lifeasmission

A Great Beginning, but…

October 18, 2007

I came across this blog post today entitled, “Willow Creek Repents?” and I was immediately reminded of something I wrote a while back where I said that one characteristic of missional churches is their willingness to repent for the things they have said and done which they come to realize were off the mark. I watched 2 videos, one from the executive pastor at Willow and another from Bill Hybels himself. I am thrilled that folks like this are willing to face the facts and ask hard questions, and I am truly excited about what might come out of this project, Reveal, in terms of what it might do for the life of local congregations. However, I am not so sure about some of the inital answers.Essentially they have found that they are doing a good job (based on consumer research) of pleasing/satisfying non-yet Christians and those who have just “crossed the line.” However, they are not doing such a good job (again, based on consumer research) of pleasing/satisfying those who are maturing in their faith. Their answer? “We should have taught people to self-feed.” “The same way that gyms have private instructors who develop personalized fitness plans, we should have been doing that for our people.”

These sorts of answers seem to indicate that the church is still understood as a vendor of religious goods and services – it’s just been putting out the wrong goods. Truly, I praise God for the repentant spirit of the leaders at Willow and other churches of their sort, but I do think there is more to be wrestled with here.

No where in Scripture do I get the impression that God’s vision of Christian maturity is the ability to “self-feed.” I find no examples of personalized plans for spiritual growth and fulfillment. I do see God speaking and acting in order to form a community which lives out the its grace-given salvation together. I do read of Paul tirelessly traveling and writing letters in an attempt to show churches what it means for them to embody the Kingdom for the sake of others. And I remember Jesus’ words in a prayer with his disciples,

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Spiritual formation is ALWAYS a communal affair. Yes, with personal implications, but only inasmuch as those implications flow from the life of a community. It is not the church’s job to teach people how to self-feed. The church exists to embody the Kingdom for the sake of the world. What people need are not personalized plans for spiritual growth, they need to live in the rhythms and grace of an alternative society, a holy nation, a royal priesthood.  I really hate to be the guy who rains on this parade, I just really, really, want the church to be mindful about the direction it is heading in and not stop short of the things it assumes or takes for granted – we need to rediscover our true identity as the pilgrim people of God, not just rethink our methods.

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