Teeth and claws

This post is from the defunct blog "Dying Church"

Some good thoughts on the church being tame vs. wild. From Thin~Spaces:

I don't think that the issue is institutional vs. Non-institutional churches ~ Emergent vs. Traditional churches ~ or even House churches vs. Mega-churches. The question becomes; Is the church being empowered by God's spirit daily or is it trying to conserve what God has done? One path is tame while the other is wild and dangerous. Give me a church with Claws and Teeth any day.

And this from Wes Roberts:

A friend once asked me, "If Jesus was half the revolutionary you claim, how come he is now represented by one of the most conservative, status-quo institutions on the planet?... We get the Christianity we deserve--we just can't pass the buck. The Church in the West--with some notable exceptions--has a tame faith because it has been giving a tame message for centuries. You can't breed a radical, revolutionary movement on passive, middle-of-the-road rhetoric.

Comments

[David]

Well done good sir! I love what you have to say and I admire you for saying it. I have linked to your site in my blog (withoutoneplea.blogspot.com). May God bless you and your ministry. Shalom

[Pen]

So what does that look like. For example - I used the last four Sundays in the church I pastor to teach Christian priorities. (For me that means Knowing God - John 17, Serving Familiy - Ephesians, Loving Neighbor as Self - Matthew, and Mortification - Take up your cross and follow Jesus). I ended the series saying that we change our priorities not to get ahead but to follow God, we change our priorities not by some day planner - but by repentance. And in the end the change happens by grace - not sheer will power. and Grace is free but certainly not cheap. I know this speaks to me -- but I am guessing it is not as radical as what Jesus might have done. My church is an 'every other Sunday' church -- meaning every other Sunday they do something for the church - they might attend this Sunday, give in the plate the next, pray the next, volunteer the next. How do we move past this tame, and/or lame concept of lukewarm faith without beating our congregations over the head with discipline every day for the rest of their lives?