On This Rock I Will Build My Church

So, I was talking with a friend today (talking with friends always helps me articulate my otherwise random thoughts)... and we got into a discussion about vocational pastoral ministry.

To be honest, I'm pretty confused (but that's okay - so is my friend). On one hand, I track really well with the Emerging Church philosophy and it's desire to "emerge" or rise up out of the paradigm of modernity and it's redefinition of the historic Christian faith. So much of what the church has become in America is rooted in consumerism and individualism and reason (as opposed to communal, kingdom living and tradition). This, in my estimation, has made doing church as much a professional business as it is a lifestyle. And as any fan of Willow Creek or Saddleback can attest (by their endorsement of megachurch)... the bigger the church empire (aka, ministry), the more power and influence it has in the marketplace... and therefore, the more resources it can sell to Christians with an insatiable appetite for finding the newest, best way yet to know and follow God with as little effort as possible.

On the other hand, however, I suppose I'm about as modern as they come in terms of vocational ministry. You see, I wandered my dispassionate way through the wilderness of meaningless jobs for most of my adult life. I was always fairly good at what I did... but I never could put my heart into my job. Let's face it, it's tough to get excited about selling forklifts, or coupon advertising, or office furniture... at least it was for me. But one day, I was talking to an associate pastor (yes, at a big church - I'm full of contradictions) about my thoughts on small groups, and another associate pastor, overhearing our conversation, came up and asked me, "Jeff, do you think God might be calling you into the ministry?" 

Wow... with one simple question, that pastor changed the course of my life forever. Yes, it may have taken me until I was 35, but that day, I finally learned what I want to do with my life when (an if) I grow up! Mind you, it took me another 8 years to prepare (formally, at least) for the ministry - but nevertheless, now I can't even fathom ever doing anything but pastoring a church. I firmly believe God created me to be a pastor... that's it, end of story. (Oh, God... somebody please call a doctor... I'm obviously deranged!)

But do you see my dilemma? The modern church is the perfect environment for a lifetime vocational pastor like me... right? After all, the bigger the church, the more accolades (and book deals?) that can be negotiated, and the higher the salary that can be demanded. [WARNING: Long sentence to follow - try to maintain your train of thought the whole way through!] But these so-called emergents - those house-church kind of folks who actually think spiritual formation and Christian discipleship is more likely to take place in someone's living room or out in the public square, than in a massive auditorium with colorful banners and professional worship music - don't think money should be what drives the heartbeat of the church. In other words, I want to pastor a church that - in theory - wouldn't want to pay a pastor.

Arrrrrgggghhh! To quote the Apostle Paul... WAY out of context in Romans 7:24-25, "I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind..." 

You know, when it comes down to it, I love the idea of a smaller, organic, missional, communal kind of church... a New Testament kind of church. But there's nothing wrong with the concept of God "adding to their numbers daily" either. I think if the church I'm pastoring ever had to deal with the "problem" of exponential numerical growth... the thing I would try to remember is that we are simply called to love God, love our neighbor, and love our brother... not build a church empire. That, in essence, is His job if He so desires. However, God can move mountains with a community of people sold out to His cause, be it a community of 12 (with an unpaid lay-pastor), or a community of 1200 (with a staff of vocational ministers).

Hmmm, someday, I hope to find where I really belong along that continuum. For now though, I'm pretty content with where God has put me (lonely as it may be sometimes)... and I kind of hope He shows me what can happen here in Ellensburg when ordinary people listen and obey the One who came to redeem all of creation and share the good news. Wow, what if this church-plant rose up to one day become a spiritual oak of righteousness??? What if lives were changed... hope was given... bondage was broken... hearts were turned?

Geez... how audacious is that...? Yet, how humbling... how exciting! 

Come, Lord Jesus! We want to see your church grow (deep and wide).

Gazelle Church

I picked up a book a while back... not a very great looking book, mind you, but hey, it was fifty cents so what do you expect? Every year, my denominational publishing house has a book sale, and every year, I buy even the dumbest looking books there is the slightest chance I might read someday, just because they are super cheap... it doesn't make any sense, really. But you'd be surprised to see how many people head to the ever-popular "dock sale" to buy books they have no real intention of ever reading... that, and ratty little stuffed animals and other assorted trinkets which didn't sell at full price either.

Anyway, this book I purchased... I kinda sorta had church planting in mind when I thumbed through it, and decided what the heck... surely it's got two quarters worth of material in it, right?

Yes, actually. Maybe even a dollar's worth! It's a big fat textbook I have no intention of reading all of it. However, I was interested in the chapters on marketing, so I decided to sit down during lunch and read the first few pages to get a taste of whether this book was super boring, or only moderately boring. But page two really got my attention. This is what I read (keep in mind, I'm thinking church-planting, not business enterprise):

"Entrepreneurs have seldom received the attention and respect shown to the executives of extremely large corporations" (see, this already parallels the church "enterprise" very nicely).

But it goes on... "Entrepreneurs who are willing to take risks have been the leaders that have produced our recent economic growth... Without the drive, energies, and dedication of entrepreneurs, new business formation would never take place... Entrepreneurs have proven over and over again to be the pioneers who convert ideas into products; dreams into reality. Entrepreneurs blend creativity, innovation, and risk taking with hard work to form and nurture new ventures."

And here is my favorite quote: "J. B. Say coined the term entrepreneur around 1800 in his discussions of the entrepreneur as a person who shifts economic resources out of an area of lower productivity and into an area of higher productivity and higher yield. He postulated that the major role of the entrepreneur was to exploit change, not by doing things better but by doing something different. He viewed the entrepreneur as someone in society who upsets and disorganizes the status quo."

Wow, change out 'entrepreneur' with 'church planter' and the productivity terms with spiritual terms... and you have a pretty good definition of the emerging church: Small, risk-taking, more flexible, willing to do things differently... shifting resources out of lower spirituality into higher spirituality, exploiting change, not by doing things better, but doing things differently! In essence, rejecting the status-quo (just because 'we've always done it that way').

Finally, the interesting, yet rather wordy intro had one more thing to say that I found very appropriate to church planting. Quoting David Birch, the author divides economic companies into three classes: Elephants, Mice and Gazelles. The Elephants are the very big, slow growth companies that are unresponsive to the economy. Mice are the small, self-employment, no-growth 'Mom and Pop' companies. And Gazelles are the new ventures that grow rapidly, tend to locate in select 'feeding places,' and are significantly innovative.

Hmmmm... I don't necessarily want to equate numerical growth of a church with financial growth of a business (though I must admit, there is an inherent connection)... but I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I want the church I serve in to be as fast and graceful in the kingdom as a gazelle in the grasslands. I want to take risks... I want to live dangerously (knowing there are predators about)... I want to analyze my new community and ask God, "What needs to happen in this place so that people who are hostile or ambivalent toward God can powerfully experience the reality of Christ?" I hope people show up in droves, of course... people hungry for something new (yet ancient), something refreshing, something, powerful, something very, very good. However, if only a handful come and want to be a part of this innovative, risk-taking, status-quo busting ministry venture in Ellensburg... then I need to be OK with that as well.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I'm excited... very, extremely, passionately excited to go 'home' again... take some risks, love people in ways they've perhaps not experienced by the Church before... and be a witness to what God intends to do in us and through us. Some Christians may be offended by our desire to be innovative, and some may even be inspired to join us in our spiritual adventure (which would be wonderful)... but frankly, our 'target audience' is not Christians... It's a highly eclectic mix of sinners who may have real concerns about church... but nevertheless hunger for the encouraging, forgiving and empowering love of Jesus the Christ. As my friend Jeff put it recently (since Ellensburg has a unique blend of cultures and personalities)... we should put a sign out front that reads, "Cowboys, Hippies & Co-Eds welcome!"

Amen, Jeff. That definitely sounds kind of weird, but very Gazelle-like to me!

In Response to a Concerned Friend in Christ

This was my response to a concerned friend who was trying to understand my foul mood this afternoon. I believe it's self explanatory, and probably offensive to some:

Don't' worry, I'm still a Christian... More so than ever! But if you're curious enough to investigate, you'll find that the postmodern movement is far more than fluff. I don't want to threaten your faith, but if you want to talk it over over coffee sometime or a few times, I'll always be open. Frankly, we may just have to agree to disagree. Some Christians (young and old) embrace postmodernism, and many simply reject it - they don't trust what they believe it has to say to modern Christians... and consequently they think it's leading the Church down a path straight to hell.

I love the Church, but have long thought that something about it is incomplete, lifeless... essentially, something is broken about church, and I believe it somehow needs to be "fixed." The postmodern movement (though far from perfect) has a lot to say to the 21st Century American church to knock it back on its heels a little... and frankly, that angers some people, so they rail against the evils of postmodernism, and/or the emergent church. That happened to me today, and I still don't know if I'm more offended, angry or sad! Most of these people have never actually read or studied the movement - other than reacting to the out-of-context soundbytes they've heard - and what they hear threatens their understanding of "Truth." So, mostly out of ignorance and fear they reject it (and try to incite other Christians to do so as well).

My take is this: Okay, so read a book or two that explains the viewpoint. You may read about it, listen to what they're saying, and THEN if you don't like it, go ahead and reject the message. But if you haven't done your homework - if you're just reacting to here say and listening to radio preachers tell you how evil it is - then you really don't have a legitimate right to gripe about it. Yes, I'm still the same old Jeff, but I've been shaped by a seminary level education.

Some people think that's the problem... After all, Christians ought to just read the Bible (The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it)! You've seen the bumper stickers... They have an anti-intellectual view. Others think a seminary education gives a person the right to be superior and speak down to the "little people" who live in ignorance... But those folks are out of touch and just plain arrogant.

Quite honestly, I don't' believe I'm evil because I've worked my tail off to learn how to think theologically, nor do I think I'm superior to anyone. I do think I've learned a lot that can serve to help people who are living in darkness, and desperately want their lives to mean something. I don't have time to argue with whiny Christians who think postmodernism is the work of the devil. I want to spend my life living in grace-filled community that exists to help unbelievers recognize the goodness and grace of God... I don't think I need to constantly threaten them with the horrors of hell... 'cause the reality is, they're so worried about next week and next month that most of them don't even care at ALL about the next life.

And besides, deep down they already know that something is deeply, seriously wrong anyway. They don't need to be brow-beaten, they need to be given hope. And YES, they need to be made aware that life apart from God has terrible consequences - now and forever - but for goodness sake... spare me the 1950's legalistic, manipulative garbage that makes people develop an image of God the Father as horrible and evil. And yet, if we quit cussing, and dancing with the opposite sex, we can know that Jesus is the good guy who'll punch our ticket to heaven! All we have to do is make the logical decision to believe in Him (and of course, repeat the sinner's prayer).

That may be the paradigm in some modern circles, but from my perspective it doesn't have much connection to the gospel. Did Jesus ever do an alter call? Did Paul ever lead anyone through Evangelism Explosion? Did Peter ever lead someone through the four spiritual laws? Moses could have learned so much from Aristotle!

I hate to break it to you, but it goes a whole "hell" of a lot deeper than that... Jesus didn't come to save America... or save individuals only... or even to thump those unbelievers (or postmoderns) who reject God... He came bring reconciliation between God and ALL of His creation... ALL of humanity. He came to offer hope to the helpless... He came to dine with sinners, and tell them of His Father's love. He came to sanctify humanity... not just our bad behavior, but our corporate brokenness and mortality and desperate-ness.

Okay... that's enough of a sermon for now... read the papers [perhaps I'll post these later] and then we'll talk if you still want to :-) Of course, the they're not nearly deep enough... you'd be amazed at the volumes of books on what was accomplished in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. In the midst of all this, I for one am impressed at what the postmodern movement has to offer to the ongoing conversation. So ya, read some books if you want to keep going down a road to new discovery... but don't worry, I won't be offended if you won't or can't stomach it my "emerging" beliefs about doing church.

Frankly, I'm not changing back to my old fundamentalist theology of yesteryear... and besides, I'll guarantee you that - like it or hate it - postmodernism (or whatever it comes to be known as) is the future of the world and the church... so we can stay in the "good old days" of the past (or present) where it's safe, or step forth into the fearful darkness by faith in the God who continues to write His story of grace through His Church. Either way, I'm sure we'll get our ticket to heaven punched (grin).

Jeff