SimpleChurch Journal

Donald Miller on Not Going to Church Often

I have likely done Donald a mis-service by only sharing my favorite quotes from a long post he wrote here which is all good and worth reading in its entirety.

Nevertheless, here are a few of those 'sound bites' that stood out to me from "Why I Don't Go To Church Very Often:"

I’d say half of the most impactful people I know, who love Jesus and tear up at the mention of His name, who reach out to the poor and lonely and are fundamentally sound in their theology, who create institutions that feed hundreds of thousands, do not attend a traditional church service. Many of them even speak at churches, but they have no home church and don’t long for one. They aren’t wired to be intimate with God by attending a lecture and hearing singing (which there is NOTHING wrong with) they are wired to experience God by working with Him…

The point, though, is this: Jesus engages people inside and outside the church. It’s almost as though He sees the church as one, without walls, denominations or tribes. I’m starting to see the church that way, too…

Today, many churches look like night clubs complete with pastors being piped in on video. It’s quite brilliant and I’ve no problem with it, it’s just not my thing. I don’t like night clubs. And I don’t like lectures and I don’t emote to worship music. And I still love Jesus. It’s shocking, but it’s true. That said, let’s stop using the word “Biblical” as some sort of ace card when it comes to how church should be done…

I do think church can evolve beyond a lecture/worship/performance institution, but the current leadership is unlikely to make that happen. When and if the church evolves, it will evolve from outside the current leadership and that evolution will pose a threat to existing tribal values as well as financial systems that are sustained by the current model…

… I’d argue that by making the church smaller, less formal, less organized, less institutionalized and more like the chaos of a family structure, the church would be moving MORE toward the historical church in ACTS and less like a culture-formed institution by deconstructing itself. Though I hardly consider that a God-given decree.

Enjoying the Company of the Adventurers

"Between the traditional and the new, or between order and adventure, there is no real opposition; and what we call tradition today is a knit work of centuries of adventure." - Jorge Luis Borges quoted at ProdigalKiwi.

Interesting quote.  It helps put some things into perspective.  If you are reading this blog you are probably on a wonderful, current-day adventure in your spiritual and ministry life.  You are an adventurer.

It's an interesting perspective to consider that so many who have gone before us, whom we describe as "traditional," were adventurers in their day.  The masses tend to follow the adventurers and, within time, that which was new becomes a routine, a liturgy, a program, or just something to do that was once exciting.  Taking an adventurous experience and reducing it to something repeatable for others turns it into a tradition.  The adventure of listening to and following THE Adventurer gets lost.

However, this quote reminds us to reflect on the many adventurers that are sprinkled throughout our traditional heritage.  Remembering that our "traditional" heritage is also made up of extreme-sports type rock climbers can remind us to honor them for the courage they had and encourage us to press on in the adventure we are having in our day.

Why waste time worrying about those who don't understand adventure and look for safety by turning all-out-life-with-God into something routine, predictable, religious, and un-relationship-like.  Instead, let's keep our eyes on the top of Everest-- where we are headed-- and enjoy the company of the Adventurers-- past and present.

Stop Inviting People to Church

I received the following email from Mike Lyons several years ago that bears repeating:

I have made a promise to myself. I will stop inviting people to my church.

Hear me out now.

I spent nearly a decade with my well paid job in the church trying to get people to come to church. We would develop strategies, advertising through TV, radio, print, internet, marketing plans... wowing them with worship experiences, video, dramas, amazing sermons, direct mail strategies.. on and on..whew. all designed with one aim. That when you would invite your friend, they would say yes and go to church with you. All you would have to do is invite them, they would respond to the engaging message and multi-sensory worship, become curious, eventually come to Christ, and eventually become a part of our church. The problem is, it didn't work very well.

Sure some came, just enough to make us think we were being effective. But still as the Barna Institutes research shows " The unbelieving world remains unconvinced.", and each year the Church continues to loose ground and a credibility voice in our communities.

(Disclaimer Note: I still love, support and honor any church that is doing all it can to reach out to others. God will still work through imperfect people as well as strategies.)

Allow me to be very honest. I see too many of us in the house church falling into the same trap and pattern of fruitlessness. And some are suffering unnecessarily from disillusionment. I hear the same words over and over, "If only we could get more people to come to our house church." Sound familiar? The benefits we offer are different, but the hope is the same. Please come to my church.if we could get them there they will be so captured by our Jesus through our community, intimacy, casualness, or great food... that they will accept Him and become a part of our church. Old habits die very hard don't they.

We can no longer afford to be "come here" people, we must be a "go there" kind of people.

I can honestly say that I have never invited someone to join me for coffee, lunch or breakfast and had them say no. Not ever, not once.

I'm slow but I'm learning.

Here's to forsaking old habits.

May His presence dwell in you richly,

Mike Lyons

Hearing From God: Key to Great Gatherings

I have found that the key to our gatherings is to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit-- all of us.

In my past life, as a pastor of a traditional church, I felt the responsibility to hear what God is saying and to pass that word along to "the people."  Of course, God's word is always God's word and it will always bear fruit.  But how much more fruit is available when every Christian discovers his/her gifts and his/her ability to hear the "rhema"-- the living Word through the written word-- and to be able to share those gifts and His word with one another.

The  shifts the responsibility for hearing from God to each person-- to everyone-- and that takes some getting used to. But what an explosion can take place as the church worships and listens. Jack Deere (Suprised by the Voice of God) shares this:

The New Testament church was not only the dwelling place for the presence of God, it was also a learning center for the language of the Holy Spirit. People not only worshipped God in church, but they were equipped to hear him, and after hearing God, they were able to give something to someone that would build them up.

In preparation for this, Jack challenges us to consider why we gather as a church. It's not about tickling our spiritual ears or getting a little spiritual lift (though these may well happen), rather he suggests that we gather for four reasons: 1. To hear Jesus and be healed by Him, 2. To worship God together, 3. To be equipped to do the work of ministry, and 4. To be built up in Christ. He contends that all of this can take place only as every person gest involved-- bringing something edifying to share, learning to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying, and ministering to one another.

If you lived in the New Testament times, you prepared your heart to come to church, you prepared your heart to worship, you came expecting to be equipped for ministry, and you asked God to give you a gift to bring with you so that you might be used to strengthen someone else. This was the New Testament way of going to church.