ReJesus Part Three

I've had several posts and numerous conversations that expressed my disdain for "church" as we commonly know it.  I think that this might lead some to believe that I have little value for the church.  That is not the case at all.  In fact, I love the church!  But I'm not content to stick my head in the sand and pretend that nothing is wrong.  And while I think there is value in all church expressions, I think it is appropriate to evaluate our way of ordering our life and churches.

Hirsch and Frost echo this passion for reJesusing the church.  We must "[evaluate] the validity of our preferred expression of church by cues offered by Jesus the Messiah.  Unless we can validate who we are and what we do by lining ourselves up with the measure that Jesus laid down in his life and work, then what in God's name are we doing?"

My passion for church used to lie in raw pragmatism, the "whatever it takes" attitude to get people to show up.  While I'm still opinionated, my passion is no longer about WHAT we do but WHY we do it.  

Hirsch and Frost say that Christianity without Christ equal Religion.  Religion in the worst sense of the word:  rote, meaningless, and "outsourced" to the institution.  Hence, the need to continually reJesus.  In fact, if anything Christianity is anti-religion.  The authors examine the Pharisees and conclude "they are us, or at least what we can become if we are not attentive to the dynamics involved in the slow erosion of faithfulness into religion.  They are living mirrors of what can happen to all well-meaning and sincere people when they lose focus on the central issues of faith....The horror of this realization is complete when we remember that these fine, upright, devoted, religious people - people not unlike us - were hell-bent on murdering Jesus."

"The world of difference exists in how we inhabit the theology we adhere to - how we believe it.  Divorced from love, humility, and mercy, it readily becomes a dead and/or oppressive religion."

There's a way of life that Jesus brings that no longer needs religion.  Jesus upset the religious order of the day, and continues to do so.  Those who use religion for power and personal gain will oppose this radical call of Christ because he invalidates their system of control.

In Lost, the Islanders have found themselves skipping through time.  This nearly killed Desmond, until he discovered his "constant", the one person who could realign himself and the world around him.  For the church, Jesus is our constant.  And we must frequently remind ourselves of the mission of Christ and trust that his mission will bring about the impact that he promises.  

What I've taken away from this chapter: 

1.  My leadership at Resonate Community requires me to personally and corporately remind us of Jesus and his mission.  

2.  "What we do" must constantly be informed by Christ within our context.  Specifically, this means calling on others to take the mission of Christ for themselves and their families.

3.  The "scorecard" for us as a church must reflect our understanding of Christ's mission first and foremost.  This means that traditional means of measurement (attendance, finances, buildings) are no longer viable to determine the health of our church.  And the lack of these things doesn't necessarily mean we have it right.