They did what??
There is a growing tendency for large mega churches (and even smaller ones)to do something really big in their community. One corporation (a church) bought a van with a lift for a mother and her disabled son. Another corporation (a church) built a house for a single mom and filled it full of furniture. You don't need anymore examples do you?
While initially I thought these acts of kindness were good things I must admit that I now see them as a detriment to our spontaneous and personal living out acts of kindness. What I mean to say is that it may appear to be a good thing for the corporation (the church) it is not a healthy thing for those living in the corporation (the church). There is a tendency for those living in the corporation(the church) to let the corporation (the church) handle the acts of kindness. This is not only true of large gifts as mentioned above but it begins to happen in almost every aspect of our lives from making disciples to meeting benevolence needs as they confront us daily. God wants to work personally through each of us as we spread out in our communities, but, He cannot because we have given our money and responsibility to the corporation (the church) to meet all the needs.
The Message of the Cross would be far better/more delivered if it was delivered personally by every Christ follower. As believers living in acts of kindness daily we would become great reflectors for Jesus to get the glory. Instead we have large churches doing grandiose projects and people speaking praises about the churches instead of praises to Jesus.
The corporate acts of kindness and meeting needs of benevolence have almost replaced our personal acts of kindness and benevolence giving in the streets and among our neighbors. Corporate ministry has largely replaced personal Holy Spirit led ministry.
We need to rethink how we are meeting needs and how we are using God's resources to do it. We are called to make personal investments in the lives of others. We must STOP letting the corporation (the church)stand between us and those Jesus wants to reach through us. Inviting people to church (the corporation) is not the same thing as inviting people to Jesus. Giving to build a house for some single mom is not the same as taking her under your wings and personally helping her.
posted by Bob Carder @ 10:50 AM
16 comments
16 Comments:
Not sure I get your concern Bob. Is it just that you fear these acts of kindness are replacing other works, or you just don't think there is any place for doing these things?
I am also not sure I understand why you dislike corporate acts of kindness. Is that not what the church has always done.. pool their resources and then distribute the resources where there is a need?
Acts 4:34 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.
Hey Bobert!
Bill Huffhine here. Haven't been by in a while. Hope all is well with you. I'm glad to see I'm still in your blog roll. I was wondering if you would mind changing the link to point to my new site, www.wesojourn.org.
Much appreciated old friend!
Bill
I think i see your point, Bob. That corporate benevolance and kindness has replaced personal, private acts of such. But, and this is just my opinion (which may be entirely wrong) the problem is not with corporate kindess, but that the sheep of the flock use corprate benevolance as an excuse to not own it in their own personal lives. Its one thing to chip in with others to help someone, its an entirely dfferent thing to "give up". So the problem isnt with corporate kindness, but with (pardon me) lazy sheep? Correct me if im wrong.
Count me as another one who doesn't understand your beef here...unless it is lazy sheep. In which case, we agree.
But the "corporate" church, as you put it, could not do these generous things without the participation of the sheep.
And in my experience, it's often not the church doing them, really, it's a local businessman who owns a van conversion company and who is a Christian doing it through his church either for anonymity (admirable) or tax breaks (certainly not a bad motivation, either).
Hey guys, I am surprised this is such a cloudy issue for several of you. When corporate church acts of kindness largely replace personal acts of kindness we have a problem.
Christ followers should be naturally doing acts of kindness everyday so that we can declare God's glory to all. Often corporate church acts of kindness are nothing more than great publicity stunts to attract more and more to the corporation.
If you had 2,000 believers unleashed on a community daily engaging people with acts of kindness and need meeting think of the impact Jesus would have. Instead we corporately collect money and buy a new van and wow don't we look wonderful. I think NOT! We must declare God's glory in our personal and everyday lives.
Now do you see my concern? Let's keep talking until I make myself clear here.
Well, I gotta say that we are about to help a single mom this week by giving her a car. I have never been connected with something like this before, so I can only speak from this experience that it looks nothing like what you describe here.
Personally, I don't see any problem with a BOTH / AND approach. We, the church, do acts of kindness using our combined / corporate influence AND we do things as individual followers of Jesus.
Oh, maybe I can illustrate my Both / And mentality this way. From the context of a previous post on social justice,
If a church wants to do big acts of kindness, show me the Jesus and I will stand with them.
If people want to focus on individual acts of kindness, show me the Jesus and I will stand with them.
What he said.
The point is that it's all good. But it's bad when Christ followers miss the personal thing because they are expecting the corporate thing to happen for them.
Can't you see the subtle shift of giving away our responsibility for the good things the church does at the expense of the good things we are supposed to do?
We agree then that both corporate and individual acts of kindness are good.
We also agree that in our culture has shifted responsibility to organizations such as government, service organization, and even churches.
What I disagree with the wording of your post, where you specifically state that acts of corporate good are a "detriment to our spontaneous and personal living out acts of kindness." Here we disagree, I have already stated why and given example from Scripture so we may just have to agree to disagree on this one point.
The big give aways make us just like Extreme Makeover Home Edition and that's a good thing ... right?
This is the difference...
Acts 2:41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Are we adding new believers or more pew sitters. There is a BIG difference. Are we attracting people to Jesus or to church. There is a big difference between the two.
Let's do the Big Giveaway's to attract more to our churches. Isn't that what the motive really is?
1 Cor. 4:2-6
In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God. Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.
As I mentioned earlier, here is our story of giving a car.
Your story is different than the corporate stories I mentioned. You had a man who worked for a dealership who convinced his dealer to gift the car. This is what I am speaking for. Instead of church leadership deciding to take offerings for a car your member took the burden upon himself to do something. He acted like Jesus and the church celebrated the glory of God.
It was a personal act of kindness that the entire Body celeberated. This is far different that church leadership deciding to do this huge publicity stunt to do an act of kindness on a grandiose scale. In your situation the Body of Christ celebrated what an individual did to bring glory to God. The corporation didn't plan the ministry to get a car, a member took it upon himself to find favor with his boss. (Which is a total God miracle). This is how living in the world as Christ followers declaring the glory of God really works. Can you see the point I am making. This is a perfect example of what I'm speaking for, a Christ follower declaring the Glory of God. Every "personally" as the Holy Spirit prompt us in these acts of kindness.
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