Had my head stuck in research lately - actually research of research (?). I'm convinced we can use research to find out what people are actually thinking, feeling. But this runs smack up against most everything church-health related (ex Natural Church Development (cf. graph in upper right), Vision Renewal, CRM, etc.).
they ALL have their pre-set list of what churches should be
[and none of them include the poor, for example]
[and none of them include the poor, for example]
This is really driving me nuts. How is it that with all the resources, insight, wisdom, and history that the Church has, we still cannot figure out how to stop swinging like a pendulum from one way/method/idea to the other?!? Why can't we see that these are short-term, reactive (at best!) solutions that will not get us further but simply different?!? And why is "different" such an important value? Why isn't "better" or "preparative"? Why do we have to be so today-driven? (or at best, today plus a little bit of the past)
Seriously, am I nuts? Does it disturb only me that the majority of people coming to Jesus (worldwide) are no longer Evangelical, non-charismatic (which, as I understand, has been what most Western Christians are/become)? Not that I'm bothered by their being non-Evangelical and somewhat charismatic (I think I might prefer that!), what's disturbing is how much of it all is reactionary. I'm sure you, reader, can think of a few other pendulums your country/culture are swinging on.
Seriously, am I nuts? Am I so fixed on an aberration of the future that I am I have lost touch with reality? Seriously?
Seriously, am I nuts? Does it disturb only me that the majority of people coming to Jesus (worldwide) are no longer Evangelical, non-charismatic (which, as I understand, has been what most Western Christians are/become)? Not that I'm bothered by their being non-Evangelical and somewhat charismatic (I think I might prefer that!), what's disturbing is how much of it all is reactionary. I'm sure you, reader, can think of a few other pendulums your country/culture are swinging on.
Seriously, am I nuts? Am I so fixed on an aberration of the future that I am I have lost touch with reality? Seriously?
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1 comment:
The pendulum is the churches way to react to the times. I think that we as followers of Christ have missed the boat to what church is all about. It is like a photograph that has been copied and skewed slightly then put on top of the original and this process has happened each time the pendulum has swung. To where now what the church is suppose to be is so skewed its hard to find.
Or the question needs to be answered are we calling something church that really is not church. Consumerism has crept and taken control of the church of america to where now Church is more of a short concert and then entertaining stand up.
John
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