Bored?

—I'd get bored listening to a lecture on nuclear fission. The words (at least some of them) might be English, but I really have no concept of the concept.
—I'd be bored in a Grade 2 spelling class. No challenge, nothing to catch my interest.
—I'd be bored listening to a debate over which beer tastes the best—personally, I don't plan on ever caring!
—I'd be bored if I took courses on classic literature, grammar and creative writing, but never was given any opportunities to actually write.
—I'd be bored if I attended the regular meetings of a club, but was ignored by all the other members as they chatted with each other.

I think there are common threads why many people (even Christians) don't want to have anything to do with the religious systems often called the church.
—The church doesn't speak my language, they use big words, or use ordinary words that seem to have some coded meaning, or refer to theological concepts I don't understand.
—I don't hear anything new, up-to-date or relevant in church, only old, tired diatribes, the same old harping about a particular sin.
—I don't care what your particular church teaches about the rapture—pre, mid, post, or whatever; how you baptize—dunk or sprinkle; or what style of music you use. Figure out what is really important, and then I might be interested!
—If the church really believed all they preached about love and compassion, they would be out there making a difference, not just spending money on their fancy buildings, and never stepping out of them into the real world.
—If the church truly represents God, why don't they seem to care about me? Why are they so busy talking with their friends, and ignoring me?

If you or I would be bored in a similar situation, why are we surprised so many people are bored with church?

A conversation...

We look around and realize that things aren't what they should be.
A light bulb goes off. I know what I will do! I will pray!!

God, things are pretty bad out there.
Yes, they are.
There's crime and injustice. There's fear and messed up relationships. Lots of problems. God, please fix everything. Amen. Good night! Over and out.

Time passes.

God, why didn't you fix things?
Ahhh! Well, ...
Yes, I'm listening!
Good! You want things to be made better?
Yes!!
You want my kingdom to be expressed on earth like it is in heaven?
Yes! Yes!
You want my will to be done on earth?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Good! That's what you are there for!
What?
Did you think everything would just 'appear' so your life could be perfect, so everything would be a utopia?
Well, I knew I should pray, and then I just thought that would solve everything.
Remember when Jesus said “You are the salt of the earth”?
Yes, but...
And that “You are the light of the world”?
Yes...
Salt works when it gets out where it is needed. Light works when it shines in darkness.
Hmmm. So praying isn't the answer?
Well, no that's not what I said.
OK, so fill me in. How is prayer useful if I have to be salt and light? That sounds like it all depends on me!
Remember where James says that “You don't have because you don't ask, or because you ask wrongly”?
Yeah.
Well, your prayers can be very useful IF...
If what?
If you pray with the right purpose and understanding.
Huh? Sorry Lord, I don't think I get it.
OK. If you are the one to cause my kingdom to come and my will to be done ...
Yeah?
Then pray for wisdom in how to bring that about. Remember, James also said, “If you need wisdom, ask God, and He will give it to you.” So, ask me for wisdom.
Wisdom is good.
And discernment.
Discernment? What about?
Discernment to see what part of the job is yours.
You mean, it isn't all up to me?
No, of course not. That's what the rest of the family is for! That's why you all have different abilities.
OK.
And different interests.
OK.
And different people around you that you can influence.
Right!
So, if you were a steel worker, building a bridge, I'd expect you to do your job well, setting a good example, building the best bridge possible.
Yup.
But I wouldn't expect you to find a cure for poverty.
Whew!
Or, if you were a school teacher ...
Oh, that one's easy. You'd want me to teach all the kids to love you.
Well, ultimately that is true. But you'd need to start by loving the kids the way I do, even the obnoxious ones. I'd want you to instill a sense of honesty and fairplay, a thirst for both knowledge, and the wisdom to use it, and the ability to be great citizens of my kingdom. You see, this kingdom takes time to build, as the generations march on.
Hmmm. In some ways it sounds easy, and yet it looks like it won't come over night.
No, it won't. Reread the stories about my kingdom that Jesus told. Several of them compare the kingdom to seeds which take time to grow. One time He talked about the kingdom being like yeast which takes time to permeate the whole loaf. I kind of like the word 'infiltrate' because it infers a gradual penetration. Do you see my point?
Yeah.
Good! Now back to you. If you were a musician, ..
I could write beautiful songs of worship.
Yes, you could, and I would be blessed.
Yeah!!!
But ...
But?
Worship songs have a somewhat limited audience.
You mean ...
It's kind of like when the salt stays in the shaker, or the light stays under a basket. It enjoys being in its safe, familiar environment, ...
But it doesn't bring much saltiness or light into the places where the need is.
You're getting it! So, you could write songs that encourage people to make a difference. To feed the hungry, to be humble with each other, to give instead of just take in their relationships. You know, infiltrate people's minds and hearts with the principles of the kingdom.
OK!

I think I get the idea of praying for discernment bit. Is there anything else I should be praying for?
Sure! Remember the early church? The book of Acts mentions a few things they prayed for.
Things like boldness, and opportunities, and even power, right?
Yes. Remember when Jesus told his disciples to wait for my Spirit?
Yeah?
He said wait until, right?
Yeah?
And then what? Were they to remain in the upper room forever, praying, worshiping, hearing good sermons?
Well, no. I suppose when the promised power came, they were allowed to leave.
Not just allowed, but encouraged! This brings us back to your mission! Go! Cause my kingdom to come. Make a difference. Multiply yourself, so that there are even more people helping bring my kingdom.
Oh, and since you seem to like writing ...
Yeah?
In fact, I expect you know where that interest and ability comes from, don't you?
Yes, although sometimes, it sure doesn't seem very, well, effective, or powerful, or ...
That's OK. That's another aspect of the prayers that you pray. I give you the ability, you pray for good ways to use that ability, ...
And?
Ultimately, you leave the results up to me. Like you said earlier, the kingdom doesn't come over night. Your effectiveness may not be seen immediately. There are lots of examples in history. The abolition of slavery in Britain, for example. There were many years of prayer, work, and influence before it came about. But is the world a better place? Was it worth it?
Of course!
So it is with anything I lead you to do. Be faithful and patient. Salt works slowly; even the light of dawn takes time to dispel the darkness of night. So, keep thinking, praying, writing. Don't despise the day of small beginnings.
Yes, Lord!

Chameleon?

Last week I ranted briefly on Facebook: "So, all of you who appear to care so much about your team winning (hockey, basketball, whatever), please tell me what difference it makes in the real world! A year (or month or week) from now, will it have made ANY difference in your life? Or the life of people you could care about?"
One of my friends responded: "To understand and embrace the culture of ordinary, average Canadians, in order to reach some...To the Jews, I become Jewish, to the Greeks, I am Greek, to a Canucks fan, I AM A VERY SAD CANUCK'S FAN!!!"
He is, of course, referring to 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 where Paul talks about adapting himself to the people around him, so he can better influence them.
Here is how The Message puts it:
"Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people:
religious, nonreligious,
meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists,
the defeated, the demoralized--whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ--but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life."

In 'Adventures in missing the point', by Brian McLaren and Tony Campolo, McLaren demonstrates how this principle would pertain to women in leadership. "Wouldn't the same strategy require him [Paul] to affirm women in leadership rather than restrict them?"
(Both Campolo and McLaren see many other New Testament references to women in leadership, so the principle is more than just for a particular culture or time.)
But this section from 1 Corinthians brings up some valid points.
--it is certainly easier to develop a rigid list of do's and don'ts than to learn how to recognize what is the underlying truth. (The way the church feels about women is a fine case-in-point.)
--you can go too far in endeavoring to be culturally relevant. (But most of the time, we probably err on the side of caution.)
--we would expect someone connecting with an aboriginal group in a foreign country to have to study the culture, language, customs, etc. in order to truly communicate with that people group. We need to recognize the same need when it comes to understanding the sub-cultures around us. It is easy to assume that because the punk anarchist 'looks' like a Caucasian and speaks English that he is on the same wavelength as yourself. The same would hold true for the young poli-sci student at your local university. Just because they appear to look and talk like you doesn't mean that they see things the way you do.

So, how chameleon-like are we to be?
Should we fit in so well as to be invisible?
What really is the principle?
As The Message puts it, "I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view."
That will involve a few things:
--leaving your own comfort zone,
--hanging around people who dress, talk, and think differently than you,
--listening,
--asking questions (admitting you don't know everything) in order to gain understanding,
--being willing to be seen in 'questionable' places and situations,
--being a servant.

It's taken me quite a while to get on this journey, and I haven't traveled far--but I invite you to join me.

Who am I?

Labels can be useful, but difficult.
First of all, there is the tendency to identify someone by their job--You are a carpenter, you are a CEO. you are an accountant. The truth is, we are so much more than just what we do to make money. But that is for another time.

Then there is the changing connotation of words. The word that might have been perfect one day, now has colors and overtones that may or may not apply today. This has been happening with the words we might use to describe ourselves as followers of Christ.
Christian used to be a strong, powerful, positive label. It still might be, in some circles, but in others it has been colored by the negative examples people have seen.
Even a thesaurus shows some of the variations. Thesaurus.com gives the following four lists of synonyms for 'Christian'. Notice how they degenerate.
1. Definition: moral, righteous
Synonyms: Christian, clean, conscientious, correct, decent, elevated, equitable, fair, fitting, good, high-principled, honest, honorable, humane, just, kosher, moralistic, noble, principled, proper, respectable, right, right-minded, square, straight, true blue, upright, upstanding, virtuous
Antonyms: corrupt, dishonest, immoral, improper, unethical, unjust, unrighteous
2. Definition: In accordance with principles of right or good conduct.
Synonyms: moral, principled, proper, right, righteous, rightful, right-minded, virtuous
3. Definition: fundamentalist
Synonyms: Christian, apostolic, divine, evangelic, orthodox, pious, religious, scriptural
4. Definition: characterized by missionary zeal
Synonyms: evangelistic, fervent, proselytizing, religious, zealous
What starts out as a list of positive character qualities ends up as pushy, perhaps even brainwashing.
And that is the gamut of awareness people at large have about us. Thanks to TV preachers, politicos, and Academy Award speeches, the name 'Christian' is pretty much meaningless or worse.
'Born again' is another word for in-your-face proselytizer.
'Evangelical' equates to Conservative/Republican with enough baggage to sink an ocean liner.
'Believer' is still insider talk, and doesn't really say anything.

So what is left? How do we describe ourselves?
Perhaps it is time to get back to the basics.
I am tending use 'Christ-follower', hoping it leaves off most of the inferences of being an arrogant, pushy know-it-all. There's enough of that already attached to Christ.
I like the associations connected with 'Christ-follower'. To me, it says that I'm trying to be like Him, to do what He does, to represent Him. It's what I think being a disciple is all about. There's been too many words, and not enough quiet action.
'Christ-follower' leaves room for learning and individual expression. But it doesn't leave much space for unchristian attitudes and actions. And that's a good thing.

I do not like your Christians

I'm finding no shortage of great reading related to matters of faith and post-modernism. In case you hadn't noticed, that seems to be where most of my thoughts have been of late.
Right now, I'm reading “The emerging church” by Dan Kimball, with insights and comments by a number of savvy individuals. The book is already 6 years old, but is still light years ahead of much Christian writing. I don't necessarily see eye to eye with everything he says, maybe because I don't think he goes far enough, but it's definitely adding to my understanding of postmodernism.
I've just finished a chapter called 'I like Jesus, but I don't like Christians', and I think I have months of blogworthy material!

Kimball starts this chapter with a quote by Mahatma Gandhi:

“I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

He then gives several responses from interviews with university students. He asked them two questions:
“What comes to mind when you hear the name Jesus?”
--Jesus was beautiful.
--I want to be like Jesus.
--Jesus was a liberator of women.
--I want to be a follower of Jesus.
These are some wonderful, positive responses from people who would not presently be considered followers of Christ.
Then the second question:
“What comes to your mind when you hear the word Christian?”
--I would want to be a Christian, but I have never met one.
--Christians are dogmatic and closed-minded.
--Christians are supposed to be loving, but I've never met any who are.
--Christians should be taken outside and shot.

Why do so many people have a great view of Christ, but so negative a view of Christians?
Don't blame it on the high-profile scandals of a few Christian leaders. That is a very small part of the whole picture.
Another small part would be the portrayal of Christians on TV and in the movies (almost always unflattering, to say the least).
We tend to point at those influences on society as a whole and think that Joe Q. Public's negative view of Christians is based on those stereotypical Christians.
Not so fast, grasshopper!
I think that most negative impressions of followers of Christ are based on personal experience. One way or another, many people have had some connection with a Christian. Perhaps someone at work, or on the street, or a preacher on TV. And that interaction has not been good.
In other words, the biggest problem with how people view Christians is us. 'They' see 'us' and when they do, they don't see much of Jesus.
In a nutshell, we aren't even close to living up to the mandate of living like Christ. How often have we heard people talk about hypocrites in the church, and all we can do is make excuses.

Kimball quotes a couple more people. Scott Stapp of Creed:

“I became disillusioned by a lot of things that happened to me by Christian people.”

Rick Levin, a journalist covering a large Christan music festival:

“I have a hard time locating any similarities between what Jesus says and does, and what the people—in particular the organizers—[at this festival] said and did. Jesus is a beacon of righteousness who leads the way through a dark world to eternal peace, love, and eternal salvation; the Jesus of [the festival] is a blue-light special, pointing you to the quick fix of a righteous bargain in the shopping mall of endless consumption.
These two versions of Christ, and the premises they entail, are antithetical. They negate one another, leading me to a very unsettling, unpleasant conclusion [about the festival]: It was, in the end, a very un-Christian affair.”

The best quote in the chapter is a sidenote by Sally Morganthaler (one of the 'savvy individuals' who added their insights to Kimball's manuscript.

“We need to stay true to who God is and what God has done as revealed in scripture. But doctrine alone is not enough; lived doctrine will make the difference between effectiveness and ineffectiveness in the spiritual landscape, whether we're wanting to reach adults or teens. The postmodern, post-Christian world is relational to the core. It is much more interested in matters of being than simply knowing. As Christians, the most difficult thing about this new world is that we are no longer going to be able to impact the world by just spouting our theology. We're going to have to live it out—radically.”

I think Sally's comment is easily evidenced in people's distaste for the Christianity of televangelists known for their hateful rhetoric, and their love of people like Mother Theresa—because they know she truly was living like Jesus—and the same isn't necessarily true of many of the rest of us, whether preachers, TV orators, and average Joe's.
It's time to practice what we claim to believe.
My own experience bears this out. There are two things that I have come to believe very strongly, and these have gone a long way to earn some 'street cred', and start to undo some of the negative 'Christian baggage' being carried by many people:
--a desire to dialogue and discuss rather than push dogma, and
--a consistent involvement in a local downtown street ministry.
I'm far from perfect, but those two steps toward living and loving like Jesus have opened doors that would otherwise be firmly and permanently closed.
Now, let's all go and be true disciples (followers) of Jesus.

'Doing' church

(Thanks to my fellow blog-conspirator/friend/all-round nice guy Peter for stirring up the muse on this subject.)
Is church something we 'do'? Like 'doing' coffee?
Or should it be something we 'are', like being human, or Caucasian (or wherever you fit).
Church has to be bigger and much more encompassing than:
--an hour or two on Sunday
--a list of doctrinal non-negotiables
--an inward-focused gathering of people in search of warm fuzzy experiences.
Sure, church will involve fellowship, some mutually-held values, good times, and personal edification.
But really, that isn't the picture of the Kingdom Jesus taught about. That's not the example He lived, or the lifestyle of a disciple.
If a disciple is a follower, an emulator, and we are called to make disciples (Matt 28:19, 20), then we should be following Jesus' example, and leading others to do the same. And that list of typical church descriptors doesn't exactly fit. Maybe it's time to read the Gospels again and truly see what our leader was like.

In his book “The last word and the word after that”, Brian McLaren uses the phrase 'catholic, missional, monastic faith communities' as a better description of the group of people otherwise called the church.
catholic—ecumenical
missional—focused on the good of the world
monastic—a community based on common practices.
Do those words come close to hitting on the strong points of Jesus' message? Do they come close to describing the group of Christ-followers sometimes known as the church? How are we doing in moving forward into that description?
Catholic—most of us are recognizing and celebrating our common faith rather than promoting our particular doctrinal position. Unity rather than division.
Missional—more and more we are desiring to make the world a better place, whether it is a greater awareness of environmental issues or human rights like justice or equality. Some people may still have the notion that 'It's all going to burn anyway', but gradually we are owning the need to fight for justice, and to make a difference, today.
Monastic—don't get sidetracked by the image of bald men dressed in simple robes, separated from society, studying the Bible and praying all day in silence. The 'new monastics' are living in cities, holding down jobs, etc., but are doing things in community—loving, serving, praying, fighting. Most of us have a ways to grow when it comes to this kind of community.

So it isn't a matter of 'going' church better, but truly being the church. New styles of worship, liturgy or location aren't the focus—although they may well be a part of the result.
The 'doing' needs to be “How am I following Jesus, How am I loving like Him, How does my life look like His?”
(By the way, if your theology doesn't allow you to follow Christ's example in some area, guess what needs to change!)

Friends to know with

In Brian McLaren's “The last word and the word after that”, one of his main characters talks about a small group of friends he 'knows' with. It's more than just an intriguing idea, I think it is a necessity. He explains his concept of 'knowing with' by commenting that learning and knowing are ultimately communal, social experiences, and that 'I can only know so much until I find a community that shares my knowing.'
It's not that you have to surround yourself with people who think identically to you, but you need to have people to bounce ideas off of, people that you trust, that will affirm and expand on your good ideas, and disagree intelligently with your bad ones.
For too long we have held onto our misguided ideas of truth and not given ourselves the opportunity to honestly search for better understanding
The best setting for this is a safe group of friends—where no idea is too far out, but no one is immune from having their pet theory de-bunked.
For some reason, this isn't necessarily common in the church. We don't trust our deep or potentially treasonous thoughts with anyone for fear of excommunication. And so our questions remain, and the original possibly flawed premise continues to be taken as immutable.

Back to McLaren's group of people to know with. He has them meeting periodically, not for accountability, but for mutual growth. As an essential part of that process they ask each other five questions:
How is your soul?
How have you seen God at work in and through your life since we last met?
What are you struggling with?
What are you grateful for?
What God-given dream are you nurturing?
These five questions are a great place to start in processing the ongoing journey that our lives need to be on. What hasn't already been stirred up by these questions is still fair game for discussion.

I think this kind of friendship is what 'church' should encourage and empower. Instead of stifling doubts and dreams, we need to foster an atmosphere where we are allowed and challenged to continue to search for deeper understanding.
A place to be vulnerable.
A place to be weak.
A place to doubt.
A place to ask questions.
A place to grow.

Now all I need to do is find/create that kind of relationship for myself.