How Did We Get Here?
How did we get here?... That's a good question.
I guess it all has to do with our calling. You see God has been leading us away from the "conventional" church for a long time and we have fought God for a long time. (Here's a hint... not a good thing to do...).
When I was in seminary back in the 80's (OK... no comments... and no, Gamaliel was not my OT prof.!) God began to call me toward a "different" ecclesiological path. He planted in my heart a desire to do "Intentional Christian Community". And, given that, you'd think we'd just go for it (being young and sassy seminarians)...
But, did we listen? Well, with our hearts, yes... but there were bills to pay so we shelved it in favor of a more typical way of doing church. We tried to incorporate some of the blessings of the indepth fellowship that Community offers in our conventional setting... but alas... there were services to prepare, budgets to argue about, evangelism to conduct. It didn't really work.
Over the next 24 years the flame of this vision burned brightly at times... and smoldered weakly at others (We rest in the promise that the Messiah does not extinguish a smoldering wick!). We have tried to do regular church stuff, really we have. The results have been less than successful. (A church plant that grew to no more than about 25 in five years... a wounded church that, after taking me on as an associate, watched us leave to follow a "calling" to plant a "contemporary" church in the area (and incidentally, take with us the organist, choir director and the youth leader and her husband... not good)... another plant (the "contemporary" one) that grew to no more than 50 in seven years (which I resigned from because of burn-out and disagreement with my elders... and finally, another staff position which ended because the senior pastor made some decisions that changed the whole leadership structure of the congregation.
Now, you'd think that we might just throw in the towel... decide this pastorin' thing wasn't for us. But, we can't. That would be in disobedience. The Holy Sprit continues to call us... and the people to whom we have ministered have confirmed that calling over and over. And others continue to call us back into ministry. (Right now we are just working... praying... planning and waiting.)
What then? We are now in a place where we believe that we will obey the call to do the unconventional thing... or do nothing at all. We cannot see ourselves going back to the typical church structure (business-shaped, Sunday service focussed... a church for the many...). We must go on and be pastors to the few... those who have not been able to fit in with the many... and do it in a community of safety... that prepares them to leave the safety of that place and "boldly go where no one... neither themselves nor others... had ever thought they'd go".
How did we get here?... That's a good question.
I guess it all has to do with our calling. You see God has been leading us away from the "conventional" church for a long time and we have fought God for a long time. (Here's a hint... not a good thing to do...).
When I was in seminary back in the 80's (OK... no comments... and no, Gamaliel was not my OT prof.!) God began to call me toward a "different" ecclesiological path. He planted in my heart a desire to do "Intentional Christian Community". And, given that, you'd think we'd just go for it (being young and sassy seminarians)...
But, did we listen? Well, with our hearts, yes... but there were bills to pay so we shelved it in favor of a more typical way of doing church. We tried to incorporate some of the blessings of the indepth fellowship that Community offers in our conventional setting... but alas... there were services to prepare, budgets to argue about, evangelism to conduct. It didn't really work.
Over the next 24 years the flame of this vision burned brightly at times... and smoldered weakly at others (We rest in the promise that the Messiah does not extinguish a smoldering wick!). We have tried to do regular church stuff, really we have. The results have been less than successful. (A church plant that grew to no more than about 25 in five years... a wounded church that, after taking me on as an associate, watched us leave to follow a "calling" to plant a "contemporary" church in the area (and incidentally, take with us the organist, choir director and the youth leader and her husband... not good)... another plant (the "contemporary" one) that grew to no more than 50 in seven years (which I resigned from because of burn-out and disagreement with my elders... and finally, another staff position which ended because the senior pastor made some decisions that changed the whole leadership structure of the congregation.
Now, you'd think that we might just throw in the towel... decide this pastorin' thing wasn't for us. But, we can't. That would be in disobedience. The Holy Sprit continues to call us... and the people to whom we have ministered have confirmed that calling over and over. And others continue to call us back into ministry. (Right now we are just working... praying... planning and waiting.)
What then? We are now in a place where we believe that we will obey the call to do the unconventional thing... or do nothing at all. We cannot see ourselves going back to the typical church structure (business-shaped, Sunday service focussed... a church for the many...). We must go on and be pastors to the few... those who have not been able to fit in with the many... and do it in a community of safety... that prepares them to leave the safety of that place and "boldly go where no one... neither themselves nor others... had ever thought they'd go".
posted by Barnabas | 12:55 PM
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