Thursday, September 20, 2007

Is this reality for some, many or all?

How did Sally Mortgenthaler reach this conclusion? You must read her entire article to understand.

As I pulled my Sacramentis site off of the Web, I posted this statement: "Sacramentis has been a pioneer site on worship and culture for seven years. From the beginning, it has been a gathering spot for the most helpful worship ideas and resources we could find. Sacramentis has also been a place where church leaders could go deeper into what classic Christian worship is and does, and where they could re-imagine worship for communities where churchgoing is no longer the norm. But as culture has become incessantly more spiritual and adamantly less religious, we at Sacramentis have become convinced that the primary meeting place with our unchurched friends is now outside the church building. Worship must finally become, as Paul reminds us, more life than event (Romans 12:1-2). To this end, we will be focusing on the radically different kind of leadership practices necessary to transform our congregations from destinations to conversations, from services to service, and from organizations to organisms."

In January USA TODAY featured an article titled, "Can the 'E-Word' [evangelical] Be Saved?" I think we need to ask a parallel question. "Can the W-word [worship] be saved?" Saved from the definition that it's just what goes on inside the tent? From the lie that worship is a place you go, not what you do or who you are?

JCPenney stores adopted a new motto a few years ago: "It's all inside." That may work well for clothes and housewares, but it doesn't work so well for spreading the gospel. Ah, but aren't buildings important? Yes, they are. Jesus himself spent crucial time in synagogues and the Temple. He affirmed that the worship of God is central to what it means to be a disciple. But here's the catch. He did not make the building—or corporate worship—the destination. His destination was the people God wanted to touch, and those were, with few exceptions, people who wouldn't have spent much time in holy places. Jesus' direction was always outward. Centrifugal. Even in death, he was broken and poured out for the sake of a needy world. God's work may not be "all outside," but if we look at where Jesus spent his time, I think we can safely say that most of it is.

I am currently headed further outside my comfort zones than I ever thought I could go. I am taking time for the preacher to heal herself. As I exit the world of corporate worship, I want to offer this hope and prayer. May you, as leader of your congregation, have the courage to leave the "if we build it, they will come" world of the last two decades behind. May you and the Christ-followers you serve become worshippers who can raise the bar of authenticity, as well as your hands. And may you be reminiscent of Isaiah, who, having glimpsed the hem of God's garment and felt the cleansing fire of grace on his lips, cried, "Here am I, send me."



SALLY MORGENTHALER speaks about leadership in a "flattened" world. She is a contributor to An Emergent Manifesto of Hope, edited by Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones (Baker). She may be contacted at info@trueconversations.com.

5 Comments:

At September 21, 2007 2:45 PM, Blogger rickdugan said...

Hey Bob,

This is pretty amazing stuff from the woman who made us all aware of 'worship evangelism.' At the same time I'm a bit concerned by all those who are exiting the church.

I've spent a lot of my adult life working in places where either we didn't have the freedom or the money to have the building/staff that is common in the conventional church. I've spent years in house churches and organic church models. They can be just as dysfunctional, controlling, elitist, etc. as conventional churches.

I wonder if its kind of like divorce (which I also have experience with). People think that life will be better if they can get out of the marriage. Some think church will get better if we can get out of the building. But we bring all the baggage with us into whatever new way of doing church that we embrace. Emphasis on buildings and staff may only be symptoms of the problem and not the real problem.

For those of us committed to disciple-making movements (as you and I are), we could simply replace counting people on Sunday morning with counting people who are being discipled. Maybe the problem is how we judge success.

I don't think 'church' is the problem. Our culture is changing and the old paradigms of church don't work. That's obvious. But maybe it wasn't all bad. Maybe it's just served its purpose and its time to move on.

But I think our discipleship will be lacking if lose site of the importance of corporate worship. In the old Jerusalem they met in homes, but in the New Jerusalem there will be millions of us gathered to worship.

Hope you're feeling better! Sorry we didn't get to cross paths. I return to Cyprus next friday.

Rick

 
At September 23, 2007 11:35 AM, Blogger Bob Carder said...

Rick, We must move back to the mission of making disciples who make disciples. Sally sees a side of the church that sickens me too. Selfishness and in it for me, is the attitude that often prevails!

This has turned off a many many people who are exiting the church -the institution while longing for the Church - the Body of Christ.

There is importance to be realized in the Church outside the church in truer more purer forms of worship expression.

Our group gathers for worship in unlikely places. We sing, we share, we hear and share the word, we partake of communion, the children are present and want more. They love worship to Jesus. But we do not have the show nor do we advertise our production. It's simple but in our simplicity we give our hearts to God corporately and also personally.

I wonder if God would rather we didn't worship Him in form on Sunday if we cannot worship Him in heart on Monday.

Rick, I see you point, but I also agree with Sally also. Sally points to the real reason hundreds of thousands are leaving the church in search for God.

SHOW= No Go!
NO SHOW = Go!

Once again the attractional model has replaced intimacy with God and replaced it with a feed me -self centered hunger for more. And then we do it in the name of Jesus!

Jesus said, "Feed My Sheep". He never said "Create a movement that feeds the selfishness of our inner being." I see a hillside, a Bible and those who hunger for more of Jesus sitting there with hearts in one accord all seeking Jesus.

Jesus never intended the false sense of selfish hunger and feeding that often prevails.

Some of you are doing it in the structures. So those of you (fewer of you than you think)who feed the void in the hearts of lost mankind with Jesus who can only fill the need and hunger, then, you are indeed doing what I suggest. Or I should say, what Jesus suggests in "Feed My Sheep".

Let's leave the whiners to cry in the corners of life. And let's lead those who hunger and thirst for Jesus to the real One and not a selfish expression of artificial satisfaction.

All of this and only this JESUS! Let's leave the counterfeit behind.
Satan is into the details -he alone has orchestrated false and artificial expressions of worship -given in the Name of Jesus -received personally and selfishly.

If I am not right, why are preachers torn to shreds and why are music leaders criticized for not doing what "I" want in worship.
"Worship" in America is more about what we want than what Jesus demands of us.

No thanks, I can live without the false expression of selfish filling. I want and seek for Jesus and Jesus alone along with others who seek for Jesus and Jesus alone.

Those who are defensive of the institution, truly miss what is being communicated here.

 
At September 24, 2007 7:24 AM, Blogger rickdugan said...

I agree with your assessment of the church (in general - there are exceptions), but I'm just not convinced that firing the pastor and meeting in a park is going to solve the problem. The Protestant church is already plagues with a 'fragmentation gene' in its DNA, and moving out could just be further fragmentation into smaller bits as we continue to demonize anyone who doesn't take Jesus as seriously as we do.

For example, I've worked to get a number of people out of the cult the International Churches of Christ. Their mantra is discipleship, evangelism and teaching people to obey everything that Jesus commanded. But the result is that they became exclusive, abusive, and controling because people were always falling short of what the ICC claimed were Jesus' expectations. Eventually they began to say that while there was possibility that people could be saved outside the ICC, they had not found any other group that took discipleship as seriously as they did. Therefore, you couldn't really be a disciple (and being a Christian wasn't enough) apart from them.

I've worked with people who have an extreme spiritual arrogance thinking that by meeting in homes they are more pure, more committed, more serious. I've been involved in house church movements that are just as much - if not more - about 'me' than a conventional church.

Discipleship is about faith, grace, humility, joy and openness, among other things. In my own life, I've discovered that attacking the church is a poor substitute for discipleship and ultimately doesn't work.

'Acquire inward peace and thousands around you will find their salvation.' St. Seriphim of Sarov.

 
At September 24, 2007 8:41 AM, Blogger Bob Carder said...

Rick, note the difference between church and CHURCH! We must never attack the Body of Christ. At the same time we must speak up for Jesus when His Body is being misled.

The church -the location
The CHURCH - the Body of Christ around the world making disciples and fulfilling His mission.

I appreciate your comments and you make some very good points most of which I totally agree with.

I'm not demonizing anyone and I didn't hear you say I was. It's never about "us and them" for me. I just want to do what I can to speak up for Jesus and His mission. Maybe our speaking up can turn the ship back on course. Who knows?

Maybe one or two or thousands will find their salvation through the Church being the Church.

I think you and I are on the same page. I appreciate the balance you bring to our table.

 
At September 24, 2007 3:00 PM, Blogger rickdugan said...

I think we're on the same page, too. That's why I wish we could have met up this summer!

I go back to Cyprus friday, but I'll be in Keystone again for the 3rd time in February. God bless!

 

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