I'm On A Roll
For the past week I have spoken to at least one pastor a day who is disillusioned with the church in America. They are sometimes discouraged, sometimes battered and bruised, but clearly fed up with the Church in America. I keep hearing these guys say things like, "I am hungry to serve a missional church that wants to have an impact in this world. I'm tired of playing the traditional game of working for people and never having them satisfied. I long for a church that is different, a church that is not about me or them or us. I long to be part of a new wineskin that gives freedom to break the man made rules and do ministry that actually reaches people for Christ instead of just taking care of ourselves and having the pastor wear himself out for the already reached.
I believe we will see many more pastors leave the pastorate in the near future. The mold pastors are forced to serve in is pasturized, homogonized and "Americanized" and it is not what Jesus had in mind. The church should be exciting and freeing and transparent and honest and vulnerable and real and constantly confessing our sins to one another. Not so in America (at least) in many places in America. Instead we have a self proclaimed "holy vessel" with already made perfect Christians who stay in their holy huddle and who look down on the unholy world. Sound familiar? I think Jesus confronted those Pharisees along time ago. Did they not hear His rebuke? Did we not hear His rebuke? Are we even listening to Him?
Am I too honest or too negative or too hard? You think I'm tough, re-read the words of Jesus!
I'll take all the pastors in America who are sick of status quo Americanized Christianity and I invite you to join with me in creating a new movement that will set you free to do ministry the Jesus way. If the established Church doesn't want the Jesus way -let me lead to the water to drink and taste and see that there is a better way. A new wineskin is waiting to be filled with the harvest and we need leaders who carry the Jesus passion to fill it up.
posted by Bob Carder @ 10:59 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
great blog article. Yes, indeed the church in needing to get back to it's primary mission of reaching, teaching and "living out-loud" the truth we proclaim! We should not put God in a box and limit His work to one day a week "feel-good" church. He wants to transform our lives!
Roll on… I am grieved beyond words at the loss and pain of some congregations. I have stood gazing at the opportunities of a growing Church only to see the self proclaimed “holy vessel” drive away those sincerely looking for the ferment of His Gospel. I cannot fully explain why this continues to happen in the American Church? I pray for the transforming power on the established Church, but I am all too fearful that many are in the position of those that questioned Jesus in Mark 2:18-22. They feel that they have the “Holy Vessel” when in reality they are resisting the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. This joy stretches the old systems beyond the breaking point unless they are able to allow the Holy Spirit to transform. The Mark passage was one of the many “point of no return” moments for Jesus. We must indeed take His rebuke as the Church and transform to the new wine skins. He will not accept “patchwork” Yes, roll on, but let us continue to pray for the modern Pharisees that are part of the “holy vessels”. I am sure that there were many of those that questioned Jesus 2000 years ago that joined the new wine skins and contributed to and even died for their faith in the New Testament Church. May God Help Us…
The Planter wrote:
"I long for a church that is different, a church that is not about me or them or us."
Mike says:
This is the cry of my heart these days. But where are the leaders, pastors and otherwise, who can help us get there? With "us" being the people who have grown up in the American church since the 1960s when the change in our worldview started to become more apparent.
The American Church is threatened by this desire -- we don't know what to do with it. It doesn't fit our "model" for church.
The great thing is there are too many pastors to count who have the passion and desire to bring about this change. The sad thing is that in the established church circles many church members and leaders refuse to allow the changes that are necessary.
For the past week, everyday I spoke with someone who is leaving or already out of the pastorate because they are tired of the whining, complaining, and controlling dynamics of the church the way it is. When I share my vision for the church they are right with me all the way.
We don't want to change so we are dying on the vine. Everything changes and things that don't change die.
This sums it it up! We opt for comfort and familiar and status quo when we could be growing with excitement and spiritual progress.
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