The Transformed Church

Into the Wilderness Part II

2008-07-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

There can be little doubt that we have entered into a wilderness.
It is at this juncture that the biblical story may offer us insight and wisdom. The Exodus passage begins with the Pharaoh letting the people go. “When Pharaoh let the people go …”[1] Just so, the secular culture of American has let the mainline churches go. We are not being killed by hostile fire (through to be sure there is some hostile fire). Our demise as the established church is being brought about through indifference and perceived irrelevance. Pharaoh has let us go.
The Bible story tells us, “God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, ‘If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.’”[2] Quickly the discerning reader learns two things. First, God lead them! God provides the desperately needed leadership. This is massively good news. Applied to the current context, it instructs us that we have not been abandoned by God. In fact, just the opposite is happening. God is leading us out of our cultural captivity. Rather than lament the loss, we can look forward with anticipation (and yes, some fear) to the unknown future which we face through God’s leadership. Minnie Haskins famous poem is apropos.
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.'
And he replied, 'Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of GodThat shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!'
So I went forth and finding the Hand of GodTrod gladly into the nightHe led me towards the hillsAnd the breaking of day in the lone east.
So heart be still! What need our human life to knowIf God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife of thingsBoth high and low,God hideth his intention."[3]

Second, the 17th verse tells us about God’s care. God is looking out for our welfare. Significantly God is looking out for our welfare in a way that is above and beyond our mere convenience. Our want of ease and comfort tempts us to seek to return to Egypt. For many churches this translates into a desire to somehow recapture the 1950s in their congregational life. God cares for us enough to give us not what we want but what we need. We don’t need to go back to Egypt. We are not yet ready for full scale war with the Philistines (the cultural despisers of mainline Christianity). To be sure, we face trials and tribulations, we face conflict and battle, but we are not yet ready for all out warfare with the culture. We are being lead on a round about way that allows us an opportunity to develop great spiritual maturity and recover a missional nature. God cares for us in allowing us preparation time. There will be time to prepare for battle.

The third teaching from this passage for our context comes in the realization that the way is “roundabout.” This wilderness journey does not follow a linear path. There is no straight line or open highway from here to there (wherever “there” might be). The implications of such insight are immense. To apply this insight to the current context of mainline denominations means that we can not look for easily answers or quick applications from other denominations or faith traditions. There is no easy journey with the 12 steps to take or 7 prescriptions apply. There is no magic bullet to slay the dragon of modern secularism and indifference to Christianity and especially indifference to the former mainline denominations. We may gain insights from independent Bible churches and from groups like the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox (to mention but a few). But, however needed and applicable the insights, the wilderness way for the United Methodist Church (as for any denominational faith tradition) will be strictly its own. Furthermore, it will by God’s leading be a roundabout path.
[1] Exodus 13:17a
[2] Exodus 13:17b
[3] Minnie Louise Haskins, The Gate of the Year, 1908

2008-06-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

INTO THE WILDERNESS

“So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.”
Exodus 13:18

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
Corrie Ten Boom

The church has entered into a wilderness. It is not a wilderness of our making, nor did we enter this wilderness of our own volition. None-the-less, we are now embarked on a wilderness journey. This wilderness is the post Christian world we live in. It is a wilderness of disestablishment; a wilderness of indifference; a wilderness of rapidly dwindling membership, a wilderness of ignorance of the basics of Christianity; a wilderness of lack of theological coherence.

Indeed some take the issue further. Walter Dan Burham has remarked, “The American Culture clearly and remarkably unraveled form the mid-1960s onward.”[1] While the old has unraveled, to some degree much of the old – segregation, restricted roles for women, etc. – needed (and still do need) to be jettisoned. The change is not necessarily bad. Furthermore, regardless of how one views current reality, the matter is clear. The old mainline Protestant churches have entered into a time of wilderness wanderings. We are moving from the temple of the familiar to the adventure of the wilderness.

We have entered the post-Christendom wilderness of disestablishment. A recent page in my local newspaper illustrates our disestablishment. Seven articles were carried in the Saturday, December 10th edition of the San Antonio Express-News inside the first section of the paper. The banner headline read: “L. A. archdiocese close to settling 45 sex suits with $60 million.”[2] Four of the other six “Briefs” articles related to the disestablishment of the old mainline Protestantism cultural religious hegemony. They read as follows: “Nevada cemetery holds first Wiccan plaque.”[3] The story detailed the placing of a Wiccan religious symbol in the Northern Nevada Veterans Cemetery in memory of an Army sergeant killed in Afghanistan. “California pastor charged in killing.”[4] A pastor was charge with killing an elderly friend in order to gain access to a $4 million dollar trust. “No Holy Family in small town.”[5] City authorities of a small West Virginia community had decided that the town’s Christmas holiday display would have a manger with shepherds, a guiding star, camels and a palm tree, but no Jesus, Mary or Joseph. “The parks superintendent said Jesus was left out because of concerns about the separation of church and state.”[6] And the crowning comically sad symbol of cultural irrelevance the last article was headlined: “Bingo-crazed granny guilty of running dope.”[7] The article related the conviction of an Arizona grandmother on charges of marijuana smuggling in “what prosecutors said was an attempt to earn cash for a bingo habit.”[8] By themselves the articles mean little (except for the tragedy that some of them represent). Taken together they are antidotal evidence of the decline of Christian influence and status in the culture at large. There was an earlier time in the mid 20th century when a sex scandal and murder by clergy would have been unbelievable front page headlines. Taking Jesus, Mary and Joseph out of the city Christmas nativity decorations used to be unthinkable. A bingo crazed granny running dope to support her church bingo habit would be seen as amusing.

Today, they are background noise signifying a disestablished Church culture.

We no longer have a secure place or identity in the secular American culture. The casual deference that used to be ceded to the church is gone. Mainliners are greeted with perhaps the greatest curse of all. The culture and nation often react to their latest proclaim with yawning indifference. We are not longer the mainline but instead, at best, simply a sideline (and not a very interesting sideline at that!).

More on “Into the Wilderness” in the next issue

[1] Walter Dean Burham, Democracy, Summer 1982; taken from Lyle E. Schaller, The New Context for Ministry, p. 63
[2] San Antonio Express-News, Saturday, December 2, 2006, p. 10A
[3] IBID
[4] IBID
[5] IBID
[6] IBID
[7] IBID
[8] IBID

10 Reasons for Starting New Churches

2008-04-01T09:13:00.001-07:00

1Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
(Acts 13:1-3)

1. Biblical Faithfulness demands the starting of new churches. (Acts 1:6-8; Acts 13:1-3, etc., etc.!!!!)
2. To faithfully respond to Christ’s command to "go and make disciples." (Matthew 28:16-20)
3. So that the next generation will be Christian!
4. New churches reach new groups of people – new immigrants, those turned off from conventional church, those seeking a different style and form of worship, etc.
5. Seekers and explorers are often more attracted to starting on the ground floor as pioneers.
6. Men are more likely to be attracted to a new church start.
7. Reach people with the gospel in a new location.
8. Spread a faithful Wesleyan theological perspective of the Christian faith that combines evangelism (converting people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ) and social holiness (the ministries of love, justice and mercy).
9. Existing churches are motivated to renewal efforts by the establishment of new churches in their community. (See Steven C. Compton, Rekindling the Mainline: New Life Through New Churches, p. 39)
10. Denominations as a whole are "renewed as the percentage of new churches in their total numbers of churches increase." (See Steven C. Compton, Rekindling the Mainline: New Life Through New Churches, p. 39)

Losing for Life

2008-03-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

Jesus said: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves adn take up their cross daily and follow me. for those who want ot save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it." (Luke 9:23-24)

Those piercing, prophetic and powerful words apply to congregations as well as people. Congregations that turn inward with a scarcity mentality begin a period of long slow death. Those congregations that reach out both evangelistically and missionally (the deeds of love, justice and mercy) thrive and grow in multiple ways. Theological orientaiton takes a second seat to practical application. Losing our life for the sake of the gospel in the paradoxical economy of God gives the congregation back its life in the largest and fullest measure.

Paul Borden in his book Direct Hit writes: "The control of established congregations by people who do not want to grow and are unwilling to give up the privileges of membership is the biggest problem faced by those desiring to lead congregational change. The movement from an inward focus to an outward focus, with rare exception, demands a major shift in who controls the behaviors of the organization. Tackling this major issue demands courageous leaders who are willing to risk all for the sake of the Great Commission."

I commend Direct Hit as one of a number of excellent offerings with practical advice about regaining a gospel orientation.

May your Easter be a joyous experience of Christ's rising!

2008-03-05T11:58:00.001-08:00

MISSION

To offer Christ to all through the development of new churches and the transformation of stagnant and dying congregations into fruitful and spiritually faithful dynamic mission posts of the advancing kingdom of God ________________________________________________________
The Urgent Need
We have the same urgent need today – people are hurting and lost; longing for a relationship with the Lord
Our culture and nation is becoming increasingly less Christian
The pain of injustice and the aguish of emptiness cry out for God’s presence and healing.
The Wesleyan movement and UMC need to rediscover and reclaim our evangelistic passion; this is the call and claim of Christ upon us today.

The Call and Claim of Christ Matthew 28:16-20
The Risen Christ gives us a great commission, our marching order and purpose for being (this is not optional for the faithful)
The imperative command is make disciples
To people to obey the Lord’s commands and baptize
The Lord promises to be with us always

Over a hundred years ago a man named C.C. McCabe was riding out west to help start some more churches. In fact McCabe was in charge of church extension for the Methodist Church. ‘As C. C. McCabe was riding out on the train he picked up a newspaper. As he started to read it, he opened it up to bold headlines that said, "Churches dying across America, the last will soon be dead.’ And he went on to read that Robert Ingersol the brilliant agnostic and very articulate spokesman had just addressed the Free Thinkers Association. It the speech he said that churches were dying across America, that they would soon be dead, and that this country would be much better off. C. C. McCabe was a kind of a feisty fighter. He got off the train at the next station; went into the telegraph office and sent Robert Ingersol this telegram.
"Dear Robert: All hail the power of Jesus' name. We're building more that one new Methodist Church every day of the year and propose to make it soon two a day." Signed C. C. McCabe.
Now the word got out about C. C. McCabe's telegram to Robert Ingersol and some Methodist's wrote a song. It was sung in the camp meetings and the revivals and the brush arbor meetings in the little backwoods chapels and places; and it went like this:
‘The Infidel a motley band in counsel met and said that churches die throughout the land the last will soon be dead. When suddenly a message came, it filled them with dismay. All hail the power of Jesus name we're building two a day.
We're building two a day dear Bob, we're building two a day. All hail the power of Jesus name we're building two a day.’”[1]
We are not building two a day. We are not even building one a day. But we do propose together to build new churches and transform existing churches for God’s new day. This is what it means to live our mission of offering Christ to all. ]

One crucial element of faithfully offering Christ to all is to rediscover the Antoich strategy.

Rediscovering the Antioch Strategy Acts 13:1-3
They didn’t make excuses because of their size or other good works
They worshiped and prayer for guidance from the Holy Spirit
They set aside their best for the work and supported them
They sent them off to carry the gospel to new people

The Antioch Strategy was John Wesley’s strategy in founding the Methodist movement. [Wesley writes at one point in 1781, “About a hundred and thirty of my fellow-labourers are continually employed in the same thing. We all aim at one point, (as we did from the hour when we first engaged the work), not at profit, any more than ease, or pleasure, or the praise of men; but to spread true religion through London, Dublin, Edinburgh, and as we are able, through the three kingdoms.”[2]]
The Antioch strategy brought your church into existence.
Now it is our time to do the same for others in faithfulness to the call and claim of Christ.

[1] a paraphrased verson of Joe Harding’s lecture, “Actions that Enable Evangelism,” Evangelism
Cassette Mini-Course, Tape #9
[2] John Wesley, Works, Vol. 8, pp. 380-381