I, like all sheep before me, choose to redirect:

www.antfood.blogspot.com

converted to what?

I stumbled across some good 'ole Dallas Willard, and found this passage particularly intriguing (keep in mind that this was written 26 years ago):

A different model was instituted in the Great Commission Jesus left the church.  The first goal he set for the early church was to use his all-encompassing power and authority to make disciples without regard to ethnic distincitons -- from all "nations" (Matthew 28:19).  That set aside his earlier directive to go only to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 10:5-6).  Having made disciples, these alone were to be baptized into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  With this twofold preparation they were taught to treasure and keep "all things whatsoever I have commanded you."  The Christian church of the first century resulted from following this plan for church growth -- a result hard to improve upon.

But in place of Christ's plan, historical drift has substituted: "Make converts (to a particular faith and practice) and baptize them into church membership."  This causes two great omissions from the Great Commission to stand out.  Most importantly, we start by omitting the making of disciples on enrolling people as Christ's students, when we should let all else wait for that.  We also omit the step of taking our converts through training that will bring them ever increasingly to do what Jesus directed.

These two great omissions are connected.  Not having made our converts disciples, it is impossible for us to teach them how to live as Christ lived and taught.  That was not a part of the package, not what they were converted to.  When confronted with the example and teachings of Christ, the response today is less one of rebellion or rejection than one of puzzlement:  How do we relate to these?  What have they to do with us?  [Emphasis added]

Dallas Willard, Discipleship: For Super-Christians Only?, Christianity Today, 9/10/80.

This elicits a valid question: what are we converting believers to?  Should we be surprised that 90% of a congregation has no interest in service or personal involvement when our initial agenda made no mention of such?  We use gimmicks and emotional manipulation to bring individuals to a place of conversion, then act surprised when we can't find four volunteers to invest and disciple an eager group of junior high students.  We use a multi-million dollar building to facilitate "spiritual growth," yet are saddened when the poor, broken, and lost are ignored or rejected by our congregation.  What are we selling in our conversion package? 

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters -- yes, even his own life -- he cannot be my disciple.  And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.  Luke 14:25-27

bittersweet

I'm just about finished with my visit to Indiana.  A full range of emotions have encompassed this past week...some of it has been beneficial, some of it hurtful.  I know that the world doesn't revolve around me (though this is hardly a problem that I face alone),  but watching my friends, peers, and ministry relationships move on with life made me feel extremely small and insignificant.  There is a constant battle between my humanity and my humilty, my pride and my shortcomings, myself and my God.  Eagerly and reverantly I place myself in submission, yet still my heart aches for those that have chosen to live their lives for something other than service to Him.

I often feel as if I'm speaking a foreign language; I clumsily make small talk while reasoning through the verbal and mental distance.  However, the distance of our hearts is the most disconcerning -- free will gives each and every one of us the opportunity for disobedience, and I cringe when I hear stories of how the mighty have fallen.  Where the Holy Spirit once resided in vivid demonstration, only dryness remains.  I ignorantly question in my own mind if I could have prevented these failures, but am reminded that it is God alone that has been rejected or minimalized.

What a heavy burden to carry, to care for those who confront their shortcomings with justification, despite hearing the same message that I have been hearing for 28 years.  The love and compassion of an Almighty Creator has repeatedly placed Him in a position of action, chasing His children through all means necessary to experience communion.  We respond to this in one of two ways...

Many will see their humanity in view of His love and find the story to be too good.  We hear the story, and in light of our own sinful nature, reject its truth.  Why would a God this big bother with a person this prideful, stubborn, and shamefully disobedient?

Others will hear the same message, enamored and attracted to a Heavenly Father that could be so personal, so persistent, and so willing to accept our lack of faith.  This message beckons me to His will; through all of my fears, anxieties, and displeasure, I press on...never will a day go by in which I will forget the price I was worth.  Often this concept brings me to despair...I anticipate the day when I can hear Him say, "No more, my child.  Come live in my kingdom and forget all of those tears."

After leaving church yesterday, I turned off the radio (the constant noise in my life) and yelled at the top of my lungs while driving down SR 331.  I'm not sure what I was sharing with God in particular, but I know that He heard me, and I know that He understood.  And my foggy, confused, and broken prayer will surely be answered.

those three words

I don't hear them often.  And I tend to be extremely cautious about who I direct them towards...

The phone rang at work and my co-worker picked up.  He immediately started smiling in a confused way, and after a couple seconds he handed me the phone to hear for myself.  It was a little boy on the other end (he sounded about four or five).  He asked me what my name was, I told him, and then he told me that he would call back sometime.  All three of the Scooter's employees were laughing by this point, so I told the boy that I would have to talk to him later.

He replied, "OK...I love you!"

Instinctively, I responded the only way I could: "I love you too!"

We all continued to laugh after I got off the phone about the strange nature of this phone call.  He probably decided to pick up the phone and call a random number (to the absolute dread of his mother), and just happened to get a business.  But it brightened up my evening...

He didn't know me, didn't ask about me, and didn't care.  He just said the first thing that came from his heart: without condition, explanation, or fear.  I've got to believe that this is central in Jesus teaching that "anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  (Mk. 10:15, Lk. 18:17).

Have you ever expressed your love like that, showing love and gratitude towards your Heavenly Father, just because He's present and listening?  Completely unashamed and uninhibited, a child reacts on impulse as opposed to the numerous "safeguards" that we put in place to maintain control and dignity.  Even in confusion and mystery, children respond to what they are certain of.  I pray that in my personal walk, I will continue to approach my Creator as a child.

a direct path

One of my believing co-workers and her husband invited myself and another "thanksgiving orphan" over a couple weeks ago to partake in the annual meal.  The other woman (by her own admission) believes in God, but isn't very spiritual.  Due to her family background, she has been exposed to a number of different religions, and not surprisingly became equally interested (or disinterested) in all of them.  She is a loving, hard-working young lady who has spent a good portion of her life looking after her siblings and serving as "second mother," not an uncommon dynamic in a larger family.

As we were sitting for dinner, Paula (the hostess, and fellow believer) asked me if I could help explain again some of the dynamics of the organic church movement.  She was particularly intrigued by a diagram that I showed her from Brother Stan Yoder...

The concept behind the diagram is how we use the church (lower case c) as a resource to bring people into the Kingdom of God.  I find no problem with this at all.  I myself came to a knowledge of Christ through the work of the [c]hurch.  However, the diagram has the Kingdom of God in the center (i.e. believer and follower of Jesus Christ; right where it should be), with various cultures and religions around it (Judaism, Islam, and various generational groupings as well).  The [c]hurch is the only outside component with an arrow pointing directly towards the center. 

Herein lies the problem: for us to bring a Jew, a Muslim, a 20-something Kansas City democrat, a 38-year-old single woman into the Kingdom of God, it has to be done through the [c]hurch.  This is the structure in place.  So we ask the Jew to come to church with us, so that the pastor/Sunday School teacher/etc. can tell him that Jesus is the Messiah, and he needs to accept that.  We can invite the Muslim into the church, allowing him to come face-to-face with an institutional enemy of centuries (not to mention the Jew that we invited), expecting that if he truly heard about Jesus, he just might come to know him through the church.  We bring the democrat in, give him a voting card telling him how to vote Republican, boycott companies, and take a Pro-life stance.  And the poor 38-year-old woman is brought into a single's group with sole purpose of being paired up, or "serving God through her place in life."  What do you suppose the percentage of conversion would be?

Don't misunderstand me...I'm not promoting an "all roads lead to the Kingdom" theology here.  What I do suggest is that if we want to bring "outsiders" into the Kingdom of God, we better start praying and finding a way for His Kingdom to be established outside the walls of the [c]hurch!  Anyone would be right in believing that there is no quicker way to bring people into the Kingdom than through the church, but if we really want to get serious about making disciples of Jesus Christ (simply stated, followers who live according to how He lives), than it may be time to leave our beloved inner-circle and show the world that we love them enough to bring the greatest gift ever given to them, instead of methodically bringing them to it!

What if a Muslim, living in a community of Muslims, could be shown the love of Christ by a believer who was willing to enter their home and share their life?  What if said Muslim could come to know Christ (and enter the Kingdom of God) through this experience, and begin living his faith among other Muslims, as opposed to inside the walls of the church?  What if all of these outside communities could have a direct path to the Kingdom of God by means of an already established relationship with a believer.  This, my friends, is a revolution, and it is happening in pockets all over the world.

One of my token phrases is, "You can't change a mind without changing a heart."  We have the capacity as believers in Christ to change hearts, through a love that is too deep for any man or woman to fathom.  So, go eat dinner with the tax collector, love the single mother, heal the wounded.  Be amazed as God opens avenues to share His love with a world that needs to know their creator.

...Returning to our dinner conversation: I was encouraged as I watched the eyes of the other guest light up, simply in amazement that it was acceptable to be loved and love God without being sickened by her issues with past Christian experiences.  We intend to begin our Sunday night Bible Study after the new year, inviting all of my co-workers to be a part of this fellowship.  It's going to take a lot of time and a lot of work, but God will be faithful.  I appreciate all of your prayers.