I had lunch today with a new friend, a recent graduate of Fuller Seminary, with a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership. My friend, Michael and I discussed his vision of his future vocational and ministry calling. I have not been so energized by a lunch discussion in some time.
Michael has a vision for beginning a ministry to recent college graduates, living in community, very much similar to the original vision of Hollywood Urban Project, a ministry I had the priviledge of being a part of a number of years ago. Living in community, sharing lives, learning about the calling of Christ, and figuring out what in the world this means in the context of modern life.
One of the topics that we discussed was the way in which the church seems to often be so irrelevant to our lives today. Here I was, with a Fuller grad, agreeing on the irrelevancy of the church. We agreed that the church is good at sending missionaries overseas, of equipping pastors, of teaching the scriptures, but is completely inept at reaching the world of commerce. The world where so many of us work each day. To coin a phrase, what is with THAT?! Seems like the secular world needs to be affected by the people of the Cross in a way that is new, engaging and affecting.
Can our work be holy? Can we do things at the office that have the same eternal merit as things we do in church or in other ministry settings? Can we make a Kingdom Difference in the real world?
I mentioned in our conversation, that if I could say just one thing to "The Church", I would likely stand on the top of a pew during the hushed silence of an otherwise reverent moment, and shout:
"Please.....Be Relevant!"
Michael and I are starting a relationship, that I hope goes places, blesses people, and brings the Kingdom together more. And maybe, it might just be relevant.
1 comment:
I completely hear your frustration and agree with your concerns. However, I have come to a place where I hate the word "relevance" because it immediately forces such issues as ONLY contemporary music or ONLY high tech graphics and media... when these are not really NEEDED in order to worship God. I am not saying they are NOT needed - I am simply saying that a gathering of business people in their 20's, 30's and 40's actually can, IF THEY CHOOSE, worship God even if the music and tech is not what they are used to.
The reason we (the church) are not reaching a wider demographic is not that we are not relevant - but that we are not biblical. If you look at Acts 2:42-47, you get a clear picture of what we, the church, are supposed to be doing when we gather. The Bible is clear that if we do what the Bible models for us, THEN - the Lord will add to our number! Plain and simple. Ah, but the hard part is actually DOING what we read in Acts... what church is bold enough - I mean REALLY bold enough - to actually invite the Holy Spirit to participate in such a way that lives are totally transformed? Until that happens, all the "relevant" worship elements in the world won't make a dent into a person's life - because it will be viewed as "not real."
People want AUTHENTICITY and the church won't give it to them.
Post a Comment