom meant putting not only your needs, but your family’s needs in second place on Sunday mornings, would you be willing to do this?
Similarly, we may be in agreement that church does not and cannot consist solely of a once a week service to be successful. Yet the fact remains that the quality of the events of Sunday morning is far and away the most compelling reason to pick a church today. If the quality of your church’s Sunday morning service dropped, would you still “patronize” that church? If you took the Sunday morning service away from your church, would you still have a compelling reason to be a part of that body of believers? Though in theory we might say otherwise, the vast majority of us choose our churches as if Sunday is the only day that exists.
How can picking a church based on what happens on its Sunday morning stage be consistent with anything but consumerism? If in fact we should be approaching church as a giver rather than a receiver, how can we decide to attend a church based on the quality of its programs and services? Rather, it seems that the teachings of Christ dictate that we must choose a church based on our ability to minister. If the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve (Mk 10:45), how can this not be the case for his followers?
The teachings of Scripture clearly show us the purpose of church is to encourage one another rather than to passively receive (Heb. 10:25). Rather than picking a church by Sunday morning quality, it would seem that making that decision based on the people within it is far more Biblically sound. That said, we must ask ourselves some difficult questions. At the church you attend, are you truly experiencing God in the context of community? By being a part of the church you’re at currently, are you helping others to experience God in their life as well? Since you began attending your church, what fruit have you borne? Have you become overwhelmingly more loving? Are you becoming thoroughly more patient? By being a part of your church, are you regularly seeing others come to Christ as you are involved in their lives? Are your children doing these things? These are the questions we need to ask as we determine where our church home should be.
In our next post, we will discuss what it might take for our churches to transcend the culture of consumerism so prevalent in our day.
How guilty are each one of us of neglecting Christ’s words and seeking to meet our own needs first and foremost when it comes to the church? You might renounce your own needs in theory, but would you be quick to look for another church if you felt you weren’t “being fed” at your own? If another church had better preaching, a better Sunday morning service, or could simply “do church” better than yours, would you still attend your church?
What about the needs of your family? Though you may be successful in deferring your own needs, do you attend your church with the needs of your family first in mind? Certainly we are no less of a consumer if we shop for our children than we if shop for ourselves. If advancing God’s kingdom meant putting not only your needs, but your family’s needs in second place on Sunday mornings, would you be willing to do this?
Similarly, we may be in agreement that church does not and cannot consist solely of a once a week service to be successful. Yet the fact remains that the quality of the events of Sunday morning is far and away the most compelling reason to pick a church today. If the quality of your church’s Sunday morning service dropped, would you still “patronize” that church? If you took the Sunday morning service away from your church, would you still have a compelling reason to be a part of that body of believers? Though in theory we might say otherwise, the vast majority of us choose our churches as if Sunday is the only day that exists.
How can picking a church based on what happens on its Sunday morning stage be consistent with anything but consumerism? If in fact we should be approaching church as a giver rather than a receiver, how can we decide to attend a church based on the quality of its programs and services? Rather, it seems that the teachings of Christ dictate that we must choose a church based on our ability to minister. If the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve (Mk 10:45), how can this not be the case for his followers?
The teachings of Scripture clearly show us the purpose of church is to encourage one another rather than to passively receive (Heb. 10:25). Rather than picking a church by Sunday morning quality, it would seem that making that decision based on the people within it is far more Biblically sound. That said, we must ask ourselves some difficult questions. At the church you attend, are you truly experiencing God in the context of community? By being a part of the church you’re at currently, are you helping others to experience God in their life as well? Since you began attending your church, what fruit have you borne? Have you become overwhelmingly more loving? Are you becoming thoroughly more patient? By being a part of your church, are you regularly seeing others come to Christ as you are involved in their lives? Are your children doing these things? These are the questions we need to ask as we determine where our church home should be.
In our next post, we will discuss what it might take for our churches to transcend the culture of consumerism so prevalent in our day.
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