"Doing Life Together" is code for church. Church planters love this phrase - it signifies that something different is happening that is missing from inherited churches. That may or may not be true. However, church was real on Sunday and it was not - but yet it was. Let me explain.
I attended a "Transition Celebration" for The Next Door - a ministry that invests in the lives of women who have paid their debt to society, but need help moving through the next door of their lives. Five women "graduated" from the program and are moving through the door for life's next phase - working hard, living independently, and staying clean. That equals changed lives and I was moved not only with emotion, but with spiritual pride that I was seeing the results of "doing life together." It wasn't the church as we usually identify it - but it was more church than most have ever seen in a lifetime!
I have a great respect and admiration for all the leaders at The Next Door - that includes my wife. She doesn't work directly with the women, but she works diligently with others to keep the organizational doors open and the elevators running smoothly. Thanks to all the ladies - and thank you, God, for allowing The Next Door to "do life together" - I know it brought a tear to your eyes, too.
My heart is troubled this week by the ever-present stories of wasted lives. Some people are still with us - others are not. What I mean by wasted is not necessarily the suddenness of death, but the continuing of life without making any difference in the Kingdom of God. I'm not sure those who choose NOT to follow Christ can make a positive difference in the Kingdom, but those who choose to walk in His Ways and NOT making a difference - THAT IS A WASTED LIFE!
Research cannot uncover the number of Christ followers making a difference in the Kingdom. I'm not sure how that can be done except through evidence of changed (and changing) lives. Here's the quandry: there is no visible evidence in my life, your life, and in the lives of Christ followers. There is no visible evidence! I know I sound extremely judgemental - and maybe so, but I look no further than my own life to draw a conclusion knowing I am not much different than any other Christ follower.
I'm stewing over my life right now - and yours. My prayer and forming desire is for God to allow the church (that's you and me) another opportunity to make a visible difference in the Kingdom of God. I think visibility is the only way other Christ followers will know who can work together. Enough rambling . . . I'm not visible while sitting at the computer!
I'm scanning again Bill Easum's book, Dancing with Dinosaurs. Chapter 4 caught my eye again because he identifies four essential concerns around which the rest of the New Testament communities revolved: (1) the early christians came together to celebrate God through prayer, support, and teaching about the Way, fasted, held everything in common, set leaders aside for certain ministries, and counted and celebrated the addition of new people into the church; (2) They went out to the Temple and into the streets to be witnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; (3) Their entire existence focused on the small groups that developed a sense of community; and, (4) the early Christians experienced persecution and arrest from religious and nonreligious people because their lives affected the economic practices of society and challenged the traditions of the religious leaders (summary of pp. 46-47).
Christians have lost a seat at the table of society. The overwhelming turnout in the presidential election confirms it. So, with that in mind, let's compare the church (ourselves) with the four statements above relating to the early Christian communities and assign a letter grade: #1 = C; #2 = F; #3 = D; #4 = F. (As a former teacher I may be reverting back to my old ways - feeling too sympathtic and assigning a passing grade just because of some effort even though it may be weak)
Read the first paragraph again - read through the Book of Acts again - go to your church again - then see if you can change the grades.
The proverb "History repeats itself" is a truism only if one lives long enough. The same applies to "Birthdays will kill you if you have enough of them." I think 2008 is deja vous all over again. Let me ramble . . .
In the 1970s Christian conservatives were turning back flips when Jimmy Carter was elected President. The gymnastics stopped with double-digit inflation. In the 1980s Ronald Reagan won the hearts of the majority by offering hope in trickle-down economics. It was a trickle and hope was short lived. The 1990s began with a white-water splash soaking
As the 2010s rapidly approach I am wondering, "Are we going back to the future or forward to the past?" A new leader will offer a change - a new start - maybe; but history will likely repeat itself unless we have enough birthdays or we allow the only Change Master to lead. Our country's past was marked with hopes - at times focused on Christ, but new hopes inevitably will dwindle back to economic indicators, daily ticker tapes, and consumerism.
I will keep praying for His Spirit to run wild in His churches. I pray we go back to the future - to that Upper Room where the church received her power and mission. I need the new start. I must go forward to His future. I believe His church must do the same or history will continue to repeat itself and we will run out of birthdays.
It's now official - the end of an unprecedented presidential campaign. America now has a new president indicating a different day and ushering in different ways. No one knows what change is coming, but America's vote represents the desire for any change. That's what's scary!
Don't get me wrong - I love change - I'm surrounded by change. But the feeling of change in which I participate and change which will be forced on me are opposites and it leaves me struggling to find my way - or least less confident in the future. However, as a Christ follower I know in Whom I have believed . . .He's in control and no one garnishes the leadership mantel without His knowledge and approval. I trust Him for that.
As Americans, we pull together, we move ahead, and for Christ followers our trust is in Him: the One through Whom all things have their existence. The biggest change will be ahead: what is the church doing to fulfill the Great Commission? How will the church demonstrate the Great Commandment? Will the Great Confession be our ultimate trust? Hmm . . . this could be a different day or just more of the same.
As a friend used to say: "DOO DAH!"
