more about the model

My personal study continues to be centered around the following question: what are we to be about?

My friend Randy emailed me and even left a comment in response to my last blog (which attempted to recount the salient points from his sermon last Sunday...)

In his response, Randy basically said that it was not only through 'serving' that we show Christ's love to others, but it is by using our other God-given gifts that we 'attract' people to the risen Christ. Certainly he is correct!

As I continue to ponder and study this subject, I am surrounded by churches who seem to be thoroughly missing the point!

So many of our brothers and sisters are using man-made measuring sticks to gauge their progress and growth. It is easy (and much less subjective) to count the butts in the seats than to really delve deep into what our growth should actually be....

So I try to look at Jesus' model to decide how we should plan for and judge our growth...

(incidentally, I am fully aware that there are many who would question the question itself! Many will wonder about the validity of the "planning for" or "judging of" growth... some would say it is a very humanistic way to look at Christianity... that's a different - and worthwhile - discussion, but one for a different time.)

And I return to the points Randy expressed in last Sunday's sermon...

• reach others through our spiritual gifts
• assimilate them into our community
• equip them to use their own God-given gifts to reach others

So, as I look around at our churches, I wonder if that simple model has been abandoned. (admittedly I am making a judgement without being intimately familiar with their exact method and situation...) but it would seem that many churches are placing a whole lot more emphasis on:

• worship styles
• building amenities
• glossy brochures
• classroom space
• slick multi media
• parking lots
• simulcasts
• sermon as the centerpiece
• (do you notice a theme? all these things seem to have two things in common:)

1. almost ALL of them place emphasis on a 2-hour-a-week time period and ignore the other 166 hours of the week!
2. they all talk about what WE do! (even in my language, I need to speak in terms of 'God working through' us)

Don't misunderstand: I am a firm believer that if Jesus were alive today He would use every available method and technology to reach the hurting... (imagine Jesus with a BlackJack and an unlimited texting plan... everyone who needed Him would receive a text every hour which would remind them of His presence!)

I believe we should always use the very best methods available to reach and teach...

It is when we become so enamored of the methods that we begin to chase waterfalls. We forget Jesus' simple method and begin keeping score using the wrong rubric!

I don't know how to 'keep score' on how well we are doing... and the older I get, the less important 'keeping score' becomes....

and now I feel like I am just rambling! :-)

Blessings!