Anyone ever remember that song by Carman that talked about the terrible day (ironically we call it good friday) when Jesus died. It's called Sunday's on the Way and it details how the demons were partying after the death of Jesus, but how Satan wasn't so at ease.
He was restless because he knew that Jesus predicted that He would rise on the third day. Needless to say, Sunday was the third day and Jesus did what He said He would and that of course left Satan totally defeated. Good story..................great ending!
Well it's Friday again and Sunday is on the way. At the church where I serve, we are gearing up for an exciting Sunday morning, with a twist for Sunday night. We are meeting to determine the course for the future of our fledgling congregation. Do we continue doing what we're doing and keep getting the same results (about 1-2 committed families a year, committed to Jesus but mostly through our church), or do we chart a new course; a missional voyage that will leave the attractional model (at least for the most part) in the past.
The obvious question is "What will this church look like if we transition towards missional and away from attractional?" I wish I knew exactly, but I don't. For many that would appear as flakiness, but for some of you it will hit home. You know that we see through a glass dimly and that knowing the future isn't very common; yes even among us professional pastors (lol).
So it's Friday...........but Sunday's on the way! Are you looking forward to it?
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LETS JUST REMEMBER THE LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE NOT MISSIONABLE WHEN WE ARE DISCUSSING WAYS TO BE MISSIONABLE
* A church growth strategy with mission projects.
* A strategy of any kind.
* A really cool word.
* Adding a soup kitchen.
* Getting a group together to do "servant evangelism."
* The externally-focused church.
* The sixth purpose of the church -- or even one of the five.
* A program.
* A philosophy.
* A vision of the ideal church, faith community, or any other idealized notion.
* Heresy.
* Layering outreach projects on top of what you are doing at your church.
* A tattoo. No joke, I saw a post the other day and they were talking about their missional tattoo. Go figure.
* The latest jargon for the same old thing.
* The same as emerging, ancient-future, house church, simple church, or any of the other flavors out there.
* New.
* One-size fits all.
* Just for young adults, new churches, or the candles and crosses crowd.
* Easy.
OUCH
You know for centuries the church went into a monistic life style of self preservation. It left a world racing towards Hell and judgment to pursue its on agenda of personal separation from sin. Unlike the plan Jesus originally gave us to go into all the world and as you go preach the gospel and heal the sick. After living in a completely religious area that has in a sense the monistic approach with a monastery (church) on every block I find it very interesting living in a city with about five churches for over 6-7 thousand people. Most churches here are church plants and meet in school gyms in this thriving community. I’m not sure what the model should look like but if something is not work we need to change it or as His-story would have it He (God) changed it. We are coming up to the 40th anniversary of the summer of love 1967 the world came to our door (Jesus people) and we rejected them because we were monistic in thought meaning they had to become like us and think like us in order to enter. We need to see a new generation passionate and ready for the real thing Jesus and we need to have our life living for the real thing Jesus. I don’t think the structure will hurt us as much as the mind set of going and being the church.
Very profound friend. You are so right. I like the sound of that "Summer of Love." Can I totally rip that off and use it here?
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