DESTROYING THE CHURCH
“We need to destroy the church.” These are the exact words I heard come from the mouth of a pastor at a conference nearly ten years ago. When he said them, the crowd of mostly young people roared in affirmation. In the midst of this, I sat in my chair and wondered if this is the best we can do.
I often hear many speak of their frustration with the Church. I can understand this. There have been many times (and there are still many times) when I felt the same way – as did this pastor. His idea was to blow it up. While this can feel good, it is not lasting and horribly shortsighted.
Several years ago a friend bought an old house. He planned to renovate it from top to bottom. He called me to see if I was willing to help him demo the kitchen, dining room and living room. When he said he had sledgehammers I was in.
I destroyed that place. Dry wall was flying around, light fixtures were shattering and counter tops were demolished. I even broke a few things he wanted to keep. Never before have I released so much stress in such a short time.
When we finished I asked him what was next. He told me we had to clean up, and then begin the renovation. Nothing in me wanted to be a part of either of those things. Destroying was fun, but building something seemed like work. More than this, I am terrible at construction and building things.
Anyone can tear down, but it takes skill, creativity and hard work to build something that lasts. If the response to our frustration with the Church is to destroy it; we will have nothing left to pass on to the next generation. We can do better. In fact, I think we can continue to build something that will last.
Now, I’d like to speak some words to the younger generation, of which I am a part. Several people tell me that I am not as young as I think anymore. One person even told me recently I am an “aging hipster.” Nonetheless, some words for us.
It is easy to hate your “parents’ church.” Some of the reasons you may have for hating it are good and right. However, one thing we ought to see is the generation before us built something that lasted long enough for us to have it too. It wasn’t perfect and some of it is really ugly. But there are some things that are beautiful and good and need to be preserved.
Rather than tear it all down, perhaps we need to renovate. Go ahead, rage against it with a sledgehammer, but not before you have plans to do something new. If you take out a wall, be sure to put something new in place.
Rather than bail out on the Church, perhaps we should stay in and ask what kind of Church we want the next generation to inherit from us. This is an amazing opportunity, gift and responsibility given to us, and we cannot afford to miss it. What will we be remembered for?
Sure it will be more difficult, but no one said this would be easy. You’re mind, heart and imagination are too wonderful for you to leave in frustration. You have the opportunity to do something that will last long after you are gone.
Now, I’d like to speak some words to the older generation. Yes, I know older can feel offensive, and many of you do not feel your age. Allow me to rephrase, “… some words to my friends who have age and experience.”
Let me start by saying, “Thank you.” Whatever you have done you have given something to us. You and I both know it is not perfect, and I’m sure you can tell us a lot of things you have done wrong. But whatever you did, it’s lasted. You were given something by the generation ahead of you, and passed it on to us.
Our hope is that we will care for it well, but we won’t stop there. Through innovation and imagination we hope to add to its beauty. Sure, some things will be removed. We might rip up the old carpet, restore the wood floors and we will definitely get rid of the couches you like. But we don’t want to destroy the house.
For us to do this well, we need you. You’ve done this before, and we have not. You are in a place to offer us guidance and wisdom. You can help us see the mistakes we are bound to make before you make them, and can give us the confidence and encouragement we need when we do fail. We need you, and allow me to say this: you need us too.
We have all been handed the responsibility to care for the Church, so that the Church can care well for the world. I imagine none of us really want to destroy her – she’s far too beautiful for that. And with time, and by God’s grace and goodness she will be far more beautiful in the years to come.
I AM NOT WHO YOU THINK I AM
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| The Return of the Prodigal Son by Sir Edward John Poynter |
I am deeply suspicious of anyone who has an answer for any and every question. As a pastor I field a lot of questions, and many end up disappointed because I don’t have all the answers. Other times, people do not want to hear the answer. I experienced this a few weeks ago with a seminary student.
He was grilling me with questions about what life is like as a pastor. He asked, “What is your daily routine?” “How do you intentionally model a Christian life for your congregation?” “What are the five best practices for preparing a sermon?” “How do you create space for your family amidst such a demanding job?”
Questions like these make me feel awkward, because the person asking seems to have a certain level of expectation. When responding, there is a way to answer that will make them happy - and then there is the truth. Often what is true is not what people want to hear. With each question he asked I kept thinking that I could just, well … lie.
I could talk about waking up while it is dark to spend hours in prayer. Or that I put my life on display as an example of what it means to passionately follow Jesus. Or explain the four ways that I pursue being a wonderful husband and father. The problem is, not one is true.
So I said, “My being a pastor is simply God’s way of redeeming my incessant need to be the center of attention.” The more truthful I was the more disappointed he became. He realized that before him was no spiritual giant, only a guy experiences sin and grace everyday.
Like the Prodigal Son, I am constantly wandering away from home and turning back to see father who is running to me while I am still a long way off. One of my favorite works of art captures the scene of the prodigal son returning home.
My friend Wayne gave me a lithograph of that painting, which today hangs in my office. Everyday I spend time staring at that beautiful piece of art as I dwell on the father running to me. I have to remind myself that the picture Jesus created in that story is a true reflection of God, because sometimes I still struggle to believe that.
Too often we are seduced by the lure of looking, thinking or being a certain kind of person - one who meets the approval and acceptance of others. We will never disentangle ourselves from this way of thinking and living until we admit we admit that we do it far too often.
From that place, then we have the joy of turning around to see the father running to us. The act of repentance can be the very thing that leads us to an understanding of God’s deep love, mercy and grace. In this, we can find the freedom of living without the shackles of others expectations.
Of course, we do not have to live this way. We can go on living in a way that will make others happy. Or we can discover the freedom of living out the truth.
FOUR GREAT INSIGHTS ... AMONG MANY
Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with Margaret Feinberg. For over an hour I asked her question after question after question. Each time she thoughtfully and graciously responded. She recently posted a bit of our conversation on her blog, focusing on four of her responses to my question about longevity in life, ministry and as an author.
Follow Margaret on Twitter: @mafeinberg
THE BIBLE IS (NOT) AUTHORITATIVE
Does the Bible really have the last word? Well, yes ... but we can't stop there because there is more. This is not to say that it is not authoritative, but the way we interact with it may call for some consideration. Maybe, the best place to start is with our notion of authority.
When I was in college I had a sticker on my car that had two words printed in all capital letters: QUESTION AUTHORITY. As you can imagine there were some at my small, private, faith based university who were not thrilled with this idea. But why?
How is that we have come to the place where asking questions and challenging authority is something that is frowned upon? Perhaps it is has to do with our idea of authority. Many think of “authority” as a top-down, hierarchical relationship. “Authority” says it and you do it.
Those in authority enforce the rules, laws and beliefs. Those under authority are expected to adhere to the rules, obey the laws and accept the beliefs. Any dissent, challenge, disobedience or questions upsets this relationship. When this happens those in authority correct, rebuke, punish or silence those who have stepped out of line.
This kind of relationship can be seen everywhere from local churches, to parent-child relationships, to private, faith based schools, to fascist regimes. The idea is the same: authority says what is and is not permissible - no questions asked.
Let’s be clear, this is not authority. It’s domination and control.
These relationships give to us accepted, collective beliefs and values with little thought required. Questions or fresh thinking are not welcomed, for they could present an alternative picture of reality other than the one the authorities have worked to create.
Sadly, this misunderstanding of authority exists in more places than we might care to admit, and it’s why few seem to invite questions anymore. If the right question is asked it could cause the domination to unravel. When this happens, those in power respond with anger (and anger is just fear coming out).
This, of course, raises some questions about why there would be any fear. If those in power are right and correct, then why do they get angry when questions are asked? When a question is asked or a thought challenged why wouldn’t they be happy at the opportunity to further explain their viewpoint and beliefs?
We see this frequently with questions that challenge biblical authority. Raise a question about it and some get antsy and others get upset. We cling to the idea that the Bible is the final authority, and place our misguided notion of authority onto it. Any questioning of the text or challenging beliefs about it, are unwelcome.
Which is interesting, for it seems the Bible itself is filled with questions, and invites the reader to ask questions as well. When we consider the idea of biblical authority what begins to emerge is less a top-down set of beliefs enforced on us, and more a way for us to be empowered, equipped and entrusted to do work of God in our world.
When reading Scripture, it rarely demands that it has the last word. It never tells us to have all the answers exactly right. Rather, it sends the people of God off to think, pray, discuss and process what the Spirit is saying to us through Scripture. It acts as a guide in the conversation, rather than words that seek to end any and all conversation and questions once and for all.
It’s worth noting that Jesus said of himself that all authority in heaven and earth was his. Yet, in all of his authority, invited people to commune with him and with his Father. He was asked 183 questions throughout the gospels, and he only answered 3 directly.
Most of the time he asked more questions or told stories or did something miraculous. Was he authoritative? Yes, but he did not seek to dominate, he came to liberate. When engaging with people he nearly always left the last word to them, but not before giving them direction in responding to the question.
This is real authority. It is not top-down, domination, but a guide that seeks to serve. It does not stomp on those who ask questions, but invites us explore God and ourselves further. This will lead to more, better and deeper questions. It offers us commentary and invites us to offer our own. This is a beautiful picture of authority, and one that is worth considering when we encounter Scripture.
Does the Bible really have the last word? Well … I’ll let you answer that question.
AN ANNOUNCEMENT
I couldn’t be more excited to share with you that I am working on my first book due out in Fall 2013 with InterVarsity Press (title TBD). The book explores the good news that tells us we can stop trying so hard to get to God, because he has done and he is doing all he can to get to us.
Many of us today - regardless of our faith tradition - strive, achieve and perform in hopes that somehow we will do enough to please God and perhaps find God. What we fail to see is that so often, the more we try to find God the more lost we become. In our pursuit of God we end up tired, worn out, and disillusioned.
What we long for is an invitation to experience the grace and love of God that will lead us to greater healing and wholeness and in turn propel us to share God's love, mercy and grace with our world. My hope is that this book will move all of us toward this.
Over the summer I will spend a lot of time thinking, praying, preparing, researching and, of course, writing. In this I ask that you’d pray for me. Would you consider committing to do that?
Please pray that …
- I will be able to focus, think clearly and manage my time well.
- Each word that I write will reflect the love and grace of God.
- That I will be able to “unplug” in the times that I am not writing.
- That this project will be for me a joy and not a burden.
I am thrilled to be a part of this and thankful that you are too. I’ll do my best to keep you updated on the progress, and stay current on my blog. Thanks again for your prayers and support.
POLITICAL THOUGHTS
Politics and angry debates that involve belittling, name calling and character bashing appear to be the norm these days. Sadly, for many who self-identify as followers of Jesus this behavior is not only tolerated. It is accepted and affirmed.
Bryan Roberts raises some good insights in his recent article titled, "7 Things Christians Need to Remember About Politics." What else would you add to the list of things we need to remember?
He writes:
He writes:
Political discourse is the Las Vegas of Christianity—the environment in which our sin is excused. Hate is winked at, fear is perpetuated and strife is applauded. Go wild, Christ-follower. Your words have no consequences here. Jesus doesn’t live in Vegas.
SHOULD WE LOVE TO HATE RELIGION?
Last night ABC News Nightline featured Jeff Bethke. He is the creator of a YouTube video titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus." Earlier this year the video was massively popular, and to date has been viewed more than 20 million times.
Since that time Bethke has been criticized and many have made videos to counter his poetic claims. Nightline took some time to reflect on Bethke's video, and interview Bethke himself. You can watch the interview from Nightline by clicking here.
I wonder, what do you think of all this?
Is Bethke on to something, is he really speaking for a generation or is he mistaken? Perhaps his thoughts are reflective of something deeper. Is the best answer to do away with religion? Is this what Jesus came to do?
Some good questions for us to ask. I'd love to hear some of your thoughts.
FEMINISM IS NOT THE F-WORD
For far too long many Christians have chosen to use the label "feminist" in a derogatory way. Too often it has been used in an attempt to keep women in a place of subjugation, and prevent our sisters from using their God given gifts for the sake of the kingdom. It is used
More than this, when one uses the word feminist as a catch-all, label for women who they believe want to undermine the church with "worldly values" is misdirected. Feminism itself cannot be defined as easily as most think (another conversation for another day).
Last night I read a blog by Rachel Held Evans about being an accidental feminist. Her blog is a great response to those who wish to use feminist as an f-word of sorts. For in it we learn that God gives gifts to all people that are to be used ... regardless of whether they are a man or a woman.
What I know is this. Accidental or not, Rachel brings brilliant insights, gracious challenges and much needed perspective to many issues as a thinker, author and speaker.
She writes:
I always laugh a little to myself when I receive a Google Alert informing me that someone on the internet has criticized me as a “bitter, angry woman” intent on destroying the Church with my “radical feminist agenda.” I laugh because if these bloggers actually knew me, they would know that I’m more goofy than angry, more hopeful than bitter, and far too disorganized to lead a movement. If they knew me, they would know that I don’t fit into their distorted stereotype of what a feminist looks like, that I don’t hate men or burn bras or crave power, that I—like most feminist—simply believe that women are human and should be treated as such ...
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