What we have is faith
Wednesday, June 6, 2007 at 10:19PM This post is from the defunct blog "Dying Church"
I really wish I read more church PR like this. It tries to communicate what other churches can learn from their "successful" church:
Its hard to point to our wisdom and virtue that built the church. We have walked through some doors simply because all the others ones were closed; we have made mistakes that turned out to be strokes of genius. Why? I don't know, other than that we have trusted in the God of Abraham, Who is just as intent on building His kingdom through us as He was through Abraham! Abraham and the patriarchs are the "fathers of faith;" not the "fathers of the master-church-builders." Just as Abraham "received mighty strength" because of his faith in God's determination and ability to bless the world through him, we have received power by believing in God’s passion to bring blessing to the people of our city.
It is a lack of faith, not a lack of expertise, that keeps us from tapping into the overflowing reservoir of God's mercy. Isaiah 59:1-2 says that "The Lord's arm is not shortened so that it cannot save, nor is His ear heavy so that He cannot hear. Rather, it is our sins that have separated us from God." In other words, it is no lack of mercy or power on God's part that keeps Him from sweeping through our churches and our city, but our sin--primarily the sin of failing to believe that God loves people and has the power to change them--that keeps us from seeing Him go Pentecostal on our cities!.
It's not even that our faith has to be that strong! Mine certainly hasn't been. It doesn't need to be. It's like tapping into electricity--the slightest touch still gets the strongest reaction. A mustard-seed amount will suffice...
We do not hope people will copy our strategies. Just because one strategy works one place doesn't mean it will work somewhere else. Our hope is not in the brilliantly-conceived plans of men. Sure, we have learned from others, but our hope is in God's passion for our area.
Reader Comments (2)
True. Well said. No formulas or methods will do the trick. Maybe we should ask God more questions.
Amen, too much marketing of Christianity or churchianity. www.matthewsblog.waynesborochurchofchrist.org