The State of the Church

 

            It’s no secret we are living in a time when the culture we find ourselves in is now changing at an exponential rate. Hardly anything is constant anymore. We never really know what’s going to happen next. In his book, The Forgotten Ways, Alan Hirsch brilliantly sheds light on the reality of our situation:

            “Only fifty years ago, based on what we know from the past and a thorough assessment of current conditions, we could forecast future with high levels of predictability. We would then develop a strategic plan, with milestones along the way, and expect that, all things being equal, we could achieve the desired result. It was called strategic planning, and it was based on the idea of slow continuous change. The future was just a projection of the past with some adjustments. Now, because of constant innovations in technology and the resultant redundancies of whole industries, hypersensitive global markets that react to the slightest disturbances across the globe, terrorism, the shift of geopolitical forces, etc., we are living in an age where it is just about impossible to predict what will happen in three years’ time, let alone twenty. In other words, change for us is discontinuous, and it is increasingly rapid. And it is a real threat to the institutional church, which doesn’t normally respond well even to slow continuous change.”

            I couldn’t agree more with Hirsch. Rapid change is taking place all around us but the church is always slow to make the proper changes and adjustments in order to reach people in the here and now. I am in no way saying we should change the message to fit the culture. Plenty of churches have fallen into this trap. The Truth of Scripture remains the same but we must contextualize the message in order to reach our culture today and not our culture fifteen years ago.

            Change begins with us. As a Christian, I don’t believe Jesus died and rose again just so we can have a pep rally once a week and talk about it. I know you would agree with me, too. So, why do we keep doing it? Probably because we know we need to do something, and this is just enough to feel good about ourselves yet not be uncomfortable. Oh Christian, I assure you, there is nothing comfortable about the cross. It flies in the face of the selfishness and individualism that runs rampant in our society today. With Jesus, we must actively take up our cross and follow Him, not passively sit and keep a seat warm. And why do we keep trying to make Jesus a part of our lives instead of the whole? We are quick to call Jesus our Savior but hesitant to call Him Lord. He does not become one without the other.

            If you read the Bible you will see that God is a missionary (Gen. 3:8-9, John 10:10, 3:16, Luke 19:10, etc.). We are made in His image and are invited to follow Him. When we follow Him, we will become more like Him. The church is supposed to be full of missionary servants spreading the love of God like wildfire. Unfortunately, we have believed the lie that the church exists solely to meet our needs. Think about it. If we visit a local church, we can choose between traditional and contemporary services, decide on countless ministries that are offered in order to fit the unique shape of our families, mentally score the music and preaching on a scale of 1-10 (and decide if we will go back), show up when we feel like it, give when there is money left over etc. Please join me in admitting that we are consumers! It’s not enough to join together as a body to worship God; we have to be entertained and given free stuff to do it now. I wouldn’t be surprised if many churches today put upwards to 90% or more of their resources into Sunday mornings. Sunday, although a very important day for Christians, is only one aspect of church. We say we know this and understand this but we really don’t unless we change. The Church is supposed to be the body of Christ, a people on the move preparing the way for the Kingdom of God…everyday. Instead we have sadly and shamefully made her out to be a stationary building.

            I am about to turn 30 years old and desperately want my life to count for something. There is a sense of urgency for me because that is the same age Jesus was when He officially began His earthly ministry. Maybe this birthday is my wake up call to truly know Him and make Him known like never before. So, when I see the state of the church right now, I do feel a holy discontent. However, I am optimistic because of a collective movement of many to get back to the basics of Scripture by reemphasizing the glory of God, authentic community, discipleship, and mission. Because of this, I see a church (both local and global) that is centered on the Gospel and seeks to love and serve others like Jesus did. I see a church with a God-sized vision that seems impossible to fulfill, humanly speaking. I see a church full of disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. I see a church that plants other churches that in turn plant more churches.  I see a church where families teach their children what it means to follow Christ by their words and deeds. I see a church that lives like an authentic community is supposed to, loving, sharing, and taking care of one another so that those on the outside looking in will want to be a part of it. I see a church that hosts unsaved friends and neighbors in their homes who would not otherwise attend a church service. I see a church where the miraculous takes place in the here now and not just the past. I see a church where leadership is shared for the sake of accountability and the realization that God speaks to everyone, not just the ‘head pastor.’ I see a church that plans for the future but holds all things with open hands. I see a church that lives by the Spirit and is willing to change what is needed in order to bring God the most glory. I see a church that trains people to share their faith and disciple others rather than just letting the “experts” do it. I see a church that isn’t afraid to deal with cultural issues (gender and sexuality, marriage, abortion, terrorism, etc); things that affect us all in some way. I see a church that befriends those who are homeless or hurting and recognize that they are our brothers and sisters made in God’s image. I see a church that is willing to open up their homes to children and teenagers who do not have one. I see a church that sends out missionaries and mission teams in their own city and to the ends of the earth to spread the love of Jesus. I see a church that gives all it can spare and then some so that the Gospel will be advanced in all places and to all people. I see a church that lives on mission everyday in order to make Jesus known in all of life.

            Maybe I am an idealist. Or maybe I just want to see what will happen when the church decides to actually take Jesus at His word. I am ready to invest my life in these things but cannot do it alone. I need the church. We all need the church. The times have changed and will continue to do so. Now we must make the proper changes to reach our culture today. We can’t stay the same. Are you willing to pray and ask God if you are currently fulfilling the role He has for you in the body of Christ? That is my prayer. Who’s with me?