Tonight was an awesome moment in the life of Natalie. I went to pick her up from nursery and she was so happy to see daddy (of course). I stood her up and held out my hands (mean huh?). Well prior to tonight she took seven steps, but tonight she walked half way across the room. Natalie is 14 months old so, we have been working on her walking (we have one we can’t slow down). She probably went 10-14 feet before she reached the door and realized she wasn’t getting any closer to daddy and cried out for me. I can’t believe how fast the little girl is growing up.
I had lunch with a fellow church communications person the other day and she told me about a project they did. They made cards that read “This Meals on Us” and left church information. Their pastor then told them to pay for someones meal at a drive through and leave that card with cashier for the car behind them. She told me they had great stories of how God used that ministry opportunity to reach and share to their community. But how awesome is that idea? Simple yet totally meeting needs. I love the idea of getting outside of the box to reach our community, we have become accustomed to thinking that church activities have to be in the church, we build massive buildings to hold the events. We are only limited to what we allow ourselves to be limited to.
Oh, if you are wondering about the tomorrow’s, here is a great video clip that explains it…
I think the “Catch 22″ is that the yesterday’s are scared of the today’s and not thinking about the tomorrow’s. We don’t need to forget about the yesterday’s, but if we focus on them we will barely reach the today’s and possibly lose the tomorrow’s. The yesterday’s forged the church of yesterday and the problem is that, that church is not connected to the today’s. I think that the Catch is that both don’t understand the other. But it is the Christians call to “make disciples,” it is the Christians call to “go.”
I think the major issue is breaking out of the yesterday’s church to reach today’s culture. I agree that we should not alter The Message, but the method has to change. Like throughout history people change, cultures adjust, and peoples preferences evolve. The church of yesterday expects the culture to walk into church and understand it’s culture, the language, the traditions, the dress, everything. The church of yesterday would rather point at the door and hold their head up high, then love a person where they are.
I believe that we must take our uncompromising message and meet our culture, where they are. Wither it’s on mySpace or Cell phones, eMails or Starbucks. Why do we do church the way we do? Have our traditions become the religion? We take a lot of liberty on God’s Word and turn them into programs. Since when did the church become The Church? Since when did a welcome sign on a church sign become outreach and a big oak desk and tables become Bible Study? Why do continue to do what we have done for years even though it may not be the best way, even though there is not a biblical basis to it?
I think about how stupid things have evolved, how if given the chance to go back to back to the way things where, nobody would. Think about fishing, that’s the biblical illustration, even the most productive way in Jesus’ day a small boat with a net may catch a couple hundred fish. But given the change in method and technology we can now catch thousands in one take, with less effort. Take communications, it is the funnest thing to see a grandpa with a bluetooth ear piece talking on the phone walking around or we can write a letter and send on a horse and wait months.
The Catch 22 is I don’t get it, and I want to. But I know it starts with a few and can grow, but I fear we are like Isrealites in the desert. God has so much for us, but for some reason we won’t follow Him all the way. There are a few people who see the promise, who see what can happen. Those people are trying to get everyone to follow, but walking though a wall would be easier and less painful. So we sit in the desert and we go in circles. I fear that for The Church it will take a generation to get to where the culture is today, and if we are lucky we may one day actually catch up to our culture and see reveal happen.
