Church: The Change is Now, Introduction

I am not qualified to talk about this topic. Initially I thought I was, but as I wrote these ideas out, I was almost saddened at the words that were tied to them. The playing field is too scattered, the breadth of ideas too great. All my arguments and observations are straw men on a dance floor filled with boisterous waltzers. I keep coming back and editing to think its done only to realize I need to come back and change everything I've said. I'm half tempted to only post this first part and then quit. Perhaps I will, perhaps I won't. If I do continue with them, know that my intention is to inform, exhort, and encourage. I can't see how I won't offend someone at some point, but my hope is that if something stings, it stings for the right reasons. Read with a seasoned eye and please tell me where I err. That said, let's begin.

Introduction & Rules

I mentioned in the post after Urbana that there is a coming revolution in Christianity. I didn't quite know what I was seeing at that time but I could tell something was changing. Some people were ecstatic about the change while others turtled down and prepared for battle.

I could never hope to say I know even vaguely how this present reformation is working out, but I do see a few new trends that are somewhat independent of each other. How these trends will change the look of the church, I don’t know. How long they will take, I don’t know either. But I know hardly any social revolution comes overnight. These changes will take a long time. I can’t predict what the western church will look like in fifty years, but I know it will be different. Whatever happens, it is an exciting time to be alive.

I intend this to be as informative as possible. This is what I would have hoped to read as I researched and studied these changes. I do have a strong preference for one of these movements but I hope to be as objective as possible. I would love feedback and challenges regarding all these cases of church. But before this starts, there are few rules to lay down. If I violate these, tell me!

First Rule: The church as whole (global or universal church) has a number of different functions. One of these is for its individual parts to edify whole. This does not allow for anger, bitterness, slander, or gossip towards anyone or any part of the church (this also applies to those not in the body of Christ as well). Hebrews 2:11 says "For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren," I see this verse saying that Jesus is in the process of making us holy; we aren't done yet. We still mess up; who we are isn't completely good; yet in spite of it all, He's working on us. While we are still this malformed work in progress, He is not ashamed of us. He calls us his brothers (and sisters of course.) I get the image of someone tripping and clumsily falling in the mud. Jesus looks back, smiles, and says, "Yep, that's my brother. Good kid, really."

On top of Jesus' unashamedness, the verse says "those who are being sanctified are all of one". So, not only am I one with Jesus, but I am also one with my brothers and sisters in Christ who also happen to be falling in the mud. If Jesus is not ashamed of them, how am I allowed to be ashamed of them? I've seen many times in Christian circles the slighting of other Christians. "We're not like those Christians." But those Christians are saying the exact same thing about these Christians. This shouldn't be! Embrace each other: with all the failures, with the understanding that we are rambunctious little children under the tutorage of a kind and loving savior who is growing us up in love as well as discipline. Accept each other, not as enemies, but rather as teammates, encouraging each other to run the race with all endurance and with eyes on Jesus. (Can you tell I've been reading Hebrews?) Summary of Rule 1: We're all in this together, none of us are perfect, but all who call upon Christ have Him as our target and we cannot be ashamed of each other, nor can we belittle each other.

Second Rule: Listening is paramount. Ask questions, probe, learn, understand. I've talked before about buzz words. My definition for a particular buzz word may not be the same as yours. What does transformation mean to you? Where does that apply, just the soul or physically? Individually or communally? What is the church? What must a specific embodiment of the church be? Also, listen to more than one source. In this time of change, especially in America, it is the world of the individual. Broad trends and movements contain a myriad of different people each with their own individual doctrines and theologies. Back in the day, trends in Christianity could be named by the one person who started it: Calvinism, Wesleyans, etc. Now, with the internet, everyone has a voice, and everyone can mix and match as much as they want. With many voices, we need more listeners. Listen.

Third Rule: Rebuke! When Jesus was asked the greatest commandment, He gave reference to two verses. The second, "Love your neighbor as yourself" comes from Leviticus 19. Here is the full clause He referenced consisting of verses 17 and 18: "You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD." I see two points here. First, if your brother has done something against yourself or anyone else and it causes you anger, TELL HIM! Don't let anger turn into hate and bitterness. Second, if you love your neighbor, you will rebuke him when/if he does something wrong. This doesn't mean go shoot him, it means you tell the truth in love. The goal is that you fully love each other with nothing in the way between each other and between you and God. Proverbs is full of references to how a wise man will love you if you rebuke him. It doesn't have to be awkward or harsh, just a simple conversation that truthfully deals with any wrongdoing. On top of a rebuke, we need to pray. 1 John reminds us if we see a brother commit a sin not leading to death to pray for them. This both helps us and reminds us to remove the plank out of our own eye so that we may remove the speck from theirs. Rule three summary: Rebuke to love. Jesus rebuked a lot of people. It may not be fun, but we all need this, myself included. I want five rebuke comments at the end of each post. Really! One word of caution, this last rule only applies to Christians. I cannot expect someone who doesn't know Jesus to respond to my rebuke. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict us, and if someone doesn't have the Spirit, my words will mean nothing.

Alright, the rules are laid out, but I need to address a few more things.

I hope to examine three "movements". First, the typical American/western, Evangelical church, second, the Emergent Church, and third, the Missional Church. By looking at both the manner in which church is done and the underlying mindset/theologies, hopefully you can be brought up to speed as well as encouraged/exhorted in each of the three. Like I said earlier, these posts cannot fully encompass all there is to say about these churches, but it should serve as an introduction. There will be straw men in the dance, but I hope to get them tapping their feet at the very least.

All that said, I confess that most of what I'm saying here is not mine. I've really been opened to a lot of this by reading many blogs and one book in particular: "The Shaping of Things to Come" by Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost. I'm not done with it yet, but the concepts laid out so far seem pretty good (aside from the syncretistic Islamic contextualization part, to be dealt with later).

I'll get to each of the three as they come. Stay alert and

Press on for Joy!