Of criticism and alternatives…
About what it means to follow Jesus authentically.
I have left church-as-I-knew-it some time now. Obviously this is met with some criticism from various sides. I am often confused about this, since I know that I don’t really want to go back, but have not yet found the alternative I belief exists…
In the process I feel useless and fruitless sometimes. Should’nt I be just doing something?!
Although I, too, believe that ‘the good is the enemy of the best‘, there’s so much good to be done…
Still, I’m not sure. There is the fear of ‘going-back-to-what-I-know’. And that would ultimately be bad for my spiritual life, I am certain. On the other hand, I do not feel like ‘waiting for the best’ until either I die or Jesus comes back. That would be a major bummer.
Fact is, I just don’t know. I’ve done away with so many ‘answers’ that felt simplistic, in-authentic and sometimes just plain wrong. I need to come to grips, and so have the people around us, with the fact that I do not have the answers, yet.
This puts us in quite a unpopular ‘box’. I feel we’re on ‘nobodies side’.
Should we pick sides? Just to be part of some people’s ‘box’? Just to (at least!) do ’some good’?
I don’t know, but I’m with Andi:what Andi says…
Am I a liberal, uncommitting heretic? Let me know…
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Hopefully this is an interesting read.
April 29th, 07 at 3:08 pm
Hard question. Every answer can give you the idea of being either on the one or the other side. The churches I know are part of our human incompleteness. Searching for the church as God wants it (yes I looked at Andi’s website) is troublesome, because I believe this church can be found after Christ has returned to the earth. Until then every aspect of church is made of people who still are sinners in a sinful world.
Within “the old church” I have found many people who have the same desire I have. Working with them was a great opportunity. My wife and I often have discussions about these things. She has a propetic insight, seeing what is wrong in the churches and condemning this (”why haven’t they come to the more mature kind of church”). I try to stand next to churchmembers to see how they can grow towards maturity (”which steps can be taken to get them to the more mature kind of church”).
As propets and pioneers we can be very disappointed by the lack of growth in the older churches. On the other hand, I see more and more movement in the churches toward the church God wants them to be. I am connected to the Dutch Assemblies of God, where pastors are eager to seek God’s will in this time. Some months ago a preacher came to share his vision about being a christian in a postmodern time. There was much agreement with his ideas. I hear the same in other large churches, even in the more protestant ones. People like Stephan Paas can start their renewal work within these kind of churches.
In my life, God asked me first to do the good things, to learn things so that I can do the best things right now. So, sometimes doing the good things is the best for us for a limited time, so that we can be prepared for the best times. My advise: don’t be afraid to do those good things. God can guide you in this. He has een broader perspective than we have. I see this as growth: if we are responsible in the good things, God will lead us towards the best things.
As I said before: we like to brainstorm about these things face-to-face. You can contact me for an appointment…
May 2nd, 07 at 11:04 am
It is indeed a hard question, which might take ten or twenty years, or perhaps your life, to answer completely. Who knows what God holds for you in the future?
I do feel that a renewal, perhaps a reformation, is taking shape, that will affect traditional congregations, free groups, pioneers, and many not-yet-christians alike. The questions are: what does the big picture look like, what is happening, what is God doing? And what is your role in this process taking place?
For myself, I sense my role is to stay on the edge of ‘church’ to look outwards, experiment, pioneer new things, and learn from those things, and to tell stories and share experiences. I hope to produce ‘material’ or ’space’ which may help more people in the Body of Christ to grow in new ways. Remember the sociological model for renewal processes? I guess the harder the visionaries and early adaptors run, the faster the majority can follow in their footsteps.
Maybe I’m just an idealistic fool, maybe God is using me in a powerful way, who’s to say? But I know I wouldn’t want to live or function in a different way.
To be honest, I think many people in the church who want renewal, don’t know why they want it or what they exactly want, or those goals and motives are more self-centered than God-centered. We lack a profound vision of the future, so lets look for a glimpse of tomorrow, praying, studying and living it out.
May 3rd, 07 at 11:51 am
I’m surprised you relate being fruitful and useful to the church-as-you-knew-it. Since you still seem to be a christian, don’t we have our hands full just by following Jesus? Regardless of ‘church’ we bring good news, bring the Kingdom, take care of the poor, widows and orphans. We can even stay in touch with fellow-believers out of church. Church is just an often misused but very practical and useful network of believers, not necessarily related to all our basic actions and fruits of the new life.
May 3rd, 07 at 11:53 am
Ps: Besides my previous post I have to admit I often feel the same
May 3rd, 07 at 6:12 pm
@Rick/Gijs: thanks guys. I appreciate your comments and you are probably right. Of course there’s much value in doing many of ‘the good things’. Especially when alternatives (the ‘best’things - or rather the things God asks you specifically to do) are unclear.
Then again: I only have one life to live in this ’space’, I am limited in my time, energy and talents. This means that some sort of priorities have to be set. I need to focus. Do some things and leave other things for other people.
In all this it seems to me to be very important to be aware of one’s personal talents, opportunities and ‘calling’ (’vocation?’). What I struggle with is what to do in the meantime - when one is finding one’s way.
Because, and this is partly in response to Name: I know how easily I am distracted of Intentional Missional Living…
Of course there are many good and important things to do, in church for example. But, for me, one of the most important things in living áfter Christ’ is to live ‘intentionally‘: Why do we do the things we do?!.
I am sure that if I don’t spend enough time thinking about this, I’ll be doing lots of ‘important’ and ‘good’ stuff, in church perhaps, but are those things actually that important? How often are we working towards ‘managing programs’, ‘keeping stuff going’, etc. All ‘for the greater good’ of course…
Maybe, when we live more intentionally missional, we find that we can (should?) spend our time, energy and talents in better ways to serve this purpose…
ps: for worries readers:
I AM a Christian, if by that you mean that I aim to love God and people and follow Jesus. I just don’t sit in a ‘church’ together with other people on sunday mornings
June 13th, 07 at 2:27 pm
I often feel discouraged looking at what we - as a church - look like. I’m one of those guys who are deeply involved in a local church, leading worship and coaching people.
But then, again, I realize that it’s Jesus Who calls me to live a life of faith, not to look at circumstances and to not judge other people’s faith and intentions. I respect your point of view, Dave, but I, for myself, don’t want to give up on a church that’s intended to be the light of the world.
So I choose to give my life, serving the church (my church)…
Just my two cents…