A you a can-ner? (my newest made up word)

A young leader in the church pointed out the fact "that if God is in something you won't have to try so hard to convince people". Hummm! It didn't take me long to agree with him and challenge him in the same breath. I told that leader, "You are right and you are wrong".

1. You are right when speaking of those outside of the American church paradigm (many disconnecting or disconnected or never connected). It is more common than not that they get the new paradigm quickly and they often admit they could be a part of that. I have found that those outside of the church (present) institution readily believe that God can do so much more than we in the church do. (So the leader is right).

2. On the other hand, it has taken me a great deal of time, energy and pain trying to help leaders see that God is bigger than what we know church to be in America. Usually more often than not they refuse to engage me without becoming threatened or open enough to consider the possibilities of a new missional paradigm. I now believe that a majority of good member/believers will never give in to the biblical paradigm of living incarnationally (missionally)in the world. (So the young leader is wrong).

Throughout history there have been times (many examples) when God was involved in doing something new and when the religious refused to be convinced or even open to that possibility God just led the missional movement without them.

Are you a can't or a can-ner?