Disengaged

I've mentioned before that I was disengaging from my church this summer. I've said we would be playing Sunday mornings by ear, with no particular plan from one week to the next. We'd fulfilled our commitment to serving in the church bookstore until the end of May, so yesterday was our first Sunday of this new era. I had wondered all week whether we would go to church or not, but in the true sense of playing it by ear, we were not really sure.

Yesterday morning we stepped outside at the usual time (just a little behind schedule) and both of us were immediately wowed by the beautiful weather. I mean, it was near perfect. The morning sun, the cool breeze. Nothing about that moment made us want to go into a windowless cave where there would be an amped up early morning rock concert in progress (aka, a worship service at church).

"It's a shame we have to miss all this," said the wifey.

"But we don't," said I, leading her down the primrose path to a churchless Sunday.

So we stayed home. Sat in the yard and read our books, soaking in the sunlight and the quiet.

What's remarkable about this is that we've never done anything like it before on a Sunday morning. Stayed home, just for the pleasure of staying home. That's a new thing for us. We're not leaving the church, we're not down on it, we're not turning our backs on it, and we love the people of God. But man, yesterday morning in the back yard was so much more pleasant than the usual church routine.

And Next week? Who knows? We're playing it by ear.

"The Talk"

Last week I had the talk with my pastor. You know, the I-don'think-this-church-is-for-me talk. I respect this guy a whole lot and it was a nice discussion. We kind of agreed to disagree about preaching the gospel every time you preach. I said it was the whole purpose of preaching, he said it was his purpose to preach "the whole council of God," which includes the gospel but goes well beyond it. He said the preaching of the gospel is primarily an evangelistic practice (for reaching the lost), while his role was more of a teacher than an evangelist, preaching "the whole council of God" in order to affect spiritual growth and maturity in the congregation.

I think his assumption was that I meant by "the gospel" the nuts-and-bolts salvation message offered just before an altar call. I guess we never really hashed out what exactly I did mean by "the gospel," or (better) "gospel centrality," so in that sense I'm a little miffed at my own lack of clarity there, but all in all I thought the conversation was a real blessing.

This fellow is a hard-working and thoughtful pastor, but his "whole council of God" understanding (and you would know this from his preaching) is not decisively gospel-centric or Christ-centered. It is fascinating to me how Jesus can be "one of many things" a pastor might teach about, rather than those "many things" being subject to Him who holds all things together.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Col 1:15-20

"That in everything [Jesus] might be preeminent" is the purpose clause of the passage. You might call it God's mission statement. If our own mission--and our preaching and teaching--does not jibe with that, something is definitely wrong.

Anyway, that's done, and now the decks are nearly cleared. I'm committed to a few more weeks of attendance (obligation, not desire) and after that, we're playing it by ear.

Membership vs. Mission

These words of Reggie MacNeal, quoted yesterday, have a certain resonance with me because the church I go to has just embarked on a membership campaign.

The attractional model of church creates a ‘member culture,’ in which people join a particular church and support that organization with their attendance, their money, their prayers, and their talent. The flow is toward the church, which is always at the center of the action, where the big game is being played.

"Member culture." I like that. This is a new thing at our church. Quite suddenly one Sunday everyone was strongly urged to take an 8-week class, upon which they would be, officially, members. In doing so they were said to be "committing" themselves to the church. They would become "accountable." Their attendance at the class meant that they were making 7 "commitments" (that's the key word in all this), which included tithing and being involved in at least one ministry of the church. On the other hand, if you don't take the class, you are merely an "attender," not a member. You probably suffer from an inability to make commitments, you don't like being accountable, and you may be a shallow church-shopper.

Well, if that doesn't smack of "member culture," nothing does! I will add that the leaders at my church are generally a conscientious bunch, and they try very hard to be both attractional and missional, but it's clear that, as MacNeal says, "The flow is toward the church, which is always at the center of the action, where the big game is being played."

I start with the observation that most people are "maxed out" in every area of their life. They are being pressed, coaxed, and pressured (for time, money, etc.) on all sides. The church should not simply replicate that atmosphere. In fact, it should intentionally offer Christ's relief from all that.

The missional alternative can be helpful because it places the emphasis where it belongs.

The missional church views the church’s position in society very differently. It understands that God has his people—his missionaries—deployed across all domains of culture. After all, since the mission is redemptive and the world is God’s target, doesn’t it make sense that he would take this approach? Otherwise, how would salt be distributed or light puncture the darkness?

Maybe I usher in the church and give my 10% I qualify as a member, but out there between the stop-signs of life I'm not even coming close to representing the living Jesus in my world. The problem is, between the stop-signs is where the important ministry is going on, not in the church. On the other hand, maybe there's a mom with three kids who is "ministering Christ" to her children day by day, but has a hard time making it to church every week. Pity she can't be a member, though she's a temple of the Holy Spirit!

In other words, the measure by which we define membership is of little real significance. The church isn't where the real game is, folks!

When the 8-week course was over, the church had a party. One Sunday morning was set aside to promote the program to those who hadn't signed up for the first round of classes. We heard that everything about it was, of course, wonderful, and how it was an antidote to our commitment-phobic culture. The time normally allotted to preaching was set aside for the promotion of this church program! And then they served cake.

Disengaging from Church Stuff

I took steps today to disconnect from a couple of the church "ministries" that I am regularly a part of. This would be the bookstore, and the ushering. I'm aiming at doing neither by the end of May.

These are the two things that keep me coming to church. Disengaging from these, I'll feel easier about staying home from church, which is my plan at least for the summer.

As someone who has seldom missed a Sunday at church for the last 17 years or so, this is a radical move, but it seems right for me just now, since church only makes me grumpy these days.

This means that for a while at least I'm not going to have a church. I don't really imagine this to be a permanent condition, but then it wouldn't disappoint me if my interaction with fellow-believers came in other settings than Sunday morning church.

Brant Hanson has a timely post on this subject. Here's a snip:

If you see "preaching", Biblically, as a sermon delivered each week to roughly the same audience by the same guy in the same building, and you regard this as an essential, or a near sacrament, you are not going to pose the question. And I respect your opinion, even as I don't hold it. (I heard a very popular preacher the other day say, on the radio, "When someone causes you to doubt or question, you get away from them, and get into the House of the Lord. I know I need to do that, because I need a talented man of the pulpit to help me understand, and...")

You may be a person, like this Talented Man of the Pulpit, who really needs, who must have, a Talented Man of the Pulpit. In which case, you've likely stopped reading this blog. You may think his sprawling campus is the House of the Lord, too, in which case, you've likely stopped reading this blog.

I'm kind of expecting people to be worried about me, about my faith, perhaps a few of them even for my immortal soul. Whatever. I think this move will be good for me. I'll keep you posted.