What the church really needs
Now, some ight be shocked to hear that what the “church” — the disciples gathered — really needs is not more people, more money, better buildings or programs, more education, or more prestige. Christ’s gathered people, the church, has always been at its best when it had little or none of these. All it needs to fulfill Christ’s purposes on earth is the quality of life he makes real in the life of his disciples. Given that quality, the church will prosper from everything that comes its way as it makes clear and available on earth the “life that is life indeed.”
Exactly. That was what I was trying to say in my most recent blog post at http://www.homecomers.org/weblog/index.php/sungs-razor/. We have a lot in common, Dan.
So true!
Love your blog.
It's an outstandingly true comment. But how do you take a (large) group of people who are entirley used to seeing the church throught the lens Willard first describes, and help them make the shift into the second type of gathering?
We know this is something only God can do.
To hope for it from within, and with, the existing church-style, will take either hugely concerted effort, focus and planning (born out of immense frustration, burden and clear-sightedness from God) or it will take the forming of small groups within the larger, who will run ahead as forerunners in the display of the changed focus and style of our being the church.
Jim Kallum (Risking Church) and Randy Frazzee (the Connecting Church) are two pastors that have done/are doing this from within, surprisingly so.
We long to be part of a church (or group) that gets its strength and vision from being disicples--true followers of Jesus Christ--first and foremost. We, along with too many other Christians, have lost too much, in not having this with one another.
We expect this to cost everything you have and everything you are (is there any other kind of discipleship?) But also to give back far, far more than ever you could have dared imagined or dreamed. Such is the kingdom.
'Thy Kingdom come; They will be done.'
Make it so, Oh Lord, Make it so...