But of course...

All this humbugaroni (my new word) about peace at any cost and the cost is usually the Message of Christ diluted and ineffective. Peace at any cost is death to a movement of God.

I know the traditional American church functions the way they (we)have been taught. I pastored for 24 years and did what I thought I was supposed to do. Had a great ministry when measured by the standards of men. Not so good when measured by how I led my flock the make disciples who make disciples. While at this blog we point out the problems and dialogs about solutions, the problem is not personally directed at any believer. The problem is the problem! The problem is that for generations we have misunderstood the Mission of Christ and how Christ originally intended for the church to function. We have been taught wrong. I taught some of you and others wrongly. I was taught wrong how to live as a little Christ in the world so that through me Jesus could work to redeem others. I was a good church member but also a poor incarnational follower of Christ.

So when pointing to the areas needed for a turn around in the traditional Sunday going church in America, we need to approach/confront the methods and traditions of man along side of the Scriptural mandate in the Great Commission and examples of the early church. You cannot do this without conflict and even division. You cannot do it without personally becoming conflicted. In Corinthians 11:9, Paul makes it very clear, "But, of course there must be divisions among you so that those of you who are right will be recognized!" I not in any way raising myself up as right! But I'll admit I always think I am right and must also confess that I am not always right. I just like you in this regard.

When seeking for a movement of change there are four steps to the change process.
People move from:
Unawareness to Awareness to Embracing to Implementation to Results.

The church is America is largely stuck in the UNAWARE mode. I contend that there will be pain when we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in leading people into AWARENESS. Only then will the church move into the implementation of making disciples who make disciples leading to a movement of results.

By the way, when I discovered the Mission of Christ to make disciples who make disciples as the main thing, I was conflicted. The way I viewed church was flipped upside down. I knew something was wrong for a long time, I just couldn't discern what. The result was that I had to give up everything in my life that hindered my effectiveness in being a part of a Disciples making disciples movement of the Holy Spirit. We call that going through the wringer, a look at the church with a fresh set of eyes. The process begins with being willing to lay down the methods and traditions and focus on the simple Great Commission mandate to make disciples who make disciples. This is the benchmark of success in ministry and in life.

Now that I've given up some religious stuff I once enjoyed, I now enjoy some God stuff I would never have experienced any other way. I had to die and suffer while letting go of churchiology/traditions/methods in order to experience Christianity as a continuing and expansive move of God in the world filled with life transformation and almost daily miracles.

But, of course there will be divisions, conflicts and conflicted hearts as we help move the flock from Unawareness to Awareness to Embracing to Implementation to Results. Some will never move to awareness while others will follow in the footsteps of Jesus, which means we breath the dust made by His sandals as we follow ever so closely.