My messy church

George asked a great question today:

Darryl, could you boil down in a nutshell what it is you think Christ's Church should be doing in the world today. Just in our own little (or big) local church. I'm just curious. I haven't been to your church yet but am looking forward to attending in the near future and I look forward to meeting you. I have been reading your blog for some time and am grateful for how it has enlightened me to all the different views that are out there with respect to the Church, and how it is we can be effective in our world today. I personally want to be part of a church that desires to be used by God to bring the Good News of the Gospel to a world that so desperately needs to hear it. A church that does not compromise on God's truth as He has revealed it in His Word. You post a lot of different clips from articles, comment on them and solicit responses. I could be wrong, and please correct me if I am, but I don't really know from reading your blog what it is that you believe the church should be doing to reach out to the world. How should we do that? What methods should we employ that would receive God's blessing and really make a difference for Christ? I'm just curious what your view is on that.

George is basically asking, "Darryl, would you please stop deconstructing the church and tell us what you stand for?" He said it a lot nicer than that, but it's an entirely fair question. To answer it is to share part of my journey. When I criticize things, it's often because I've tried them and found them wanting. You name it, I've probably tried it. At times in my ministry, I've probably made every mistake I speak against. In short, I've been a program director. I've bought into the church growth stuff. I've preached messages that I would now consider to be shallow. I've probably made every mistake out there. I'm probably still making more than a few. But here's where I am today. I don't think it matters if your modern, postmodern, emerging, big, or small. It's not at all about any of these things. I think it is, in part, about being broken. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that we're all broken. The ones that God seems to use most powerfully are those who have learned they're broken, and have stopped pretending. I long to be part of a church that knows it's broken and messy, and isn't pretending. It's also not about methods. You can use programs and methods, but they're not the point. I've found programs generally unhelpful in my ministry because then I start to rely on them instead of God. They often keep me busy and make me feel like something is happening when it isn't. But programs aren't wrong in themselves. It is largely about the feel of the place. Ron Martioa calls this leak. You quickly sense the ethos, the culture, the feel of the group. I long for a group that isn't perfect but that seems to be giving off the right kind of energy - caring, honest, real, dependent. Hard to describe but easy to sense. Some of us (including me) have got the Gospel wrong. It's not about building churches or about a truncated view that gets people past a certain point and they're in the Kingdom. It's about following God, together, with all of our lives. It's about dying to self, being captivated by the things that interest God. It's about following God together, no matter where he leads and what it costs, with our messy lives. When this happens, we will be outward focused, and we'll have something powerful to offer the world. I could say much more, but this is a start. I see what's happening around the world, and I'm a little jealous because we're not experiencing the vitality that many non-Western churches are. I want that, but I've often found that it's people like me who have gotten in the way. Books like Morph, An Unstoppable Force, Making Sense of the Church, and The Present Future help flesh this out for me. Bill Easum asked a question today on a discussion list I subscribe to: "Well, all of this banter on this subject is good, but when reality sets in most if not all of us are in a church and if we threw them all away, another set of sins would emerge. So, the real question is what are we going to do about it?" That question humbles me because I'm not sure I'll do any better. But this is where I am, right now, on my continuing journey. I welcome your thoughts.

Comments

[George]

Right on Darryl. "It's about dying to self, being captivated by the things that interest God. It's about following God together, no matter where he leads and what it costs, with our messy lives. When this happens, we will be outward focused, and we'll have something powerful to offer the world." I love that, that's what it is all about. When we really do that I believe that's when God's Spirit is poured out on His people and He can get some work done. I had the privilege of listening to Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle preach twice at a recent conference. I'm telling you that's what they are doing in his church. What an amazing story. I know you love to read Darryl, if you haven't already read it, I would highly recommend "Fresh Wind Fresh Fire" by Jim Cymbala. What an amazing story of how God has worked in that church and how it all came about. Nothing fancy or new age or modern or emerging just basic Gospel 101. Calling out to God to send them in, and send them in He did. You name it they got it, the drug addicts, the hookers, the pimps, the homeless, the homosexuals, the bisexuals, the transexuals, the mentally disturbed they got em all. So many incredible stories of life transformation in people just like that. That's what God can and will do in a church that truly desires to do His will and follow where He would have them go. I believe that now with all my heart. I listen to a guy like Jim and I start to dream of what God could do through His church in a place like Toronto. We got all those kind of people right here in Toronto. I know churches reach out to them, but I believe so much more could be done. I could go on and on, I just know I would love to be part of a church that has just such a desire. Just bring them in, who cares what they look like or what they smell like or what they say. Lets get them into church and ask God to do the rest. I heard a preacher say one time "Just start it let God do the finishing." I say amen to that.

[Darryl]

Right on, George. I was able to visit Brooklyn Tab a couple of years ago. It definitely fit what I'm talking about. I want that (not a copy of Brooklyn Tab but that kind of life) too.

[Steve]

Thanks for sharing those thoughts Darryl. Your reminders about brokenness and 'leak' are bouncing around in my head and heart. Some of what you've written reminds me of reading Eugene Peterson's pastoral theology books. I am inspired by what he says and yet at the same time I find myself struggling to imagine/understand the practical implications. How does all that work in this ministry and this heart? (yes, it's all about me :)) But I suppose the point may not be in the pragmatics, but in the vision of a church and ministry that is able to inspire me. A picture that I can hold in tension with my current reality. Recently I've become aware when I lose that tension and my image of what 'can be' becomes fuzzy, all I see clearly are the problems with what is.

[Rachel C]

I admire your honesty and down-to-earthness Darryl. Thanks for sharing.

[ed]

I don't want to be presumptous, and I'm wondering whether I complicate this more than I need to. I think yes, we as individuals and churches have messed up this whole area of dying, but often we look at others/other churches who have gone through the process and say we'd like to be like them (not talking about systems or programs but heart). But isn't it just about choosing to die to what's on our plate at this moment and letting Christ have his way. And if I/ we as a church choose to strive to do that at each decision/moment won't that lead us to where we desire to go. I know churches have systems in place that fight against thism just like our hearts don't accept this easily, but Jesus calls us to be the prophets of our generation and speak truth to our churchs and to our hearts- Tell my church, tell your hear to die, and then do it. Isn't it about just being faithful? It might cost us our jobs, it might even cost us friendships, but that's not new, Jesus said it might and it would for many of us. Forgive me if I sound judgmental at all, my biggest frustration is not with the others or with the church, my biggest frustration is that when I look in the mirror, I'm scared to die, I'm scared that it will cost me too much, I'm scared that I want to live more than I want to die. But then I remember, he died and he showed me how and as hard as it is, each moment, each decision, in everything, I must die. The only thing that's left is for me to choose to do it. Nothing else matters.

[hamo]

very well put Darryl - I like the clarity

[brog blog]

Darryl- Right on with your comments. I am thankful that we are a part of a church that has very few "programs," and seeks to follow God wherever He would lead - obviously no church on earth will ever be perfect, or arrived, but isn't that the point? We strive to be perfect, while admitting we'll never be, and that we are completely reliant on God's grace to us. I enjoyed your site very much and have added you to my blogroll. God bless!

[Linea]

I think it is only when we recognize our brokenness that we can really find life in Christ. And this is not just about having problems with "major" sins. We are all broken people with messy lives. It seems to me that it is only from this position of recognizing our brokenness that God can begin to work in us and through us. We need to be a band of broken desperate people recognizing that our healing and our only hope comes through Christ. I would hope that once we experience the work of God in our lives that we would want others in need to find him too. He is the only hope for us. Somehow this truth should be evident in the way we live our lives and in the way we love and care for each other and hold each other accountable. This is the kind of group I want to be a part of and the kind of group I will work to develope within the church I worship with now. The programs are so much less important than the relationships that develope allowing us to share our deep needs and hurts, support and care for each other and hold each other accountable before God. If we can experience healing then we can also begin to introduce others to the healer.