Klassiek JM: Subversieve Math

De Nota van de redacteur: Jesus Manifesto gaat op vakantie. Wij zullen geen nieuwe inhoud tot Woensdag, 26 December posten. Nochtans, dachten wij u van sommige klassieke artikelen van Jesus zou kunnen genieten Manifesto. De eerste is vanaf 3 Maart, 2006:

ALS wij de kerk eenvoudig zoals bepalen:

• „Waar het woord van God wordt gepredikt en de sacramenten.“ terecht beheerd

of

• Een „wekelijkse gebeurtenis waar ik het bijbelse prediken hoor en met anderen in muzikale verering.“ samenwerk

En als onze ons primair de zorgen zijn:

• omzettend zo vele mensen in een evangelie dat binnen een half uur kan worden meegedeeld

en

• hebbend Christenen groei in hun begrip van het geloof, dat, tot hen discipelen beter maken beurtelings zal

Dan, is er geen reden waarom wij geen dingen zoals satellietkerken zouden moeten hebben. Er ook is niet om het even welke reden waarom wij niet zouden moeten zo groot mogelijk proberen te groeien. Als één met bovengenoemd, akkoord gaat en gelooft dat hun kerk een goed werk doet, waarom niet om een zo grote menigte zoals mogelijk te verzamelen proberen? Zeker, kunnen er sommige dingen zijn die conditioneren hoe wij begrijpen bovengenoemd… wij het op een multiculturele manier zouden kunnen willen doen, als dat een waarde van van ons is. Of wij kunnen wensen om het op een liturgical manier te doen, als dat een waarde van van ons is.

Ik denk vele kerken dingen de manier zien die ik heb opgemaakt. Dat is waarom wij zo vele kerken hebben die opzettelijk proberen hun diensten van de Zondag „kweken“ en proberen om manieren te vinden om dingen nog groter te maken. Zij zijn verenigbaar met hun ecclesiology. In hun ecclesiology, zijn de aantallen zeer belangrijk. But so is biblical truth. But these two things are kept in tension. Some churches that want to attract a larger crowd will avoid the more provocative or heady parts of our faith. They will address is down the road in their small group programming or adult education programming. These folks may be accused of neglecting “biblical preaching” but they merely temper it a bit their desire for conversion. Other folks may have stronger preaching, believing that true seekers will still come, and that the congregation will be better equipped to go out and share their faith. They may be accused of neglecting seekers, but they merely temper their heart for seekers with a passion for biblical preaching. Other groups may hold these in tension with a commitment to the liturgy, or to some other core value, but it still makes sense to try to gather as big of a crowd as possible and perhaps even do such things as launching satellite congregations or building bigger sanctuaries. Such a move is faithful to their ecclesiology, which focuses a great deal on the worship service and the sermon. Most of the church budget for most churches is tied up in the weekly event–cost of a building for worship services, the cost of production each week, the pastor’s salary (who spends much, if not most, of his/her time preparing for the sermon), etc.

We shouldn’t get mad at people because their church is bigger or because they are starting satellite services or if they are building a larger building, or if they are always sending out mailers to reach out to more and more people. We shouldn’t be frustrated about how much these churches focus on numbers as a sign of success. If we define church the same way they do, then we have no reason to be upset. Everything is in keeping with their ecclesiology…

But I think their ecclesiology is wrong. I don’t simply think it is wrong for our postmodern times…as though it were good in the 80s but the wrong strategy for today. I think it is bad ecclesiology today…and I suspect that it was bad in the 80s. It has always been bad ecclesiology. Church shouldn’t be centered around an event.

Worship is a way of life, not just a 30 minute music set. The Gospel can’t be adequately communicated in 30 minutes (unless, perhaps, the person already understands a lot about Christianity). And, while preaching is important, it lacks the fundamental “one-another-ness” that we read about throughout the New Testament.

Many Christians will agree with what I am saying, but at the same time will do the “church as event” approach. If you think church isn’t about numbers, then stop counting.

If you think worship is about lifestyle, then don’t overvalue singing.

If you think church is a place to explore truth, then start discussing, rather than spend so much of your time listening to a sanctified lecture each week.

If you think church is a family of faith, then spend time in relationship rather than treating church as a 2 hour long weekly commitment.

If you agree that church is people, not a building, then stop saying “I’m GOING to church.”

We spend so much time attracting people to hear the “gospel” when we need to spend more much more energy in understanding how we can best embody and articulate the Gospel. We need, more than ever, to start developing the QUALITY of the church, and stop paying so much attention to QUANTITY. We need to use subversive math. Where we stop counting, and figure out what counts.

for further reading . . .

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