Getting To the Root Of the Problem

As the discussion of ecclesiomethodology has unfolded over the past few months, a number of problems have been identified and discussed. Among these problems are lack of or stunted Christian growth, “worshiptainment” (that’s a good word that Steve coined) replacing genuine praise and worship, biblical ignorance, misunderstood and misapplied roles of leadership and probably several more that I am not listing here. If you think of one that I haven’t listed, feel free to add it to the rest.

These are legitimate concerns, please do not think that I am not giving them the attention they deserve. Anyone who thinks that I am overlooking these problems need only dig through the archives of some of the blogs I mentioned yesterday (especially Steve’s) and they will find that I have already stipulated the existence of these problems. So I see no need to revisit them in their details at this point.

There are two considerations that I would like to suggest before I progress any further.

First, I would suggest that, serious though these problems may be, they are but symptoms of a larger and deeper problem within the church.

Second, while these problems are certainly present in the traditional church model, could it be that they are not inherent to that model, but are so visible in that setting only because (until recently, at least) the traditional model has been the only game in town?

Church “systems” are, I believe, a product of the evolution of the church within its culture. Look at history and you will see the impact that culture had on the way that church was “done”. Persecution of the early church caused its dispersal around the civilized world of that time. The persecution by the Roman Empire literally drove the church underground. The politicizing and corruption of the medieval church gave birth to the Reformation, etc., etc.

Even in our time, if you look around the world you will see how geography, economics, political tensions, persecution and a host of other factors impact the way that church is carried out in various cultures. Believers may meet under a tree in the Sudan, in a house in China, in a hut in the South Pacific, in ancient buildings in Europe or in modern facilities in Western settings. I believe that this suggests that ecclesiomethodology is a fluid concept, not bound by rigid mandates of scripture, but a liberty given by God to adapt to the best way of letting us demonstrate the graces of God.

In whatever form the church has appeared, there have been problems. Every “system” has had its strengths as well as its weaknesses. Like forms of government their effectiveness is largely based upon the abilities of the people who administer them (I know, the church has a spiritual source of power, I am coming to that.). Monarchy can be a good thing, if you have a good monarch. Democracy is wonderful until elected officials become corrupted (are we there yet?). Some would even argue the merits of socialism, yet history is full of examples of the abusiveness of that form of government when it is in the hands of greedy leaders.

My point is, every church “system” is a method that is developed by flawed people. The problems that each system experiences are not a result of the structure, but are a reflection of the tensions between what the church ought to be and our sinful human nature (Romans 7:14-25).

So what then? Is the church just to limp along in its humanity, limited to the abilities of its members? Not at all. It is the body of Christ. We have a spiritual head that is able to compensate for and overcome our weaknesses. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to carry out the legitimate functions of the body. We have the gifts and grace of God to strengthen one another and complement the individuality of each member.

Why then do we still have problems?

I believe the source of the problems as well as the solution is identified in the warning to the Ephesian church in Revelation 2:1-7. The Ephesian church was characterized by their work, their labors for others, their patience, their separation from worldliness, their doctrinal purity and their steadfastness. Sounds like a pretty good church doesn’t it? And yet we find they are chastised because they have departed from their love for Christ.

When the church, regardless of its format, is motivated by anything other than passion for Christ, its methods are doomed to failure. When we fail to obey the Great Commandment, we lose our connection to the source that guarantees our success. We become guilty of committing the most satanic of sins, pride.

Consider the difference that passion or Christ makes. If the Word of God is presented, whether in a sermon or around a table of fellowship, a heart that is in love with Christ will benefit from it. When music, drama or any other art form is presented by one who is truly performing as an act of worship, Christ will be glorified and it will cease to be entertainment. When leaders are motivated to serve others because of their love for Christ, abuses of leadership will not take place.

Christ is the foundation of the building, He is the husband of the bride, He is the head of the body. Whatever analogy you choose to use to describe Christ’s relationship with the church, it all comes down to this, the church’s first priority is to worship Christ Jesus. The church is about Him, not us. It is not about our needs, frustrations, hurts, or any other human factor. We are called to worship Him with all that we are.

I believe that the overall effectiveness of the body in fulfilling this priority is determined by the willingness of individual members to comply with God’s command to love Him. I have a personal responsibility to each of you as fellow-members to worship Christ.

For the sake of the body, let us look beyond our problems, our methods, our preferences, yes even beyond our ideals and return to our first love.

Problems In the Church

One of the things I enjoy about blogging is the opportunity to discuss theological topics with other bloggers who may have a different understanding than my own of a particular point of doctrine. It is particularly good when the varied opinions can be set forth sans name-calling, generalizations and straw men.

 Such has been the case for me for nearly a year now on the topic of church methodology. I came across Steve Sensenig’s blog several months ago and found his posts discussing simple church as an alternative to more traditional models to be a refreshing departure from the usual fare of stale debates that was being served on the blogging buffet.

While Steve and I frequently found ourselves on different sides of the ecclesiomethodological (how do you like that word? I just made it up) coin, we have benefited from the iron sharpening that has taken place through our discussions. I have been forced to re-examine my position on several points. While I may not have changed my mind on many of them, I have gained a better grip on why I believe what I believe about church, as well as a broader understanding of how God is working through methods different than those I am using.

Rayborn Johnson, David, Tony Sisk, Alan Knox and Heather (among others) have taken part in the discussion as well, posting their thoughts in articles on their own blogs (except for David, who really should start a blog ). I want all of you to know what a blessing you each have been to me in our exchanges.

I have engaged in the discussion on their blogs, but to this point I have not written anything related on my own blog. The more I thought about it, I felt uncomfortable with the thought of debating something on someone else’s blog without being willing to address it on my own. I have been giving it a lot of thought, however, and I believe that I have some thoughts that I would like to share in a manner that is consistent with the objectives that I have for Heavenly Heartburn.

I want to say from the outset of my post(s) that it is not my intent to promote one “style” of church over another. While, in the discussions, I may have defended traditional church methods, I do not believe that they are inherently superior to other methods. I am going to try my best to keep my thoughts from degenerating into a “traditional church vs simple church” debate.

I say this because I am coming to realize through these discussions that the Bible really has very little to say on the topic of ecclesiomethodology (I really like that word). I am becoming convinced that God is less concerned with how we “do” church than He is with how we “are” church (I believe Alan said something to this effect one time). This is not to say that there are no wrong methods, there are, but I do not believe that the most glaring symptoms of problems of the church today have been produced by the methods we employ. Neither do I believe that the solution to these problems is a matter of practice. The roots of the problems as well as the solutions lie beneath the surfaces of hurt, frustration and apathy that so often characterize the modern church.

While the Scriptures may not say much on methods, I do believe the solutions are to be found there. I hope to address one of those tomorrow.

Nana Zings the Magazine

I will try to post something substantive in the next day or two. In the meantime, let me share something with you that happened with my 87-year-old grandmother the other day (I call her “Nana”).

A couple of years ago, she got roped into a deal subscribing to a number of women’s magazines. After she got them, she realized that she really didn’t enjoy them and they weren’t worth the money. So when a young lady from one of the magazine companies called her recently to see if she wanted to renew her subscriptions, Nana replied, “No thank you, all you have in them is sex and dieting and I’m not interested in either one!”

Ya’ gotta love her!

Weekend Survey

After an extended vacation, Weekend Survey has returned.

This week’s question is related to the previous post concerning the evident realities of life and the ideals of our faith.

Question: How has your perception of God changed since you first became a believer?

Since I was saved as a child, I think both my natural maturation process and my spiritual development have played a part in helping me to realize that God is more than an impersonal, “grandfather” type being. I have learned that He is a very personal, heavenly Father who, just about the time I think I have Him figured out, shows me a totally different aspect of His nature.

What Do You Think About God?

In my recent book review of Confessions Of an Amateur Believer, by Patty Kirk, I mentioned that the author dealt with some poignant questions concerning her ideals about God. Blogging friend, Danny Kaye, suggested that perhaps we could discuss some of them. Rather than spoil the book for you by revealing all of them here, I am going to present a “composite question” to you for discussion.

Mrs. Kirk expressed that she abandoned her early belief in God because the reality of her life did not match the ideals of God that she learned in her religious upbringing. The Roman Catholic church had painted a mental picture of God that she simply could not reconcile with the events of her life.

Now, I am in no way saying that God can be limited to the scope of our experience or understanding, please do not infer that I am. God is who He is, and His ways are far beyond our ways. My understanding of God has no power to shape God, but it does have the power to shape me.

Now with that in mind, here is my question for discussion.

What should we do when the evident realities of life do not reconcile with the ideals of our faith?

Bits and Pieces

I want to take this opportunity to share with you some new links that you may find interesting.

 This past weekend, Jamey Murphy, husband of singer, Kelley Murphy, led a parenting conference at Pine Park Baptist Church. The conference materials were produced by the Parent Project and were excellent. They offered great insights into the problems that kids are facing today, how a parent can identify those problems, and how to develop a strategy to deal with them. If any pastors or youth ministers read this, I highly recommend that you have Jamey come and do a conference at your church. You can contact him through his brand-new blog (WordPress should start paying me commission fees!), Blue Collar Parent.

Frequent visitor and commentor here, Ron Jackson, aka RBJ, has finally started his own blog (WordPress, are you getting this?). Bro. Ron is a member of Pine Park BC and is a genuine country boy. He has a lot of stories to tell along with some pretty good insights on living. Be sure and give his blog a visit.

You can always count on kids for a good laugh. This past Sunday night, I had preached on David’s sin with Bathsheba. On the way home, my oldest son, Clay, asked, “Dad, what does ‘adultery’ mean?”

Before I could answer, my youngest son, Glen, chimed in, “That’s when you make fun of adults.” 

Finally, congratulations to the Bears and the Colts. This should be a pretty good Super Bowl. I think Peyton Manning will finally be able to silence his critics by leading his team to a championship.

White-Collar Barbarianism

Yesterday was Right-to-Life Sunday. Once a year, many churches in America focus upon the barbaric practice of abortion.

When one mentions “barbarians”, usually it is the coarse, hairy, vulgar ruffian that comes to mind, not a highly-educated doctor wearing a white coat. You need only to watch the video posted by Tim Ellsworth to realize that the lowest level of barbarianism is being practiced by the highest level of our society. I warn you, this is absolutely the most gruesome and disturbing thing I have ever seen, yet it contains a message that must reach our country.

Other bloggers are also drawing attention to this issue. My brother is beginning a series of posts that compare abortion to slavery. Being his brother, I have already had opportunity to read the entire project. It is must-read material for anyone concerned about this topic. In addition, Ken Fields is two-thirds of the way through a three-part series on the subject. You can read the first post here, and the second post here.

For too long now, politicians have only payed lip-service to this issue and our concerns. There was a time when this was the rallying cry for many conservative politicians. They would attend the gatherings of pro-life advocates and express their support of the rights of the unborn. Tragically, little has been done on the legislative level to address this sin. Now it seems that many conservative politicians are just hoping that this issue will just go away quietly into the night. They don’t want to risk losing moderate voters who would rather focus upon other issues.

I still believe that righteousness exalts a nation. I do not lay the blame entirely upon our leaders. Often, our leadership is simply a reflection of what is in the hearts of the average Joe on the streets. Perhaps if messages like this one can be told, hearts will be changed in this matter.

Until then, may we be faithful to defend those who are unable to defend themselves.

Search Me

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

We are masters of disguise, are we not? We are adept at hiding our innermost feelings from those around us. We can place the most villainous or depraved thoughts deep in the recesses of our mind and feel confident that no one will ever know–maybe they won’t. With a certainty, though, we can say that God knows.

David’s prayer in these verses is not so that God will search us so that HE may know what is in our heart. The entire psalm is about God’s knowledge of what is going on in the “secret” parts of our life. I believe that David was asking God to search him and then reveal to him the things about his life that were displeasing to God.

The word “search”, as used here, literally means, “to penetrate”. David has described the things that he is doing externally in his effort to please God, but he wants God to look beneath the veneer of activity into the substance of the soul. David realized that man has the potential for bitterness, anger, lust, murder, pride…any of the sinful desires of the flesh, and he knew that sometimes these impulses and imaginations could be compartmentalized and buried within us. Often these sins can be so deeply ingrained in our persona that we do not realize they are there. At other times we may have forgotten about unrepented-of sins in our past.

Are we willing to ask God to penetrate our heart, looking past the vain facades of denial, apathy and self-confidence? Are we able to place the entire evaluation of thoughts, motives and imaginations in His hands, asking Him to point out to us the areas of our life that displease Him?

What if He does start identifying trouble spots in our life? How will we respond? Will we meekly acquiesce to His verdict or will we become “spiritual lawyers” who look for loopholes or extenuating circumstances? Even worse, will we harden our heart to the conviction of His Spirit?

What we must never forget is that God already knowswhat is in our heart. This prayer is simply a matter of humbling ourselves before God and responding to His word, “lead me in the way everlasting”.

Book Review: Confessions Of an Amateur Believer

Confessions Of an Amateur Believer

By Patty Kirk

Published by Nelson Books, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

ISBN: 0-7852-2041-0

 Confessions Of an Amateur Believer is the record of one woman’s journey of faith. Patty Kirk is an assistant professor of English at John Brown University. Raised in a Catholic home, she developed an awareness of God that was based upon religion and liturgy. Her understanding of God was limited to what she had been taught, which was often an unrealistic and somewhat distant view of God.

After being victimized by a violent crime, along with other adverse circumstances in her life, she abandoned all belief in God. She was unable to reconcile the realities of life with a somewhat unrealistic understanding of the grace of God.

As God does, however, He continued to draw Patty to Himself. Through family members who had become believers, she was introduced to the concept of a vibrant relationship with God instead of dead religion. Eventually she became a believer, not in an impersonal being, but in a loving, heavenly Father.

This book tells of her progression to a stronger faith. In a very transparent manner, she provides insights into what she has been learning about God through the everyday experiences of life. Although at times, the book seems to get a little bogged down in the details of these moments, it is an uplifting testimony of the many graces of God that we can encounter at every turn.

One thing about the book that I really appreciated was Mrs. Kirk’s honesty in asking questions about God. Free from pretension or fear of being considered “unspiritual” for asking difficult questions about who God is and what He does, she approaches her walk with God as one who has abandoned preconceived notions and is completely open to learning what God would have her to know.

I recommend this book for anyone who has ever questioned the love of God, His grace and mercy, or even His existence. I was blessed by it and I feel you will be also.

Blog Updates

I just wanted to mention a few updates that I have made in the last couple of days. I have added a couple of links that I want to tell you about.

First, my lovely wife, Amy, has decided to start her own blog. She is calling it, Byway Blessings. Stop by and give it a read. Tell her I sent you and maybe it will get me some brownie points.

Frequent visitor and commentor here, Tony Sisk, has a blog called “Rambling Prophet.” Bro. Sisk is a pastor from up in Virginia and is one who prefers not to let others do his thinking for him. We need more Christians like that. Be sure and check out his blog.

I have also added a link to the website of the Gold City Quartet on my music page. When it comes to singing quartet-style gospel music, these guys are tops.

In addition, you might want to check out a brand new blog. Brett is the son of regular visitor here, RBJ. He is sharing some of his experiences on the road as a truck driver. You can visit his blog here.

I hope these links will bless you as they have blessed me.