Today I read chapter 6 of Shane Claiborne’s “The Irresistible Revolution.” I have to admit, I started to get a little burnt on his message and felt a bit of condescension from him in this chapter. Either that or it’s just the fact that I’m in a bad mood. But you can only complain about how rotten some people are, and tell about all the good things you do for so long before it starts to sound… well, you know. At any rate, he did bring up one item that has been on my mind lately.
On p. 159 he says, “When the church becomes a place of brokerage rather than an organic community, she ceases to be alive. She ceases to be something we are, the living bride of Christ. The church becomes a distribution center, a place where the poor come to get stuff and the rich come to dump stuff. Both go away satisfied (the rich feel good, the poor get clothed and fed), but no one leaves transformed. No radical new community is formed. And Jesus did not set up a program, but modeled a way of living that incarnated the reign of God…”
Also, on p. 158, in reference to Matt. 25 when Jesus talks about caring for the least among us, Shane says, “I’m just not convinced that Jesus is going to say, ‘When I was hungry, you gave a check to the United Way and they fed me,’ or, ‘When I was naked, you donated clothes to the Salvation Army and they clothed me.’ Jesus is not seeking distant acts of charity. He seeks concrete acts of love: ‘you fed me… you visited me… you welcomed me… you clothed me.”
Our church does this thing where we take blankets and coats and stuff in the winter, and underwear and t-shirts and stuff in the summer, to the homeless of our city. There are only a handful of people that take it, but they always seem to come back fired up. The problem is, they have also started to get a bit discouraged from time to time – because not as many people go anymore; and not as many donations come in; and people have started to complain about us always bugging people for more “stuff”; and on and on and on. And… maybe it’s because we’re going about it all wrong. Rather than it being a “church project”… maybe we need to teach more that we are to do this as INDIVIDUALS more, or families, or small groups. It’s not something we should do “on occasion”, it’s more a way we should just “BE.” Like, if someone feels led to do this, they should just do it, and not ask or expect others to be involved in something that the Spirit is leading them to do. I don’t know. I’m just thinking out loud.
Sometimes I have wanted to do something, and when I tell people about it, they start rattling off all the ways we can make it a church program and who would really like to be involved and when and where and how and… and then I don’t really want to do it anymore. I always thought it was because I wasn’t a people-person. And that may be part of it. But maybe it’s because at some point we’ve got to quit “programming” ministry, and just start “ministering.”
I don’t know. I’m just writing my thoughts here. That’s usually all that happens to them. I’m tired.
6 comments:
"and then I don't really want to do it anymore" - boy, can I relate to THAT sentiment!! Thanks for putting it into words.
Darrell,
Glad to be of service!
peace,
dh
I should also add, from a reader's perspective, that there aren't too many theology books that couldn't have been trimmed down to an excellent article or essay, and been improved in the process. Paul's epistles are the model here, but then so is Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Not a lot of fat to be found there! (I'll just say that this is one reason why I haven't ventured any further than Karl Barth's delightfully brief Dogmatics In Outline. Well, that, and I'm lazy.)
Good point, Darrell. Because, after all, how many of us aren't lazy? :)
peace,
dh
...And Jesus did not set up a program, but modeled a way of living that incarnated the reign of God…”
It has hit me recently that we, too, should model "a way of living that incarnates the reign of God" because we ARE Christ's presence on earth through the indwelling of His Spirit.
Why is there always a need to program ministry? Because there's strength in numbers? Because of pride? (we need others to see us at work serving "the least of these"?) Fear of intimacy?
I have a friend who recently complained in a group setting that "the church" (our church) was dead. Basically, that we were well fed--fat, dumb and happy--but did little to live out an active faith; a holy huddle mentality, I suppose. As she spoke, I was reminded of how critical I used to be when on staff at our former church; how I was quick to point a finger of silent condemnation to those who weren't serving according to MY ideal of service.
Yeah, well, God found a way of breaking me of that (an "ouch" moment of my own :( ). My point is, when my friend was speaking, I wanted to yell, "What are YOU waiting for?! YOU are Christ! You can make a difference! You can be a minister of His gospel and bring love and truth to a hurting world!" Not by solving world hunger, but by feeding ONE, loving ONE." It was obvious her thoughts of service were more institutional in nature, programmed activities on which we all should jump on board.
And somehow, to me, that strips away the LIFE Christ intends us to share...
Compelling, convicting book. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and reflections.
Robin,
I really appreciate your comment here (I appreciate ALL your comments). It says a lot. Especially the, "I was quick to point a finger of silent condemnation to those who weren't serving according to MY ideal of service." I think this is a big problem for many (myself included).
This is a tough situation and I don't know that anyone will ever toe-the-line just right. I think churches should be places where people could come to get involved in ministry. But it's hard to do that without some kind of programming. On the other hand though... well, you know.
Anyway, thanks for sharing.
peace,
dh
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