Refraining from using business as a metaphor for the church

I'm finishing up Alan Roxburgh's and Fred Romanuk's book entitled The MIssional Leader: Equipping your Church to Reach a Changing World. On p118 I think they give a pretty convincing argument as to why we cannot and should not use the language and metaphor of business for the church. Now, in the following quote they are talking about leaders, but there is a sentence (or two perhaps) on the church using the language.

At the core of leadership, then, is the question of one's identity and its source. This is why the church cannot simply borrow its categories for leadership from other arenas and impose them on its life. To do so is to borrow a purpose and end that are not shaped out of this fundamental participation with God. When we borrow from other arenas such as business or corporate governance, we actually form a character and identity as a leader that, though it may be successful by any number of measurements, leads away from formation as God's person. It also gives the church that is involved a distorted understanding of itself and its own purposes. For example, some current leadership models derive from measuring effectiveness in terms of numbers and size, which are not necessarily measures of success in a life with God.

I think they are spot on. We have played a numbers game for so long, as if the size of our congregations prove our effectiveness. However, we are called to make disciples not just attract the masses. I've refrained from saying anything else...to just let what they say stand for itself.

The beginnings of a missional theology

So, I googled "missional theology" this morning and found this on a blog. I think it's a really great start. I say it's a good start because I connect the Kingdom of God with Missio Dei, and there is no language of Kingdom there. I see it as good fodder for thought.

cold, historical insights, and the opposition

Today was once again another cold day - only real cold.  Did I mention I hate the cold?  Me and cold don't mix well - like oil and water.  In fact it has been freezing rain here today and a brick 34 degrees.  It could be that it is one of those times where the rain is actually giving us a message: it's a cold day.  Economic recession, war, not much is on the up and up - save lavitra commercials. In actuality though there are some important things going on in our world.  Why, centuries and centuries later, have we not learned something from Christ.  Martin Luther King Jr. once made a statement that a man has already died if he is not willing to give his life for something - but the statement is often taken out of context - it is prefaced with 'in our non-violent' ways.  Jesus says that he came to bring a sword, (look it up... Matthew 10) but everything in the passage is about a backwardness that is so obvious we mistake it for straight forward.  A deeper look would expose that this passage points toward being so on board with Jesus' message of hope and kingdom that one would need to take up sword to get there.  In effect, we should have the passion enough to die for this type of connection with the kingdom and hope through Christ.  Later on, Jesus says that those who live by the sword die also by the sword, another deeply mis-used phrase. So.  Jesus in effect did not come to lead a revolution by military force but a new type of force that would change our reality.   ... Later he makes his thoughts about physical force more clear: "am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?"  What makes sense of this?  There is a deep longing within the message of Christ that brings a revolution of love so powerful and transforming, that it actually calls us to have altered states in our minds.  Think about it, "non-violent ways?"  No one actually thinks that non-violence is a real form of love is it?  I simply have two things that need to be shared.

1. Why do we believe that it was great for one man to stand opposed to all that we see as wrong.  War, segregation, unfair laws, and more.  It was great for a man who is a follow of Christ to stand up and do that - then... but not now.  If I were to stand in front of my church and chastise them for believing in a war that should not be waged and call on them to bring back our troops - I would be ousted from the church.  Why?  Because I oppose them politically?  Spiritually?  Why is it no longer acceptable for a man in the church to call out what he sees as wrong? There is serious opposition to this?  Do we not want to hear good news? 

2. Good news.  If we were to so truly believe this state of mind to the point where we actually loved people, shared wealth, cared for each other - do you think it would be possible to overcome some of the challenges presented extreme fanaticism?  I do.  I believe that the kingdom that Jesus spoke about was truly revolutionary, and we have very few people that enter into it that don't get caught up in something. [myself included]  

My hope is that we overcome.  

Hospitality's relation to Community

We had our meeting this past Sunday night with our launch team. We talked about community and what it means. This week I've still been reflecting on it. I found myself thinking about hospitality in community. I kept coming back to certain questions. They weren't worded exactly like this but similar: Can you have community without hospitality at its core? If so, what would it look like? Can you have community without hospitality at all? I wonder if we were to "recover" a strong ethos or spirit of hospitality in our fellowships of Christ followers, how might that change the essence of each particular community of faith? A community could be hospitable and still closed off to those outside. But, I think that to do so would miss a major aspect of hospitality. What do you think?

A Pure Heart

It’s the whole speck and log thing. It’s the one finger pointing out and three pointing back at me. It’s a known issue in thousands, shoot—probably tens of thousands of churches, but for some reason no one does too much of anything about it. We talk about how much it causes problems and keeps the local expression of the body of Christ broken and fragmented. Slander and gossip in the various guises they take are passive killers, like carbon monoxide quietly leaking into a closed room.

I confess, I have actively participated in conversations about some one who has done something or hasn’t done something. When in a group with others having that conversation, the experience seems to unite us, to bring a sense of solidarity because we express our feelings and frustration about said person (or persons). When that particular group of persons get together, it isn’t long before the conversation turns to the Persons (that’s their name now), and the situation is relived, re-experienced. In some of those conversations we’ve talked about how Persons talks about other people and how it isn’t right. And there in lies the paradox (self-contradiction): participating in a practice that we ourselves condemn for others. Ahh, but we are justified in our actions, or so we easily convince ourselves.

I read the quotation below this morning and it’s what stemmed this email. It’s from a writing from the 1st or 2nd Century A.D. by the Shepherd of Hermas, who addresses situations like these with bold words, words that are like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Be humble and innocent, and you will be like the children who don’t know the wickedness that ruins men’s lives. First, then, speak evil of no one, nor listen with pleasure to anyone who speaks evil of another. But if you listen and believe the slander which you hear, you will participate in the sin of him who speaks evil. For believing it, you will also have something to say against your brother [or sister]. Therefore, you will be guilty of the sin of him who slanders. Slander is evil and an unsteady demon. It never abides in peace, but always remains in conflict. (italics mine) Keep yourself from it, and you will always be at peace with everyone. Put on a holiness that will not offend with wickedness, but whose actions are all steady and joyful. Practice goodness.

Most of the time I think the stuff we fill those conversations with are petty and small, or a misunderstanding of something said or done. It shows how shallow the friendships really are. Sometimes I see it, sometimes I don’t. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link—If I’m really honest with myself, sometimes I’m the weakest link.

But “love covers a multitude of sins.” My prayer is that I willfully perceive those conversations for what they are—evil, and speak grace into them, instead of contributing to the fragmentation and downward spiral experienced in so many congregations. I want to be a part of a loving community that nurtures deep friendship, loyalty, respect, and Godly love. And the Holy Spirit will guide us if we open ourselves, soften our hearts to allow his corrective grace. And in that correction I am being reshaped in the image of Christ and he continues to make me holy. My light that shined dimly is rekindled, to the glory of God. Thanks be to God.

“But to do good and communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is pleased to dwell.” Heb 13.16

I am the Church

A new friend named Nathan who attends SNU emailed me this video. It has quite a few messages, but one that nearly comes out of the screen and slaps us around a bit. That sounds a little violent...what I mean is it brings our attention back to a fundamental reality: WE are the church--not a building, not a building with stained glass and a steeple. We--diverse in age, ethnicity, stories, walks of life, perspectives, and experiences--are the church.