CHURCH PROPERTY - WHAT HAPPENS IN A COCOON?

Caterpillar to Butterfly: Having Church Property– TO – No Need For Church Property

From Caterpillar to Cocoon to Butterfly – Part XIII

In this series we have been asking the question, “What happens with metamorphosis during the cocoon stage?”  How, structurally, do you get a butterfly from what once was a caterpillar? In my Aug. 20, 2011’s blog, I listed several forms of transformation that I see occurring inside the cocoon of change for the church.   Today we will look at the principle: From Owning all church property (caterpillar) TO Has no need for church property (butterfly).

Caterpillar: In its hay days, the church built cathedrals, supposedly monuments to their faith but at a drastic cost to its constituents. Today, the church still builds mega-structures at a huge cost to their constituents.  Buildings and Grounds and their maintenance occupies a large part of most church budgets.  As buildings age and congregations dwindled, especially in urban America where entire communities built around church buildings are crumbling under economic conditions, slums are birthed.  Buildings often become albatrosses tied around a congregation’s neck when they become aged, huge, old, in need of repair, and empty and the congregation does not have the needed financial resources any more.  Those hallowed halls may be filled with history, but are empty of people, but strapped financially.  The building often becomes the center of focus, which we even call the “church”, for we attend “church” in a building.  It even becomes central to church activities and church life.

Butterfly:  Relationships are important, not physical facilities.  Relationships are not built around physical building, but in individuals meeting, communicating, and networking with one another.   In the past social life developed around the church building and its activities.  In the future it could revolve around the culture where the church, the people who believe in Jesus Christ, live and are active.  Church will be fused more with community and local culture.  Church could meet in Starbucks because that is where their people drink coffee (with out “doing” church by producing a church service there).  It could meet in the park by the swing sets, at the grocery store, at school, work, etc.  Any place god’s people are, where Christians hang out, technically that is where the “church” is meeting.  It is built on relationships, not location nor buildings.

The Differences: In the past, much of the church’s financial resources turned toward building projects, magnificent cathedrals throughout Europe, beautiful architectural mega-churches in the United States, etc. As buildings age, their financial demands for maintenance can strap the financial resources of the church, those Christian individuals who meet there, and become an albatross around their necks, eventually forcing them to close their doors or sell their facility. On the other hand, if the church is built on relationships among its believers in Jesus Christ, technically, a stationary building is not needed.  All one needs are “two or more” believers in Jesus Christ to gather, hang out, communicate, and you got Church.

Implications Today:  Personally, I have seen where a denominational church office threatened to take away the land and building of a local congregation over heated controversies, because in their charter, the denominations technically owns the building, not the local constituents.  Eventually the denomination backed down, but the ugly head of pyramidal, hierarchal “control” raised its political head.  Many churches today face huge mortgages and paying staff and benefits as the majority of their budget.  I have seen mega-churches build facilities, only to see them emptied in a flick of the eye when a scandal hit their staff or their pastor falls, now leaving those who faithfully remain to face a difficult financial dilemma.

The best example of the church currently built on relationships rather than real estate is the underground church in China, where they can get arrested when relationally meeting together in a house, in a barn, in a park, wherever. The communist party dos not want unauthorized groups to meet; they know the power of assembly.  In China there is an pyramidal, hierarchal, institutional church sanction by the pyramidal, hierarchal, political institution that is allowed to build buildings if approved, but it is a known fact that there is very little spiritual life in that setting.  On the other hand, the church built on relationships, anywhere they can meet, usually hiding in safety, is a vibrant, Spirit led church filled with spiritual life.  In order to understand this phenomenon, we need to look to the underground Church in China to give us Westerners advice in how to live in community of faith and relationships.

Conclusion: God has never requested any permanent structure to be built in his honor; His structures were always moveable as His Spirit moved.  He wanted a mobile tabernacle that could move whenever He chose His Spirit to move or to stay, but the Jews built a permanent structure, the Temple. In fact they have build several of them, but all have been destroyed  Today there is no physical temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, only an empty grave at its base. Paul preached, “Do you not know that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit?” God has chosen mobility, humans who believe in Jesus Christ, for His place of occupancy, not permanent built structures that decay and someday lay in ruin if not maintained.  If the Church is to be fluid, to be mobile, to be penetrating cultures throughout the world, them MUST be built on relationships, not physical structures.  Bottom line: ownership identifies control.  When the church “owns” structure, they seek to control them.  When the church again realized they were bought with a price, Jesus’ blood, that they are now under his ownership, then they will head more to the leading of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and be free to minister through relationships. What is your religious life wrapped around, the building you call “church” or the relationship with those who meet at not only that location, but also at the mall, the grocery store, the park, etc.? That is the mindset of the butterfly, ready to soar in flight, not tied down by any cumbersome structure.

CONTROL VS. RELEASE - WHAT HAPPENS IN A COCOON?

Caterpillar to Butterfly: Control– TO – Equipping and Releasing

From Caterpillar to Cocoon to Butterfly – Part XII

In this series we have been asking the question, “What happens with metamorphosis during the cocoon stage?”  How, structurally, do you get a butterfly from what once was a caterpillar? In my Aug. 20, 2011’s blog, I listed several forms of transformation that I see occurring inside the cocoon of change for the church.   Today we will look at the principle: Controls people (caterpillar) TO Equipping and releasing people (butterfly).

Caterpillar: Up to now, historically the Church has not done a very good job “equipping the saints for the work of service” (Eph. 4).  With the clergy/laity differential, most of the work is done by the professional clergy and staff asking only their parishioners to “follow their lead.” With a professional staff, much training is done, but that is not necessarily true for the saints.  A church is always excited when a young man decides to go into the “professional” ministry, as his equipping or training begins towards the goal of becoming a professional.  Often churches have attempted to “train” their people, only to not release them once trained.  Mindsets are that the clergy does the work because that is what they are paid to do as professionals has hampered the church.  With a pyramidal church structure, the issue of “control” over a congregation can become more of an influence that training, developing, and releasing them.

Butterfly:  With the five fold, when discovering one’s passion and point of view, the church can equip them to do what drives them, their passion, no matter if it is evangelistic, pastoral, teaching, prophetic, or apostolic.   Equipping comes through serving and being served by each member of the five fold who are also laity and learning to “lay down one’s life for their brethren.”  The apostle has probably experienced the other four passions in his life, but the purpose for his gift is to see the big picture, to network, develop, nurture, support, and edify the other four giftings, then, most importantly, release them to do what they are gifted to do.  Releasing means “hands off”, no control, but remain in a supportive role. Apostle Paul is an excellent example of a man who did all four passions when birthing churches on his missionary journeys, only to physically leave them, release them, and only correspond with them through letters.  Because his techniques were all “relational”” when birthing and developing a new church, he could relationally “release” them with confidence of their giftings in Jesus Christ to carry on and expand the work.

The Differences: Old School church prepares and develops one to be a “professional” in what they call “full time ministry”.  Higher education through westernized teaching philosophies is the route provided to produce a well educated professional rather than a hands on, trained and developed laity. New School church’s mission is to “equip the saints”, not the staff, for the “works of service.”  The goal is to birth, nurture, and develop the skills which goes along with one’s passions.  All this development is of no use unless it is “released”, freed to move ahead in one’s passion.  Even with that freedom will come accountability through relationships to the other four passions and points of view in the five fold ministry.

Implications Today:  Personally, I have been trained with a group of men to become “lay speakers” in a denomination, but few of us in the class ever got the opportunity to fill any pulpits when pastors were away on vacations.  They controlled their pulpits rather than releasing them. I also have been trained to operate prophetically with fifty other people, to be able to be part of a prophetic presbytery, seeking the Holy Spirit, discerning His will for someone’s life, and in faith giving them a prophetic word.  Today, none of us are in prophetic presbyteries anymore.  Training a laity and actually releasing him/her to give one freedom to minister in their gifting and passions has been a rarity in my fifty years as a church attendee.  That needs to change drastically if the church is to take Ephesians 4 and the Great Commission seriously. 

Conclusion:  Instead of “enabling” Christians, the laity, to just “follow” everything the clergy proposes, then criticizing them for being lethargic in living out their faith, the church needs to be better at “equipping the saints” and take that more seriously.  The investment should not be in creating a professional staff, but in equipping and developing the already existing saints, those who make up the local body of Christ.  If we would equip (birth, nurture, teach, spiritually edify, and see over) the saints currently in our churches for service, then release them, we would see a revolutionary change, called revival or reformation, in the church today. You know, a butterfly can never be "free" to "fly" until it is "released" from its cocoon.  Oh, I dream to see the day of that release!

“OVER-SEEING” VERSUS “SEEING-OVER” - WHAT HAPPENS IN A COCOON?

Caterpillar to Butterfly: Pyramidal Leadership “over sees” Church Activities– TO – Relational Leadership “Sees Over” What The Holy Spirit Is Already Doing

From Caterpillar to Cocoon to Butterfly – Part XI

In this series we have been asking the question, “What happens with metamorphosis during the cocoon stage?”  How, structurally, do you get a butterfly from what once was a caterpillar? In my Aug. 20, 2011’s blog, I listed several forms of transformation that I see occurring inside the cocoon of change for the church.   Today we will look at the principle: Pyramidal leadership “over sees” church activities (caterpillar) TO Relational leadership “sees over” what the Holy Spirit is already doing. (butterfly).

Caterpillar: We discussed the influence of “power” in a structural governmental system in a previous blog.  With “power” comes the issue of “control”.  In a pyramidal structure, power always comes from above.  It is important for those in power to “oversee” what is happening below them.  Their position is kind of “all knowing” or “all informed”.  The Papal and Cardinal influence in the Roman Catholic Church is an example of this kind of power structure.  Papal Bull is the official communication from above in that structure.  Protestants often have “official papers” passed at their “annual conferences” to issue their decrees to be implemented by their clergy to their parishioners.  In large churches, senior pastors “oversee” how their institutional structure operates.

Butterfly:   I believe the relational linear five fold model will allow everyone to function on an equal plain of influence. The apostle is only one of the five and does not “head” nor “lead” them.  His passion is to “see over” what the Holy Spirit is doing and “release” those passions that would be most effective toward ministry at hand at that moment.  He doesn’t do it, nor control it, only “seeing over” it.  The apostle’s passion is his vision or point of view of seeing “the big picture”, the body of Christ as a whole, thus giving him the “sight”, the “vision” of what the Holy Spirit is doing relationally in the midst of His people with His people to His people.

The Differences: Currently, under the hierarchal, pyramidal, institutional structure, power and control are dictated from top down.  This has also developed the clergy laity split over the years.  On the other hand, the linear relational structure evens the plain, encourages giving and taking from peers, and has apostles who “sees over” what the Holy Sprit is doing among them, encouraging them by “releasing” them in the passions to do what they do best.

Implications Today:  Personally, I have been under the leadership of a pastor who wanted to know everything that happened in the small groups “under” his leadership which became a control issue.  Later he wondered why no one would stay at his church.  I have another Christian friend who fell under a strong control pastor.  He said that when you see him, he was like a majestic steam roller, gleaming in the sun light, and as long as you ran beside him you were fine, but don’t fall in front of him. He fell! The CEO business model most American churches follow functions on a trickle down power/influence pool from the top down which fosters “control” with oversight where you report to those above you. Unfortunately, I have seen church denominational higher up officials threaten their congregations with taking away their church property and entitlement if they did not follow dictations handed down from the denominational leadership, another sad example that control can create.

Conclusion:  It all depends on the “point of view” and what one does with it.  If one “oversees” those under them from a superior position with power, control, and influence, the creativity and freedom for the Holy Spirit to operate becomes stifled because the “system” will not give up its control.  With a linear relational point of view using a five fold model, the plain is equal, each giving and taking, and the apostle “sees over” what the Holy Spirit is activation while releasing the others in their passions. It all depends how you see it!   Can you trust the Holy Spirit and relinquish control and be content to just “see” what He is doing, or will you want to hold onto the control you have which will quench the Spirit. The choice is yours.

CHURCH GOVERNMENT BY POLITICS OR RELATIONSHIPS - WHAT HAPPENS IN A COCOON?

 Caterpillar to Butterfly: Government Run By Boards, Committees, and Hierarchal Leadership– TO – Government Run On Relationships Of Give And Take In A Five Fold Format

From Caterpillar to Cocoon to Butterfly – Part X

In this series we have been asking the question, “What happens with metamorphosis during the cocoon stage?”  How, structurally, do you get a butterfly from what once was a caterpillar? In my Aug. 20, 2011’s blog, I listed several forms of transformation that I see occurring inside the cocoon of change for the church.   Today we will look at the principle: Government is run by boards, committees, and hierarchal leadership (caterpillar) TO  Government is run on relationships of give and take in a five fold format (butterfly).

Caterpillar: In the past church “government” has bred “church politics”, often power struggles.  Schisms and splits have occurred over the choice of the color of carpet, organ or no organ, youth involvement, salaries, housing, order of worship, etc., etc. Some local churches are governed through congregational meetings and voting, some by boards of deacons, elders, some by church councils, some by pastor/parish committees, and some dictated by strong pastors.  Often pastors have had to yield what they have felt as strong callings, convictions, directions, and discernment to governing boards who oppose what they are doing.  Many a discouraged pastor and/or parishioner have left the church when being caught in this political vice.

Butterfly:  Government will be built on relationships that will breed respect, honor, and accountability.  IJohn 3:16 of “Laying down your life for your brethren” will be the foundation of “serving” one another, giving and taking from each other because of linear relationships as peers, as being just Christians.  An example would be the five fold where the five very different passions and points of view would be united through the leading of the Holy Spirit as each of the five gives to the other four of their talent, ability, and passion, and willing receive from the others who are so different from them.  One’s strength will support the others weakness, and each will “release” the other to follow their passion. 

The Differences: Old and current governmental church structures nurtured and wheel power and support a pyramidal hierarchy structure, while the new governmental church structure would foster respect, honor, and accountability through linear relationships of service, through laying down ones life in sacrifice, not in position of authority.  

Implications Today: This process will be one of the most difficult things for the church to transition because it will be attached by the very “power” it opposes.  Unless led by the Holy Spirit and taken to the Cross of vertical and horizontal relationships the Church will not wither the storm.  The disciples were rebuked when arguing over who would be on Jesus’ left and right in the kingdom when they felt standing by his side would be a noble political cause, but they fled and would be replaced by two thieves to be on Jesus’ left and right when hanging on the cross on that infamous day. Those three on their crosses faced the same fate on a horizontal plain of suffering and death.  None of the disciples hung there nor were there. They would have to rethink their whole kingdom of God theology before changing the world.   

Conclusion: We, the church today, have to rethink our theology on church government, for church isn’t about politics, nor church government about power.  The Bible states that “the government shall be upon his shoulders,” referring to Jesus’ shoulders.  That government is built on service and sacrifice, for Jesus “came not to be serve, but to serve” and “to lay down his life for his brethren,” showing us how the kingdom of God is to be governed.   Church government the way we think of it today is about to undergo a transition that will take it from a power struggle to one of service and accountability.  Oh, if we could only see how this is to all work out inside the cocoon of change.

POSITIONING IN THE CHURCH - WHAT HAPPENS IN A COCOON?

Positions Determined By Office– TO – Positions Determined By What We Do

From Caterpillar to Cocoon to Butterfly – Part VIII

In this series we have been asking the question, “What happens with metamorphosis during the cocoon stage?”  How, structurally, do you get a butterfly from what once was a caterpillar? In my Aug. 20, 2011’s blog, I listed several forms of transformation that I see occurring inside the cocoon of change.   Today we will look at the principle: Positions are determined by offices (caterpillar) TO Positions are determined through service, what you do, not who you are (butterfly).

Caterpillar: Pyramidal, hierarchal institutional structures major in positions and titles. You position’s title is suppose to identify what you are to be doing or in charge of.  It supposedly defines your sphere of influence.  The higher up the chain, the greater potential for some one having someone below you “do” what needs to be done because of your directives due to your power by title or position.  Those at the top don’t really do much physically to get things done, but has those under their “leadership” do it making them look good and effective.  In corporate America you work hard to ascend the pyramid at the expense of those below you.  The American church is no different, professionally. In some camps you become an evangelist working so that some day you will get “your own church”. Other camps have the progression from Youth Pastor, to Associate Pastor, To Senior Pastor.  Often one starts in smaller churches working their way to churches with larger church attendance.  Then some work their way from pastors, to superintendants to bishops, etc.  With each step are financial benefits. You know who is “in charge” by their title.  Often laity is exempt from their hierarchal structure because they aren’t professionals.  The height of their titles would be elders or church board members. Those with titles are identified as “leaders”; no title, you are considered a “follower”. Ie. worship leader (title), worshiper in the pew (no title, only a follower).

Butterfly:  On a linear horizontal plain there is no one “over you” as everyone is perceived as equals or peers.  Here the “Priesthood of Believers” is practiced, where all are priests, peers.  The only hierarchy position is that of High Priest, who is Jesus Christ.  Being a “priesthood”, corporate ministry is central, so the church will experience a new definition of what ministry by the believers in Jesus Christ is individually and corporately.  “What you do” defines who you are.  If you do lead people to Jesus Christ, you do evangelism, so you are an evangelist.  If you take care of people, nurture them, help develop them, you are shepherding them: action not title.  You share from what you have learned by studying the Logos Word, the Bible, and practiced those truths in your life, the Rhema Word, the living word, then you are “teaching” people. What you do, determines the adjectives describing your actions.

The Differences: Institutional structured produce titles and positions to identify what one is suppose to be doing and giving them authority to have it accomplished, even if at someone else’s expense.  It establishes a “power” structure or grid of “authority”.  Relationally actions produce adjectives to describe that action, not nouns to identify the office.  An “evangelist” by title is hired, through offerings, to come in and “evangelize” anyone who comes to their meetings. They are “in charge”.  An “evangelist” relationally tells others about Jesus Christ, the Gospel, the good news verbally and through the “actions” of their personal lives.  They can’t help themselves; they just “do it”.  It is their passion, the way they see things, their point of view. Anyone, and everyone, who does evangelism, ie. telling “their stories”, their “faith journeys in Jesus” can be identified as evangelists because of what they are doing.

Implications Today:  Whenever the Holy Spirit moves, what he “does”, the institutional church will institutionalize by making that action, that movement, a position.  Let’s look to the 20^th Century Church as an example.  In the 50’s through 80’s, the Church institutionalized evangelism to the extent that they could fill stadiums and draw large TV audiences as shown through Billy Graham Crusades, the C.B.N. and T.B.N. Christian TV networks, and televangelists like Jim Bakker & Jimmy Swiegart.  In the ‘70’s, with the release of the Charismatic Movement, the need for the pastoral was needed, thus the institutionalizing of it that produced the Shepherding Movement. The 70’s featured tremendous “teaching”, as the gift of teaching was released, & the Church institutionalized it through the Word Movement, producing more teaching tapes than my cassette recorder could run.  The prophetic spirit was released in new powerful ways in the ‘80’s, and the institutional church promoted their pastors to prophets. The culmination came with the apostolic being released in the ‘90’s, where people were now getting to see the big picture of the Church, but the church institutionalized it by entitling their “super pastors” of large mega-churches as apostles wanting smaller churches to follow their lead.  By the end of the century, the institutional pyramidal, hierarchal church had “structured” professionally within their ranks every movement of God during that century as an office, so today they think of the five fold as offices.

Conclusion: To become a butterfly, the church needs to change the way they think of structure. Relationally, evangelism, teaching, pastoral nurturing and caring, prophetically insight, and apostolic vision are all ACTIONS when released among the “priesthood of believers” by the priests, the believers in Jesus Christ to other believers by laying down their lives for each other in service.  When God moves, the cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night, the Church needs to know how to “move”, ACTION, and respond to the moving of the Holy Spirit, not try to “fit it” into their current structure by institutionalizing it through entitlement, titles, and positions in order to be “in control”.  Positions and titles are for control. The Church needs to let the Holy Spirit be in control.  They need to settle the question, “Can you trust the Holy Spirit?” 

ACCOUNTABILITY BY RELATION NOT POSITION - WHAT HAPPENS IN A COCOON?

Caterpillar to Butterfly: Accountability To Leadership – TO – Accountability Through Relationship

From Caterpillar to Cocoon to Butterfly – Part VII

In this series we have been asking the question, “What happens with metamorphosis during the cocoon stage?”  How, structurally, do you get a butterfly from what once was a caterpillar? In my Aug. 20, 2011’s blog, I listed several forms of transformation that I see occurring inside the cocoon of change.   Today we will look at the principle: Accountability comes through pyramid leadership (caterpillar) TO Accountability comes through strongly built horizontal relationships (butterfly).

Caterpillar: To whom are you accountable? In the current church world it is probably to your “overseer”, alias pastor, elder, or priest. Although, relationally, you may not even have a level of personal friendship with him, he still will come and bring correction into your life, especially if it affects his local body.  It could be the pastor, or a staff member, or an elder or deacon, but you only see them “when in trouble”.   So you say, “someone needs to take care of the sin in the camp.” When the charismatic movement brought revival in the early 1970’s, five men saw the excesses in the movement, and wanted to set up a discipling, pastoral, shepherding component, thus creating what has become known as the Shepherding Movement. Although their initial motives were pure, because of abuses by those in leadership, the movement has taken on a negative connotation.  “Control” became the issue.  That can be the danger of a pyramidal hierarchal type structure where those on top dominates and controls those beneath because of their position of authority.

Butterfly:  To whom are you accountable?  In a linear world accountability is determined by the degree of relationship.  The deeper the relationship, the deeper the accountability based on “respect”.  Respect is something you earn with time and relational investments.  The longer you know someone, the better you get to know their character.  With proven character, respect becomes automatic, and accountability is established.  Accountability is then built on a linear, horizontal level.  Those you respect are your peers, not the powers that be above you. 

The Differences: Position giving Power are the agents of pyramidal dominance in a hierarchal accountability model, while Position and Character are the elements of a linear horizontal model.

Implications Today:  Recently, I was talking to someone about a Pharisaical concern they had and (see blogs about Pharisees’s yeast) wondered why their leadership wasn’t “policing” the situation! I thought, “Is the church a Police state?” I have been in church leadership and know that you can spend all your time “putting out the fires” that constantly swirl around you.  It is all time and energy consuming, sapping you, taking you from the very things you should be doing to advance the kingdom. When institution gets large, personal relationships with leadership is diminished just because of the numbers.  Position by office then becomes predominant when “enforcing” discipline.

Conclusion:  Just look at the model of parenting.  Some parents spend time with their children, invest their energy in their children, built a relationship of respect, honor, and trust in their children.  When discipline is needed, although children never like to be disciplined, they actually respect their parents for doing it.  If the relationship was nurtured in their childhood, they will continue to have that relationship throughout their lives.  Cat Steven’s “Cats In The Cradle” song vividly paints how an over achieving, career driven, self centered parent who only looks at their children as a “responsibility” not as a person to develop a “relationship” finds themselves as lonely in their elderly stage of life as their children found themselves in their youth.  Discipline was enforced by these parents by parental “position” of “authority over” the child. “Remember, I am the parent; you are the child,” was continually proclaimed over their children.  The church needs to have a metamorphous in the way they looks and does discipline in this metamorphosis stage.

WHAT HAPPENS IN A COCOON – THE ART OF BELONGING

 Caterpillar to Butterfly: Believing & Behaving Is Important – TO – Belong Begins A Relationship Producing Believing and Behaving

From Caterpillar to Cocoon to Butterfly – Part IV

In this series we have been asking the question, “What happens with metamorphosis during the cocoon stage?”  How, structurally, do you get a butterfly from what once was a caterpillar? In my Aug. 20, 2011’s blog, I listed 18 forms of transformation that I see occurring inside the cocoon of change.   Today we will look at the principle: Believing & Behaving Is Important (caterpillar) – TO – Belong Begins A Relationship Producing Believing And Behaving (butterfly).

Caterpillar:  In spite of believing in the Great Commission and an emphasis on evangelism, today’s institutional Church appears to be inward and self-inclusive.  It expects “outsiders” to come “in” to their facilities to hear the gospel. When, and if, one comes into their premise, they will hear that group’s beliefs, tenants, and doctrines.  There is also a social code: dress, speech, temperance, etc.  If you decide to follow their beliefs and practice their code of behavior, their legalistic laws, then the church will invite you to “belong”.  “Belonging” is at the end of this practice.

Butterfly:  The Great commission’s “go ye into the world” is taken literally as the Church goes out into the culture and influences the culture.  You go on the premise that everyone belongs to the club of mankind, so you start from that premise to build a relationship with that person.  As the relationship broadens and depends belief systems are exposed and accepted if perceived as genuine or rejected if perceived as being phony.  The acceptance of the belief system directly influence the behavior patters. “Belonging” introduced this process, not practice.

The Differences: Under the current Church mentality you have to “earn” your acceptance in order to “belong”.  What you believe and how you act is more important than establishing relationships for acceptance. Personally, I know what I believe and how to act, alias “do church”, while developing many “social” relationships, with a lot of hand shaking, verbal greetings, surface smiles, with little deep personally relationships.  The metamorphous church “accepts” you “where you are at” in order to begin to build a relationship with you that at first may appear superficial, but as the relationship depends, trust develops, and an openness to one another occurs.  Soon, what is important to each other is shared, belief systems, directly influences one’s behaviors.  You don’t smoke because of the law, but out of respect of the relationship that has been established.  Legalism is opposed by grace.

Implications Today:  With the technological advances of the computer age, communications is no longer inclusive.  Community is no longer just local, but regional, national, and now world-wide international. Through social networking all you need to do is be “on line” or have “internet accessibility” in order to be part of the world-wide family.  Relationships are shallowly established by just communicating, but develop with time.  I personally know three married couples who originally met via the internet.  Twittering through tweets, texting through smart phones, and Facebooking or MySpacing often introduces relationships on a surface level.  Blogging allows “belief systems” to be shared. Texting and emailing allow for more intimate development of relationships.  All this eventually leads to actual face to face meetings and friendships.

Conclusion:  Insistence of believing doctrinally the same and “doing church” the same way in order to be “acceptance” is not how Paul did his evangelistic endeavors to the Gentiles. Christianity challenged Judahism’s self inclusiveness of being the only people to qualify as “God’s chosen people.”  Christianity is all about “relationships” for “while we yet sinners, Jesus died for us.”  Martin Luther’s discovery of Justification by Faith revealed that you can not earn your salvation.  Jesus “accepted” us as sinners, died for us to mend the broken relationship caused by sin, and left it up to the “sinners” to “accept” him as their savior.  Jesus led by relationships, so this metamorphosis is leading the Church back to relationship. 

FROM CATERPILLAR TO COCOON TO BUTTERFLY – PART II

 New Form, New Image, New Body – Meet The Butterfly, The Church

In my last blog we looked at the miraculous transformation from a lumbering caterpillar to a dormant cocoon to an independent free spirited butterfly.  I used that analogy with the Church as I feel it about to break loose from its cocoon stage to freedom to fly.

Visually, the most transforming feature of a caterpillar to a butterfly is its body.  There is a complete structural difference.  The caterpillar is a fat, multi-legged, crawling bug that turns into this slim, winged insect suitable to fly.  What happened when it was in its cocoon?   This change is radical, yet it appears to occur during a dormant period of its life, when in the cocoon.

I believe the caterpillar/butterfly analogy can also be applied to the Church.  The structure of the Church has been rather cumbersome throughout its history.  When I have heard sermons about the structure of the church, it has been on apostles, elders, deacons, etc., one built on hierarchal positions.  The Roman Catholic Church has even taken it to bishops, cardinals, and the Pope.  As the institutional church has grown, so has the financial obligation to maintain it as cathedrals were built and a huge professional clergy system to finance.  The institutional church has never been known for change, and what change has come has only come through church politics, thus the lumbering caterpillar.

There have been times of transformation in the church called revivals.  During these times the church appears to be dormant, during times of spiritual lulls, where there appears to be some shaking going on inside the safe confines of church structure, unnoticed by those outside the church at first.  During these times “new ways” and “new mindsets” of old biblical principals are “revived” as the church wrestles to become like the eggs that hatched its birth in the first century.  Because of the structure of what appears to be safety and stability, these “revival” movements are eventually swallowed up by the structure in keeping its old form. The fruit of that revival movement has been division as new sects in Christianity are birthed and thrive.  There is no butterfly in structure, just the continuation of the caterpillar.

I contend that there is a new revival happening in the cocoon of Christianity that is about to take on a new form and become a butterfly.   No one outside the cocoon can see it, but the cocoon knows that something inside is happening: a reforming of structure for that of a butterfly at its designated time.  This body inside the cocoon is going to go through structural change, drastic structural change, and cannot be freed or released from the cocoon until the transformation is complete.

I believe that this change is going to be from the transformation of the current structural, pyramidal, institutional form of hierarchy of positions and offices to a horizontal position of relationships held together and directed by the Holy Spirit with the emphasis on service.  How is the structure of the butterfly to look like?  We, as a church, don’t know right now because we are entering the cocoon stage of transformation.  I believe as we release the five passions and points of view as outlined in Ephesians 4, we will see its fruits manifested in individuals being more mature in the likeness of Jesus Christ as well as the church corporately bringing unity, not division.  How that is to all work out, the Holy Spirit is beginning to lay the ground work for, the teaching, the preparation, the equipping before the releasing.

We, the Church, are about to go through a “body” form change built on relationships. The Church knows the power of the vertical of the Cross, the mending of relationship between a holy God and sinful man through redemption of Jesus, the sacrificial lamb, on the Cross.  What the Holy Spirit is about to teach us, the Church, is the horizontal relationship of the Cross, the mending of relationships between brothers and sisters in Christ, bringing this embarrassingly fragmented “body” lumbering along in many “parts” into a sleek “transformed” body prepared for flight in the Spirit through relationships.  What comes out of this transformational cocoon period will be a completely different image and identity of what the Church is. 

How will the butterfly look? Don’t know!  Transformation can be messy, retooling usually causes job loses, but it will improve efficiency. Expect even the way we “do” Church to look different as well as the way we think about ourselves individually as Christians as well as the Church, corporately as a whole, a body that is a "living organism", not a "structural organization". 

I always wondered what went on inside a cocoon. I think, Church, we are about to find out! If we plan to fly, we must go through the cocoon stage. Good bye caterpillar; hello butterfly!

FROM CATERPILLAR TO COCOON TO BUTTERFLY -Part 1

From Lumbering Along to Transformation to Freedom; A New Way At Looking At Church

A friend of mine once told me that he had had a dream/vision of me inside a cage. What was odd about it was that the cage door was wide open, and I opted not to leave it.

A caterpillar, although fun to watch with its multiple legs navigating a twig, never gets far fast nor far off the ground.  It can also be destructive; a caterpillar infestation can kill an entire tree if the caterpillars eat off all the leaves. After all that eating, they spin a protective cocoon that appears to be dormant in spite of the radical transformation of life going on inside it.  Only after that transformation is complete will it break out of its cocoon in a new, transformed identity, a butterfly.  After drying its wings, it springs forth to fly, forever abandoning its old house of safety and its old identity.

My cocoon has been the Church.  It provides transformation from an old life to a new, from an old identity to a new one, from an old form to a completely new one, all in the safety of a secure place.  My B.C. life, “before Christ”, “before cocoon”, followed that of a lumbering caterpillar close to the ground, eating all for my self-satisfaction. When accepting Jesus, I joined church that supplied a safe atmosphere for spiritual growth and nurturing. I admit that I have had doubts if I really want to spout wings and fly.

A pre-natal baby has it made: its own built in spa complete with hot bath, manicure service with nail growth, comforting music of the steady heartbeat of a mother, all the nourishment needed, and constant naps with no work schedule hanging over one’s head. 

Labor pain announces the upcoming birth followed by pressure, pushing.  What a shock when one’s head pops out of one’s cocoon, or one’s mother’s womb.  Humans are greeted with a smack of pain on their buttocks to make them cry in an effort to clean out their lungs.  We call this “birth”.

I wonder what it is like to go from a caterpillar through reconstruction into an image of a butterfly or moth?  It must be a shock too to discover a completely different formation and identity, which isn’t complete until you “fly”.

There is a direct correlation between “birthing” and “flying”; its called “freedom”. A newborn is “cut” from his mother, literally, and spends the rest of their transformational life as a child distancing herself/himself from mother to become an independent adult. A butterfly is “cut” from its cocoon, from its old identity as a caterpillar, spreads and dries its wings in an effort to fly, distancing itself from its past.  It is called “freedom”.

Unfortunately my flesh cries out that I do not want “freedom” from my church, my cocoon.  I want to stay wrapped up in it, seeing no need to fly. I tell myself that I just want to “do” church and “be” the church which I see having no need to fly, particularly from its safe confines.  Holding on, I am not free!  Freedom is “releasing”, being released from your mother, released from your cocoon, released from your church.

One of the problems of being a “church kid” is never being released, nor wanting to be released, opting for safety over flight, which is prohibiting me from what God actually created me to be: “free”!  When choosing to fly, I can glide on the winds of the Holy Spirit, feeling free of the confinements of structure and past life. Being “free” in the spirit is a different way of doing “church” than when all I did was “attend” church.

I sense the Church is in a cocoon period of its history, being transformed into a different image, from a lumbering caterpillar of an institution to the free flowing and soaring of the Holy Spirit as a butterfly.  In order to fulfill its transformation, it must now fly. 

I see before the cocoon a church built on structure; after the cocoon a church built on relationships with little if any structure, more free flowing.  We, the Church, now find itself in a cocoon stage of transformation, new mindsets, new wineskins, a total transformation and redevelopment of “body” ministry, from an old caterpillar model that has labored the church as a structure to a new butterfly form of freedom of flow through relationships.  Just as the caterpillar and butterfly were the same living organism that went through dramatic change of identity and form, so the Church past and present are the same living spiritual organism that is going through dramatic change of identity, form, and body ministry.

When this transforming is complete the Church will not look the same, but it is the same Church.  It will have a new image, a new identity, a new freedom in the Spirit that it has not experienced in the past.  The tough part is the choice left before us:  stay dormant in the security of our cocoon, those safe church structures, staying in our cage with an open door, or crawling or jumping out and spreading our wings and fly.

THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN BE IRRATIONALLY RATIONAL

The Holy Spirit Never Seems To Do It “My Way”

The old crooner Frank Sanatra use to bellow his famous line, “And I Did It My Way.”  Isn’t that the tune almost all of us like to sing, for we love being in control; we love to do the rational, the well thought out, what we consider as “normal” or even “safe”.  We often shy away from allowing the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ to lead our lives because he never seems to do things the way I would like him to do them, rationally.  Most of the time he seems to choose to do it irrationally, not the way I think is “normal” or “safe”.  This is how we often get in the way of revival by stifling the Holy Spirit’s lead.

For example, let’s look at 3 examples of how he has chosen men for leadership:

Old Testament – Moses would have been my choice too to lead the Israelites out of hundreds of years of bondage because he knew the Egyptian hierarchal system.  He knew how to work their politics as an insider. Shoots, he was a C.E.O. at one time!  He knew how to work their economics for he was in charge of overseeing their economical work force, the slaves building Egypt’s phenomenal building program. In my rational thinking as an American, he’s the man to “lobby Pharaoh”.  God chooses to work differently.  He allows Moses to be ostracized from “the Egyptian system” of hierarchal leadership and begins to teach him relational leadership among, of all things, sheep and nomadic sheepherders all leading to a relational confrontation with God himself manifesting himself as a flaming talking bush.  What becomes important for the rest of his life is his relationship to the bush.  He cannot build a relationship with pharaoh nor the Israelite people for they always pose opposition.  Only his continual fellowship with God, going into the Holy of Holies, is the key to his success.  What at first looked like an irrational move now looks very rational to us.  God is irrationally rational.

The Gospels – Rationally, if I am about to start a “kingdom of God” campaign I need a Public Relations Department who will get the word out: audibly through a radio campaign, visually through a television campaign, in print through all the local papers, through the internet with a social networking campaign, etc. As an American I know, advertising is the key to the success of this campaign.  So God is about to launch his “kingdom” on earth, so he sends someone to “prepare the way”.  He does not do an advertising campaign to get the right person; he does not take resumes. He chooses instead the town “hippie”, a man in sheep’s skin that eats a diet of locust and honey.  All he says is, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”  That alone creates a stir like none other that will eventually, literally, make him his “lose his head.”  People respond and he baptizes them, thus John the Baptist.  He is only the message bearer, for he even sends his disciples to Jesus to ask if Jesus is the messiah, the fulfillment of the message John is proclaiming.  Because of this doubt, Jesus refers to him as “least in the kingdom.”  So God chooses the “least in his kingdom” to proclaim one of the most profound kingdom proclamations in history; how irrational is that?  But in order for Jesus’ influence to move forward, John had to decrease in order for Jesus to increase.  Now the choice seems more rational.  Again God proved that he is irrationally rational.

New Testament – The early Church has a new leadership crisis: one of the 12 is a traitor, has committed suicide, and has tainted the leadership image of this new Church from its very beginning. In one of the early chapters in the book of Acts, the eleven decide they need a twelfth.  Rationally they should announce the vacancy to the existing Church, take resumes, form a committee to conduct interviews, and have the 11 vote on the replacement or maybe meet in the upper room for a “church council”.  Wrong!  The Holy Spirit leads them to “cast a lot”! What! Take two straws, one short, one long, and have one of the candidates pull it. How irrational is that? By the way, Matthias won!  I wish the book of Acts would tell us more about Matthias and what he did after his “lot” was cast! He becomes an “apostle”, now one of the twelve, an equal, to anchor this new Church.  We didn’t know it, but God knew that he was the man of the hour.  It was another irrationally rational decision.

The Old Testament priest use to make godly decisions through the Urrim and Tummin, which today we are not really sure what they were, but basically it was like the method like casting lots to choose Mathias.   We do not understand the Urrim and Tummin, nor the casting of lots to make key decisions, but that is how God works at times, irrationally rational.  We think God thinks like man, rational, but God thinks like God and to us that looks irrational.  Man needs the thinking of God, Godly thinking. The Church calls that righteousness.

But the bottom line is this: Can we trust the irrationally rational thinking of God, for that is how the Holy Spirit works?  Can we trust the Holy Spirit?  The answer to that questions is the key to unlocking true revival for the Church, for the Church, you and I who believe in Jesus Christ, will never see revival if we can not trust the Holy Spirit, nor expect the irrational to ever be rational to our way of thinking.  We need to lay down our misconception and myth that the Holy Spirit will do irrational things to embarrass us if we chose to follow him. Moses, John the Baptist, and the 11 disciples did and look what it did: freed a nation, establish a kingdom, and provided leadership to a new born Church, that’s all.  Is that weird, or is that awesome?  Let’s look toward the awesomeness of the Holy Spirit, that which is irrationally rational and not only believe in him, but trust him!

New Winds; New Revival: Go With The Flow, Not With The Program

Revivals Instantly Touch Entire Communities; Emergent Movements To The "nth" Power?

Duncan Campbell who witnessed a true revival wrote in his dissertation When God Stepped Down:  Now, you might ask me, "What do you mean by revival"? There are a great many views, held by people today, as to what revival is. So, you hear men say, "Are you going out to the revival meetings?", "We're having a revival crusade", and so on. There's a world of difference, between a crusade, or a special effort in the field of evangelism. My dear people, that is not revival. As I already said from this platform, I thank God for every soul brought to Christ, through our special efforts, and for every season of blessing at our conferences, and at our conventions. We praise God for such movements, but is it not true that such movements do not, (as a general rule) touch the community? The community remains more or less, the same, and the masses go past us to hell, but in revival the community, suddenly becomes conscious of the movings of God; beginning with His own people. So that, in a matter of hours, (not days) in a matter of hours, churches become crowded. No information of any special meeting, but something happening that moves men and women to a house of God, and you'll find within hours, scores of men, and women crying to God for mercy before them that kneel at church. You've read history of revivals, the Jonathan Edward revival in America, that was what happened, and the Welsh revival, that is what happened, and the more recent Lewis revival, that is what happened.

As we, the 21^st Century Church begin to hunger for revival, we need to remember that revival transcends any “program”, any “church structure”, any “preplanning” on our part.  It is a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ by His will while doing it His way at His time.  In the book of Acts it not only happened at the Temple in what the Church now calls Pentecost, but also at the house of Cornelius, by the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch, and even before Christ’s ascension to the women at the well.  At the house of Cornelius it would affect the Jewish culture, at the house of Cornelius the gentile culture, by the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch an entire nation, and at the Temple the entire known civilized world at that time.

Revival changes entire communities, nations, and cultures.  In America The Great Awakening of Jonathan Edward’s time would change the existing American Puritanical church and evangelize an entire scattered frontier.  The Camp Meeting movements under Wesley would grow to over 1,000 of them in one summer.  The drive for righteousness would spur the “prohibition” movement causing alcohol to go underground until the revival fires would die and the church’s complacency would return before it would be repealed.  When revival is in its fruition, it changes the “culture” of cities, states, and entire nations.

The American church is great for programs and networking, trying to create a revival spirit, but usually falling short.  The later part of the 20^th Century saw the ecumenical movement trying to get everyone to “dialogue” in an effort to begin to break down religious walls and barriers.  In the beginning of the 21^st Century the emergent church movement tried to “network” churches and ministries in loose relationships rather than denominational bonds.  Now the social networking culture is forcing the church to think world wide rather than local, regional, or even national, so revival will take on a totally different form than it has in the past, probably in a world wide perspective.  Today’s social networking is in its infancy, also stressing even looser relationships while transcending today’s acceptable church norms.

So what form will revival take to this generation?  Will it be in the wilderness as in Jonathan Edward’s day or in the forests during Camp Meetings in Wesley’s day, on a lonely island as in Duncan’s day, or in farmer’s fields as in Jesus Rallies during the Jesus movement of the 1970’s?  Probably in none of these ways, because when social networking, I discover, at least on this blog, that I get “hits” from 1-4 a.m. in the morning, from the U.K. and Europe as well as from Australia & New Zealand and even Africa.  Our commonality is in the English language, or barriers are only time zones.  Our platform is not the isolated frontier, or the shade of the forests, or on blankets sitting in a farmer’s field, but on the platform of the whole wide world.  With that platform, true revival will not only touch localities and nations, but it could and should touch and affect the entire world. 

The revival Spirit of the 1^st Century touched the “entire known world” of Paul’s day.  The revival Spirit of the 21^st Century will also touch the “entire known world” of our day.  I have studied the great revivals of England and Europe and of America, but know little personally of the revivals in Africa and Asia, but they have also experienced revivals.  In a day when the Muslim religion looks as a threat to the Jewish and Christian religions, there needs to be a movement of God that transcends all of these religions whose heritage is traced to the same man, Abraham, and to the same God, the God of Abraham who went to sacrifice his son on what is today the Temple Mount. At the same geographical locations where the original Pentecost took place stand a Muslim Mosque, the Jewish Wailing Wall, a remnant of Herod’s Temple, and Golgotha, the site of Jesus’ crucifixion as well at the empty tomb at the base of the Mount.  Three religions all fighting for the same geographical square mile, yet holding world wide influence. Why couldn’t or wouldn’t God’s all powerful, all present Spirit transcend all three religions in the greatest revival in history to usher back Jesus’ Second Coming? 

America, quit being self centered, wishing for revival to hit only America.  Who knows what “world wide revival” will look like, nor the scope of its power, but church beware, prepare, and be open to what is about to occur: the greatest revival under the banner of the God of Abraham, through His Son, Jesus Christ, lead by the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ.  It will be in a new form.  You will be forced to accept it or reject it. Two at the millstone; one accepts one rejects. Who will you be?

New Winds; New Revival: Revivals Always Bring Misunderstandings!

To Understand One Another, The Generation Gap Linguistically Will Have To Be Bridged At The Cross

Revival usual occurs at the grass roots of the church out in the open, not behind their closed doors.  When it occurs, it produces tension between the “established” church and its mindsets with the “new movements” and what appears to be new mindsets.  The key for true, effective, powerful revival is to bring the two sides together.  In the 1700’s, Wesley misunderstood Whitehead’s attempts to go “out” to the coal mines to preach to the miners as they left work, criticizing him for not having them come “in” to the church to hear the gospel.  When the misunderstanding was cleared by Wesley not being able to deny the fruits of Whitehead’s endeavors, he embraced the new movement and took the lead in creating the outdoor Camp Meeting movement that revolutionized evangelism in America and help spearhead America’s Great Revival. If the misunderstandings are not cleared up, then the rival brings schism, division, and conflict in the body of Christ.

I recall the enthusiasm many of us in our twenties had when returning from an outdoor Jesus Rally in the mid-1970’s after hearing some inspirational teaching from a speaker who tried to encourage his youthful audience to grow in Jesus toward eventual church leadership.  He quoted the passage from Timothy that “it is good to aspire to become an elder.”  When our local pastor heard of it, he was shocked, offended, and threatened, thinking we were going to try to usurp his power and authority as pastor.  That was his pyramid, hierarchal mindset at the time. That was never our intention since we were only thinking horizontally, relationally, but that “misunderstanding” effected how we were allowed to “minister” at the local level.  

I can see the possibility of this same misunderstanding occurring during this next revival because of the generational gap at how each looks at leadership and accountability in the Church.  The “established” church thinks hierarchal like a business model while the “new thinking” group looks linear, horizontally relational.  Today’s many independent and megachurches have developed high control, low accountability models. The church leadership has tight control of those “under” them with not much of an umbrella, if any, accountability above them, especially if they follow a “strong pastor” format.  This is why my generation has seen so many “spiritual giants” fall from ministry.  This “turns off” many in the new movement who think linear, building relationships with other Christians, not caring about dogma, doctrine, and labels as much as “fellowshipping” with their peers, the living saints, under the banner of Jesus.  The rigid horizontal, pyramid church structure always collides with the vertical, relational, reform structure.  Only if both camps allows the other to intersect it (the horizontal and vertical), then you have THE CROSS.  Only at and through the CROSS of Jesus Christ can love, understanding, acceptance, and unity be found. 

As I have wrestled over the five fold ministry of Ephesians 4 over the last two decades, I always wondered how there could be unity from five completely different passions and points of view which historically always brought division. In my 20^th century church mentality I could not ever see or imagine how that could happen.  The vertical, pyramidal, 20^th century church structure would not permit it since they made each of the five fold ministries “offices”.  Senior Pastors now obtained the title of “apostle” or “prophet”.   How else would the church see it since the pyramid, hierarchal church structure was embedded in the church?  With this new wave of thinking horizontally, stressing relationship, I can see some daylight that there is a possibility for unity in the five fold if they are looked upon as points of view or passions for every believer in the priesthood of believers in Jesus Christ.  If relationships are built so strong in Jesus between members of the body of Christ that they are willing to embrace I John 3:16 of “laying down their life for the brethren”, then the groundwork would be laid. 

In the pyramidal, hierarchal structure that I have lived through, I can truthfully say that I do not know any brother or sister in the Lord who would actually lay down their physical or spiritual life for me, nor I for them.  I would “feel obligated” to do it for my “superiors”, my pastor and staff, but never for each other.  In the linear, vertical structured based on I John 3:16, it would become natural in building a deeper relationship with those in the body of Christ.  Through reciprocal “serving” of one another, trust would be built, and accountability would be established which the vertical, pyramid structure of leadership would not understand nor embrace, thus the conflict, misunderstanding, and division that revival normally produces.

It is my prayer and desire in these blogs to help bridge the gap between the old, 20^th century vertical structure with the new, 21^st century horizontal structure by having them “intersect” making a CROSS.  At that point of intersecting, at that point of allowing the supernatural vertical relationship with God the Father through His Son, Jesus, with the nurturing of the precious Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, can the miracle of unity be found.  Both different points of view, different mindsets, different understanding can realize and understand that they are saying the same thing in Jesus, only linguistically different, for the kingdom of God principles are the same for both groups or camps.  That is why I think this upcoming revival which we are only feeling the birthing pangs, the beginning contractions, here in America, will be the birth of the Church maturing individually and corporately in Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of Ephesians 4.

The Rewards of Retooling, Renewing, Revival, Rebirth!

The 21^st Century Retooling of the Church – Part LXII

I started this series out because of a news article about the retooling of Harley Davidson in York, PA, and the impact it has had on renewing the company and the vision for Harley.  This week, Harley came out with its quarterly earnings, now $133 million profit!  They are not making any more bikes than they did in the past, but their financial financing sector has increased.  The fact of fiscal responsibility of Harley has changed, and the company has gone from deep concern to productivity and profitability.

I am going to conclude this series on the “retooling” of the church with the challenge Harley Davidson has thrown out to the church.  Last Sunday, at my home church, Cityview Community Church in York, PA, the vision for this years “Biker Bar-BQ” Rallies were unfolded. The second Sundays of May, June, July, August & September, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., Cityview is hosting a Biker Bar-BQ where they feature a half of Bar-BQ’ed chicken, a pulled pork sandwich, baked potato, cole slaw, applesauce, and drink for $12 with the proceeds going to support an orphanage in Guatemala that our local church has literally help build from the ground up over the years and supported financially.  This endeavor will reach out to bikers, churched and non-churched people, while aiding orphans in a third world country.  Last year they held Biker Rallies on Saturdays, but “retooled” their efforts to do it on Sundays this year because that is when Bikers ride! I invite you to join us on the Second Sunday of the month for fellowship, fun, and food this summer!

Innovative evangelism, innovative change, lead by the Holy Spirit has been my theme throughout this thread of blogs.  The challenge comes when and if the bikers decide to return to Cityview.  Will pastoral components be in place for new converts to aide their new spiritual growth?  How do we change our teaching away from “church-ism” linguistics, so the unchurched can understand?  How can we prophetically speak into their lives, helping to make their new experience in Christ real, a live, a day to day walk, a true turning from the old to the new?  Who will be “seeing over” their new walk in Christ so that there will not be “over-sights,” or mistakes? These are the challenges that the five fold can help address if lead by the Holy Spirit.  This is the retooling, the revival, the renewal, the rebirth that I am addressing.

This is the experience of the local church I attend, but I want to challenge whomever is reading this blog to also take the plunge and allow the evangelistic spirit, the pastoral spirit, the teaching spirit, the prophetic spirit, and the apostolic spirit to arise in their local church.  Allow them to arise, but bond them together through the “laying down of one’s lives”, the service to each other, and the accountability to each other.  The weaving of this tapestry will bring a work of art never seen before in your church.  One that will help you and those in your church grow toward “maturing in the image of Jesus Christ” while bringing “unity in the body of Christ.” 

If the Church is willing to be retooled this way, I guarantee you that the results will even be more profound than those Harley Davidson announced this week, because they will have “eternal” rewards far exceeding the material rewards we face on earth while the kingdom of God is being advanced, and the retooling of the Church continues through the Holy Spirit.  This is true renewal!  This is true rebirth, the rebirth of the Church!

Keith Green’s “Asleep In The Light” Again Comes To Light!

The 21^st Century Retooling of the Church – Part LXI

I can’t shake this question, “Who Is My Brother’s Keeper”?  It keep resounding in my head. “Who is My Brother’s Keeper?”

In church yesterday, we sang a chorus about revival and an awakening.  I can’t help remember Keith Green’s classic song, “Asleep In The Light,” and the impact it had on me when it was first released.  The church needs to again listen to its lyrics:

Do you see, do you see all the people sinking down? Don’t you care, don’t you care are you gonna let them drown?  How can you be so numb not to care if they come? You close your eyes and pretend the job’s done. “Oh bless me lord, bless me lord,” you know its all I ever hear. No one aches, no one hurts, no one even sheds one tear, but he cries, he weeps he bleeds, and he cares for your needs. You just lay back and keep soaking it in. Oh, can’t you see it’s such a sin. ‘Cause he brings people to your door, and you turn them away, as you smile and say, “God bless you, be at peace,” and all heaven just weeps ‘cause Jesus came to your door and You’ve left him out on the streets.  Open up, Open up, and give yourself away. You seed the need, you hear the cries, so how can you delay?  God’s calling, and you’re the one, but like Jonah you run. He’s told you to speak, but you keep holding it in, oh, can’t you see it’s such sin. The world is sleeping in the dark that the church just can’t fight ‘cause it’s asleep in the light. How can you be so dead when you’ve been so well fed. Jesus rose from the grave and you, you can’t even get out of bed. Oh, Jesus rose from the dead. Come on get out of your bed. How can you be so numb, not to care if they come? You close your eyes and pretend the job’s done. You close your eyes and pretend the job’s done. Don’t close your eyes, don’t pretend the jobs done. “Come away, come away, come away with me my love. Come away, come away, come away with me my love.”

The lyrics are so relevant today, almost 30 years after they were written. Here we are praying for an “awakening” and the price of that “awakening” streams through my mind through Keith Green’s lyrics. In order to experience this “awakening” will take “brokenness”.  Brokenness is always an ingredient to revival.  Until we completely surrender to the Lord, allow His Holy Spirit to take the lead, we will not experience the revival we seek.  The “Great Awakening” of the 1700’s swept America with the call of repentance.  That cry is going forth two and a half centuries later!

It may be prophetic, but I believe the church in America is about to get what it has been praying for.  Joining the cause of smaller government, budget reductions, and tax relief, will come the responsibility for the Church to do Mathew 25 as I shared in my last blog.  A response to Keith Green’s song will become a reality.  The sleeping giant, the Church, will again be called to rise up and take care of the poor, the sick, the widows, the elderly, the lost, the dying, etc.  It will take sacrifice, faith, grace, mercy, and love, all ingredients the Holy Spirit has to offer.

I remember standing in a crowd at an Jesus rally in the ‘70’s hearing Keith sing his song and thinking what a “tough” word it was.  His prophetic message hasn’t softened, but our response to it has.  Awake church!  Now is the time for retooling, redoing, reviving, renewal, rebirthing, but it will come with a price.  My questions is “Is the Church willing to pay that price” or better yet, “Am I/You willing to pay that price?” And the questions still resounds in my head, “Who is My Brother’s Keeper?”

American Greed: Sheep And The Goats? Come On American Church!

The 21^st Century Retooling of the Church – Part LX

“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” Jesus said those words, yet the political climate today, especially among fundamental evangelical believers, is not to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s but keep it because it is “my money.”  In America we have looked to the government to supply services that we deem necessary, not the church.  We expect the government to educate our children, feed the hungry, provide for the homeless, care for the aging, supporting the mentally ill or the mentally or physically challenged, aide our libraries, fund our police and fire departments, snow removal, crime and prisons, etc., etc., but at no or little cost to us, the taxpayer.

Thirty-seven years ago we had a Superintendent of Schools where I work say that we could do almost anything we wanted as long as “it was at no cost to the district.”  That motto has become the school district’s mantra until a financially anorexic school district faces insurmountable challenges with state budget crunches.  Slush funds are dwindling, taxpayers are crying for relief, so they are asking staff to freeze pay, take cut backs, give up the power to negotiate, and bust teacher unions. 

American’s don’t want to invest in anything unless it benefits themselves.  That mentality births and feeds greed.  We are told to invest in the stock market to become rich, to produce jobs, but the rich are getting richer and the poor poorer, and jobs are getting out sourced.  The same attitude that prevails educational finances has also become the mantra for government.  You can do anything as long as “it is at no cost to the taxpayer,” unless it benefits the politician. 

What happened to investing in your children, our youth?  What happened to taking care of the elderly?  What happened to aiding the poor, the misfortune, the hurting?  What happened to the sacrifice for those who are defending us in our arm services?  What happened to civil responsibility? 

This attitude has even filtrated the Church in America where many attend, requesting physical, moral, and spiritual support from the Church at “no cost to the church ‘attendee’” if they do not tithe.  But that which we Americans are crying out against, so we can live in our houses defined by the number of bathrooms, two car garages with new cars, watching our large flat screen high definition televisions while our kids play video games and talk on their expensive phones, are the very things the Church is suppose to do.

Maybe we should hear the cry of Mathew 25:41-46: Then the King will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you game me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’  They will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment.” The sheep and the goats, the saints and the ain’ts, the doers and the not doers is a strong powerful parable that is relevant to the American attitude today.

Church, if America is telling the government not to do the above, and “we the people” are the American government, then the American Church must step up and tell their people to “feed the hungry, water the thirsty, take care of strangers, cloth the naked, provide health care to the sick, reform the prisons and reach out to prisoners who have served their time.”  Jesus said that we will be judged by those criteria! The retooling of the American church will have to re-address how the church faces these issues and challenges.  If there was ever a time for the Church to move forward in influence, it is now as the general population backs away from the very things Jesus has instructed us to do. American Church, let’s be the sheep we have been called to be, the doers!  Let us lead in a time in our history where Americans are looking for leadership. 

“Walking Away" From The Walk?

The 21^st Century Retooling of the Church – Part LIX

I have been reading about early Church history of the first three centuries and the writings of the early Church Fathers.  I can only imagine the second century Church’s challenge of facing change.  The believers are several generations away from the original apostles and believers who actually saw Jesus on the earth.  They could not go back to the Paul’s, Luke’s, Peter’s actual face-to-face encounters with Christ unless they were written down.  “Faith”, the believing in the unseen, now became stronger because the Church was removed from first hand accounts of Jesus.

Now was the time for change; now began theological debates about the person and divinity of Jesus and the Trinity.  The “experience” of “walking with Jesus” was being replaced by reason, thus theology (Theo = God. -ology = study; thus study of God). Doing theological exegesis on doctrine became the norm by prominent church leaders.  The “walking experience” with God became the sitting on one’s butt “studying” about God.  Wars have been fought over theology, major schisms developed, heresies born, challenged, then crushed, and historically, fragmentation of the Body of Christ, the Church, became its fruit.  “Power” over who runs the church, alias church politics, over came the inverted pyramid of service that the kingdom of God appropriates.  Several centuries after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the major split between the Eastern Orthodox Church centered in Constantinople and the Western Church centered in Rome became prevalent.

What happened to the personal walk of each believer?  What happened to the Road to Emmaus experience several disciples experienced shortly after the resurrection?  What happened to the daily walk by faith?  Matters of the mind, reason, took over matters of the heart, the Jewish Lamad way of perceiving things?  Intellect and reason now superseded experience and faith.  We, the Church, still face this battle even today.  People with earned intellectual religious degrees lead the church over older Christians who have spend a lifetime faithfully experiencing Jesus in their lives.  At least in the Western world, knowledge still supersedes faith in church structure and leadership.

How can the Church return to the teaching of “service”, the inverted pyramid of one carrying a lot of people on their shoulders than ruling over a lot of people?  Historically, the most effective form of evangelism is when there is one-on-one sharing of one’s “experience” of Jesus Christ in one’s life.  Even though Jesus had to question his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”, he still chose to “walk” with them for the last three years of his life so that they could “experience” him.  Even though he did a lot of “teaching” to them those three years, it was still the “walking out of their experiences” with him that would prepare them for apostleship,

They saw and experienced the one-on-one evangelism of Jesus talking to the women at the well and the revival it created in her hometown. The feeding of the 5,000 and the raising of the dead of the women's only son, and "Jesus wept" when hearing of Lazarus's death displayed the pastoral spirit in Jesus. They sat under Jesus’ teaching, though they had trouble understanding it until the Holy Spirit had been released to become their instructor.  They met and walked with the prophetic living Word, the living Son of God, the fulfillment of scriptures where again they did not realize its truths until the Holy Spirit later revealed it to them.  Finally their three-year “walk” with Jesus and later their Emmaus “walks” with the Holy Spirit would prepare them for apostleship.

God had established the five fold, the passions of servanthood, through service, to prepare His Church.  The passion of spiritual birth was born through evangelism, the passion of nurturing and caring was fulfilled in “walking” and providing for His disciples, the passion of teaching was released through Jesus, the Living Word, as he attempted to instruct his disciples how to “walk” out their faith through daily experiences, the passion of the prophetic was released in the fulfillment of the Messiah, the Living active Word in mankind, right before their eyes, and the passion of the apostolic was birthed through these “walks” with Jesus and fulfillments through the Holy Spirit.  I propose that this is the pattern the Church should seek if it is to “equip” or “prepare” the “saints for the work of the service.”

Unlike the early Church fathers, two centuries removed from Jesus’ appearance on earth, we, the twenty-first century Church are two millennium removed.  We should have learned that a walk of faith through “reason” and “knowledge” only brought on a long period called The Dark Ages which had its grips only broken by the Reformation when God’s spirit was again released on God’s people for the works of “service” to the kingdom of God rather than the religious kingdom of the church.

History has proven the Church needs change, yet is slow and reluctant to embrace it.  The Church was birthed and built on principles of the kingdom of God, sacrifice and service.  Power and might produced by the Holy Spirit were replaced by political power and might.  The church changed from an agent of “serving” to an institution “to be served.” 

“In the last days, I will pour out my spirit on your sons and daughters,” boasts the book of Acts of the Apostles.  That pouring has begun at the closing of the last century.  Now it is time to allow the Holy Spirit to take that “new birth”, that evangelistic out pouring of the Holy Spirit, and begin to develop it pastorally, through nurture and care, while teaching its believers through day to day experiences, grounded on the Word of God, the Bible, and released into a living work known as the Church, through the reestablished apostolic over sight.  The five fold is about to be developed no matter if you believe it or not! Are you willing to embrace it?

Accountability Through Diversity: Little Boxes, Little Boxes Made of Ticky-Tack?

The 21^st Century Retooling of the Church – Part LVIII

I remember the song in the ‘60’s called Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds. The lyrics read, “little boxes, little boxes, little boxes filled with ticky-tacky; little boxes on the hillside, little boxes all the same.  There’s a green one, and a pink one, and a blue one and a yellow one, and they are all made out of ticky-tack, and they all just look the same. 

And the people in the houses all went to the university where they were put in boxes, and they all come out the same. And the doctors and the lawyers and business executives, and they put them all in boxes and they all came out the same. 

And they all play on the golf course, and they drink their martini’s dry, and they all have pretty children, and all the children go to school, and all the children go to summer camp, and then to the university where they put them all in boxes and they all come out the same.

And the boys go into business and marry andraise a family in boxes made of ticky-tack, and they all look just the same. There’s a green one, and a pink one, and a blue one and a yellow one, and they are all made out of ticky-tack, and they all just look the same. ”

Churches are no different, for Baptist produce “Baptist boxes”, Lutherans produce “Lutheran boxes”, Pentecostals produce “Pentecostal boxes”, Non-denominationalist and independents produce “Independent boxes”, etc.  No matter what label the church group, they produce “their own kind”, their “little boxes”.  All these different boxes boast of being under the same label called “The Church” because they all try to produce the same image, but they look different because they look only as their own kind.

Can an individual local church produce different boxes?  It is tough, but it can only be done if there is diversity in the church itself.  My blogs have been about that diversity, known as the five fold: the recognition of evangelists, shepherds, teachers, prophets, and apostles in every church.  There are believers in almost every church who have the burden to win the lost, who want to nurture and care through hospitality, who want to teach the Word, the Bible, who want closer living, intimate spiritual walks with Jesus, and who have a burden for the Church as a whole.  They are already there! What a diversity of points of view or passions, but how do you get these diverse dialects to speak the same language, the language of the Church, the language of the active, living Word of God?  I propose only through relationships and accountability to one another.

It is amazing that opposites attract in marriage; what was the weakness of one they find to be the strength in their spouse.  Diversity is often the very strength of a marriage though it does bring it own conflicts when it seems the two are not speaking the same language.  Communications is a key to a successful marriage.  Even though each spouse can be coming from a different point of view, a different passion, what seems like a different language, only through constant dialogue, communicating with one another can a strong lasting marriage be molded, formed, or bonded.  The same is true with the Church.  Diversity is its strength, and only through continual communication between God and His people through the Holy Spirit and between God’s people to each other can meaningful, successful relationships be established in the Family of God.

An evangelist can give new birth to others, a shepherd can give nurture and care, a teacher can give the foundation of the Word of God, the prophet can give spiritual life, and the apostle proper over sight seeing over the other’s gifting while drawing their diversity into unity.  This unity through diversity can only be done when each and every one of them is willing to give to the other, but also receive from the other, from their strengths.  This giving and taking by “laying down one’s life” for each other brings accountability like has never been seen in the Church for centuries.

The Church’s calling has not been to produce “little boxes” labeled with their groups identity, but reproducing, developing, and equipping its people to grow into the image and maturity of Jesus Christ, bringing unity to this diverse body.  People should see Jesus when looking at a believer, not a Baptist, a Lutheran, a Pentecostal, an Independent, etc.  The Church needs not to major on the minors, producing little boxes, but major in the birthing, nurturing, and developing of people into the image of Jesus Christ, a major undertaking!  Only through this development will come true accountability!

Who Is Accountable?

The 21^st Century Retooling of the Church – Part LVII

When a company retools, to whom are they accountable?  It could be to the shareholder, the investor, or to management, or to the working force.  In order to make a profit, all three must work together and be accountable to one another, or a product will not be produced nor a profit made.

If we are to retool the Church, to whom will the Church be accountable? To whom are those in the Church to be accountable to?  At the end of the last century, may “independent” churches, trying to avoid becoming a denomination or being part of a denomination, were birthed, held together by loosely held associations with other independent churches or totally independent from anyone.  The Missional Movement came in to existence in order for these loose federations to communicate with each other without being accountable to one another. I attend a church that is independent and currently is not under anyone’s umbrella of protection, guidance, or advice beyond the local church.  What does that say to the Body of Christ, the Church, as a whole?  To whom are we to be accountable to if anyone?

Inside the local church structure, to whom are we to be accountable?  I am told the Pastor, Elders, or leadership team.  I have been taught that I need to give a tithe to the local church to support this leadership team and/or staff as part of my accountability to them.  What then is their role of accountability towards me?  Are they accountable to me in some way? How?  I attended a church of near 3,000 this past Sunday, and realized that there is no way the pastor even knows, or even has met with each member of his flock over the past year.  The people feel accountable to him as their pastor, but what is expected of him towards them: a sermon each week, but not a personal relationship?

The church is built on relationships, and true accountability is a give and take situation.  It is reciprocal. I John 3:16 says that we need to lay down our lives for our brethren, but we cannot do that without a relationship.   Any mega-church knows that it has to have a small group ministry if it is ever going to “disciple” its flock.  I recently heard Kent Henry pointed out that during the last decade we, the church, have opted for high-tech, rear projected screens, with internet, social networking capabilities, high quality sound systems and lighting, producing an entertaining product attracting large numbers of people, but we have failed in “discipleship”.

What is a “disciple”?  What is “discipleship”?  Ephesians 4 calls it “equipping”, or preparing, “the saints for the work of the service”.  What does “equipping” mean? What actually is “the service”?  I believe that effective equipping can come only through building and establishing relationships that are accountable to one another. Only through relationships can effective “serving” or service be taught.  If we “serve” one another through relationship, we establish accountability to one another.  Think of your best friends.  Why are you best friends?  Your intimate friendship is based on the accountability of your intimate relationship.  You accept one another, even at your worse, and you listen to one another giving and taking advice.

The church has to recognize that accountability does not come by positions or offices held in a church, even though the Bible teaches to honor those in leadership, but in relationships with one another.  Big Brother programs have been effective toward needy children, but the church needs a Mature Believers in Christ program where older men build relationships with younger men, older women build relationships with younger women, not as another church program, but in actual relationships that take time, nurture, and care.  If that is established then the reciprocal will happen when the young will then take care of the old, the widow, and the widower. The book of Titus deals with this endeavor.

So how is the Church to be retooled? It should be retooled through relationships which will produce accountability.  Anything less will become just programs, changing every month or every cycle, the very trap many churches find themselves in today.  Let’s focus on relationships, the laying down of our lives for each other, which is a deep relationship of accountability.

Is The Church Our Brother’s Keepers?

The 21^st Century Retooling of the Church – Part LVI

We count on the government for programs, programs to take care of the homeless, the poor, those without medical insurance, those with mental, physical, or learning handicaps, those struggling with drugs, those released from prison, the elderly, preschool, public school, fire and police protection, etc., etc.  As a Christian, I ask what do we count on the Church for here in America? Spiritual guidance, of course, is of essence, but the church is no longer the social hub of American society, nor supplying “services” to the poor, the sick, the aging, and hurting as it once was.  Many hospitals and institutions of higher learning boast the name of past church influences. With all the government budget cuts, what influence can the church reclaim?

People are looking for someone who cares, who will give guidance, hope, answers to tough questions, and courage to face tough situations, but doesn’t demand a monetary payment for their kindness.  They are not necessarily looking for professional services, but acts of kindness from every day people, friends, neighbors, Christians who care.

If the church embraced the five fold they would have an evangelist who would give hope, offer a new birth or a renewal spirit.  They would have pastoral gifting, individual believers reaching out with care and faith when helping people through difficult situations reassuring them that they are not alone as they face and walk through their struggles.  They would have a foundation of faith through the Word, the Bible. They would have spiritual guidance of learning that the Written Word can become the Living Word, walking out spiritual principals through the prophetic.  They would have the assurance of over sight, someone seeing over their welfare and the welfare of others as a whole body, a family. 

So the Church needs to reevaluate its role in American society, retool itself to be more effective to those in need, and rethink how it does church.  The challenge is will the church continue to just rely on tradition to get it through, or become innovative and creative, allowing the Holy Spirit to retool it to meet the needs of the hurting and lost, and exposing the Kingdom of God to the world.

There’s A Whole Lot Of Shaking Going On (Continued…. Again!)

The 21^st Century Retooling of the Church – Part LV

When a bar tender prepares a mixed drink, often he puts the proper ingredients into a glass, then places a “shaker” over it and shakes the ingredients together!  Without the shaking, the drink will not be as good, individual tastes will be too strong or too weak. A whole lot of shaking can make a good drink.  On the other hand, if you get sedimentary water from the stream that is cloudy, you can let it sit, and the sedimentary sinks, producing what looks like clear water.  Unfortunately a whole lot of shaking of that jar produces what was originally in the jar, a muddy, unclear mess.

A whole lot of shaking can produce two results, a good blend or a messy one!  The church is often afraid of allowing a whole lot of shaking because it “naturally” expects the results to be a messy one.  Shaking can bring cloudiness to a situation.  Only through filtration can the water again be pure.  So what is the filtration device for the Church to use? I propose that the filtration device is the Cross through the Holy Spirit. 

As I have said in earlier blogs, the only way to experience the “supernatural,” the vertical relationship with the Godhead is allow it to penetrate, to dissect the “natural”, those horizontal relationships we have.  That vertical dissection to the horizontal produces the Cross.  Only when we take “messy shake-ups” in our lives to the Cross can we bring clarity to situations by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.  Because of the cross and resurrection, Jesus’ mission to life as a human, the Son of God, the Living Word in the flesh, he could now go back to the heavenlies to sit at the right hand of God the Father to intercede for the saints.  His job is now one of intercession on behalf of those whose faith believes in him.  Only upon his return could the Holy Spirit be released to “bring all men unto Him”!

Only through the filtration of allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and through our lives can we filter out the muddy mess to produce clear “living water.”  Jesus said, “If a man thirsts, let him drink from the living well”, drink life through the “living water,” Jesus Christ.  Only through “shaking, then filtrating can we get the pure water we seek.

On the other hand, a whole lot of shaking can bring a blend of different tastes, liquors, drinks, fruits, etc. into a totally invigorating concoction of a drink.  Those tastes which tasted good individually taste even better when blended together.  There strengths together become the strength of the drink only after a whole lot of shaking and stirring.  In order for the five fold, the evangelistic, pastoral, teaching, prophetic, and apostolic passions can come together is if the Holy Spirit does “a whole lot of shaking” to bring them together, and I think the Church is beginning to experience that “shaking”.  At least that is my prayer of faith.

For this to become an actuality, there needs to be a shaking, exposing the impurities that lie in the pure “living water” of Jesus Christ in his Body, the Church.  After the working of the Holy Spirit to bring purification, then more shaking can produce the blending of five different points of views, five different passions into one, producing maturity in the Body of Christ and unity. 

That purification process for the believers in Christ will come in a brokenness, a willingness to “lay down their lives for their brethren”, and a hunger for God in a degree never felt before by the Church. It will be the Church again facing the Cross, the cross roads of the “natural” and the “supernatural”, allowing Jesus to be King and Lord, and allowing the Holy Spirit to do what He has been sent to do!

Often in my previous blogs I have asked, “Can you/we/I trust the Holy Spirit?”  If we can’t trust the Holy Spirit, the out come will only be muddied waters when the shaking begins.  If we can, then we will drink from “living water” and eventually enjoy a “blend” like never before experienced, a refreshing, a renewal, a rebirth.

Have you gotten it by now; there is a whole lot of shaking going on!