What does authentic spirituality look like - in my life as an individual Christ-follower or in the life of a community of Christ-followers? I suggest the following traits bear witness to authentic spirituality in one's life. They are also the marks of authentic Christian community. Sadly, they are often missing in the life of the institutional church. These traits are drawn from Jesus' Great Commandment, his Beatitudes, Paul's fruit of the Spirit, and Paul's remarks about love in 1 Corinthians 13.
The first and most obvious trait is love for God, that is, a love for who God is and for God's ways. The spiritually authentic person is captivated by God's nature of self-giving love and hungers to live the grace-based ways of the Kingdom. This love is greater than the unhealthy form of self-love that lies at the core of our human nature and gives birth to our self-serving ways.
Love for God fosters deep trust in God's faithfulness. This trust or faith is expressed in a spirit of glad dependency upon God. It moves us beyond the delusion of self-sufficiency and the arrogance of self-reliance.
Love for God gives birth to openness and honesty, first with oneself and, then, with others. The courage to live authentically moves us beyond the fear-driven pretense that is inherent to our human nature.
Such openness and honesty are accompanied by humility. Humility recognizes my spiritual bankruptcy, that is, my never-ending dependency upon God and my recurring need of God's grace. Healthy humility also recognizes the gifts and abilities, the insights and understanding, the progress and experience that God has entrusted to me. These God-given gifts are tools for me to use in giving to others in Jesus' name. I call this kind of humility confident humility. Confident humility knows what I have to offer others. It knows that whatever I have to offer is God's gift to me. It acknowledges my dependency upon God in offering those gifts to others.
Openness and honesty are accompanied by self-awareness and self-management. The Spirit guides us in being aware of the anxiety-based reactions and patterns that unconsciously stir within the interior dimensions of our lives. Recognizing and understanding these archaic patterns puts us in a position to manage our behavior through the Spirit's power. Spirit-empowered self-management (Paul's language: self-control) opens the door to change and growth. It places us in a position to choose to move beyond the old ways of thinking and living that were ingrained in us in our formative years (Paul's language: "do not be conformed to the patterns of this world," Romans 12:2).
Self-awareness becomes the Spirit's invitation to turn to God for help (glad dependency). It opens the door to experience again the peace of God that the Spirit gives. Authentic spirituality is marked by the ability to rise above the anxiety and fear that are a normal part of our human experience so that we live out of a deep, recurring sense of God's peace.
The peace of God frees us to experience joy. Joy displaces the negativity, frustration, and anger that arise whenever we are confronted with our powerlessness.
The Spirit's gifts of joy and peace set us free to live out of a servant spirit, i.e., to love others as Jesus loved. The servant spirit gives freely of what God has given me to address the need of others. Its primary concern is the other's growth and maturity.
The servant spirit is filled with and expressed in compassion and mercy. It moves beyond harsh, judgmental thinking to respond to the other with gentleness and kindness. It is patient and faithful, refusing to give up on the other. It gives freely out of a spirit of joyous generosity.
I am sure authentic spirituality has features other than these I have named. But the traits I have identified are all associated with authentic spirituality. They are the marks of spiritual maturity. They are what it looks like to be Christlike. They are what the Spirit produces in our lives when we walk in intentional relationship with God.
May it be so for each of us!
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Monday, June 17, 2019
It Doesn't Have to Be That Way ... So What Is Missing
What is missing in the institutional church? It has worship, Bible study, small groups of all shapes and sizes, mission projects, ministry teams, prayer, religious education for all ages, training opportunities, etc. What is missing in the midst of this corporate religious life?
The missing element is not some activity or program. The missing element is a primary focus that governs all of these activities - a purpose for which these activities exist - a clear, central core around which every aspect of church life revolves. Spiritual vitality and health flow out of this central core.
In my mind, that primary focus is spiritual formation - the transformation of heart and mind that happens as we walk in intentional relationship with God. This transformation is the Spirit's work (2 Corinthians 3:18), conforming us to the likeness of Christ, empowering us to love as Jesus loved. This transformation involves a process of learning the ways of God that Jesus taught (the Kingdom of God). It involves confrontation as God's ways challenge our inherent, self-focused ways of thinking and living. It involves struggle to turn loose of the old and embrace the new. It leads to change - in how we think, in how we view and relate to others, in how we view and use material possessions/wealth, in our lifestyles, in how we live - so that we live the ways of God in our daily relationships and routines. The common term for this process is spiritual growth. (See Acts 10:1-11:18 for an account of spiritual growth in Peter's life.)
The Apostle Paul's term for this process of transformation was salvation. In his letter to the churches of Rome (the New Testament book of Romans), Paul outlined his understanding of the gospel as the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). He outlined four dimensions of this process.
This focus on the relationship with God and God's transforming work is what is missing in most institutional expressions of church life. We assume the purpose is there because we are doing church activities, but unless the focus/purpose is intentional, it is overtaken by our ego-driven agendas.
Without this primary focus, worship is often about performance or following a set ("proper") order of service or listening to a good sermon. With this primary focus, worship focuses on God and the relationship with God. Its intent is to help us encounter God anew. Worship reminds us of who God is, of God's grace, of who we are as God's beloved children. Worship is designed to help us open our lives to God anew that we might experience God's grace and hear God's word for us. Worship guides our response to God and God's grace.
Without this primary focus, Bible study and religious education emphasize knowing biblical facts and learning the biblical stories. They teach us to find things in the Bible and how to quote scripture. But when we do Bible study with a focus on spiritual formation, study becomes a means of knowing God and encountering God. It is the path that leads to learning the ways of God that Jesus taught. It is about allowing Jesus' teachings to challenge and shape how we think and, thereby, how we live. What is missing in most Bible study is application: what is the implication in my life? What am I being called to do? Apart from these kinds of questions, Bible study becomes an intellectual exercise - a head trip - the pursuit of more biblical knowledge that leaves us unchanged.
Without this primary focus, small groups tend to become primarily a place of social connections. A focus on spiritual formation changes the group into a cluster of spiritual friends. We share our spiritual journey with them, including the struggles on that journey. These spiritual friends become a support system as my partners in what God is doing in my life. Prayer becomes central to our group's life together. They pray with me and for me and I with and for them. While the relationships involve a social dimension, the spiritual dimension is primary and what is prized. Thus, the group is intentional about fostering the spiritual dimension. Spiritual formation takes place in the context of spiritual friendships.
Mission projects and ministry teams are important ways we live out our faith. Their objective is to help someone, particularly someone in need. Without this primary focus on spiritual formation, however, our mission and ministry involvement can leave us unchanged. We perform tasks on another's behalf (or give money), but our efforts are often devoid of any meaningful relationship with the one we are helping. We touch a short term need that leaves the other's situation essentially unchanged. The social system that created the need is not recognized, much less addressed. We walk away feeling good about what we have done to help, yet blind to our place in and contribution to the system. Approaching mission and ministry from the perspective of spiritual formation puts us in a position to receive as well as give, to learn as well as help, to be changed as well as help change another's situation.
Without spiritual formation as a primary focus, prayer is often about the difficult situations our family and friends and church are facing. Prayer requests seek God's blessing on these family members and friends in the midst of their challenge. Prayer becomes a way to open and close a church gathering. A focus on spiritual formation gives prayer a prominent place in our lives and our life together. Prayer becomes a way of seeking God, God's guidance, God's direction. It is the path to discernment. Prayer opens us to God and to how God wants to use us. It allows God to help us see how we are a part of the problem as well as how we can be a part of the solution. Prayer is an indispensable aspect of the relationship with God and God's transforming work within us.
When what is missing is restored - a primary focus on the relationship with God and God's transforming work in our lives - we give the Spirit freedom to move and work. Spiritual life and vitality return. Spiritual energy abounds. Lives are changed. The church and its members grow.
The missing element is not some activity or program. The missing element is a primary focus that governs all of these activities - a purpose for which these activities exist - a clear, central core around which every aspect of church life revolves. Spiritual vitality and health flow out of this central core.
In my mind, that primary focus is spiritual formation - the transformation of heart and mind that happens as we walk in intentional relationship with God. This transformation is the Spirit's work (2 Corinthians 3:18), conforming us to the likeness of Christ, empowering us to love as Jesus loved. This transformation involves a process of learning the ways of God that Jesus taught (the Kingdom of God). It involves confrontation as God's ways challenge our inherent, self-focused ways of thinking and living. It involves struggle to turn loose of the old and embrace the new. It leads to change - in how we think, in how we view and relate to others, in how we view and use material possessions/wealth, in our lifestyles, in how we live - so that we live the ways of God in our daily relationships and routines. The common term for this process is spiritual growth. (See Acts 10:1-11:18 for an account of spiritual growth in Peter's life.)
The Apostle Paul's term for this process of transformation was salvation. In his letter to the churches of Rome (the New Testament book of Romans), Paul outlined his understanding of the gospel as the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). He outlined four dimensions of this process.
- Romans 1:18-3:20, our need for salvation because all (Gentile and Jew) have sinned. God loved us and reached out to us in our need. But God proved (God's) love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, Romans 5:8. John Wesley referred to this reality as the prevenient grace of God. God loved us first, unconditionally - what we call grace - and acted on our behalf in Christ Jesus.
- Romans 3:21-4:25, we are reconciled with God as a gift of grace. Paul piles up metaphors to communicate this truth: justified, redemption, atonement, forgiveness. We embrace this gift by faith, that is, we respond to God's grace by opening our lives to God and a relationship with God. John Wesley referred to this stage as justifying grace.
- Romans 5:1-8:17, the Spirit uses the challenges of life to help us grow in the likeness of Jesus (character, Romans 5:3-5) so that we experience Christ's life (eternal life) as our own. We die to an old way of life and are raised to walk in this new way of living. We were once slaves to our old way of thinking and living but have been set free to this new life (Romans 6). The advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life (Romans 6:22). God in Christ Jesus has broken to power of Sin that enslaves us (Romans 7:14-25). Through the work and power of the Spirit, we experience life and peace as we live in relationship with God as beloved children (Romans 8:1-17). John Wesley referred to this process as sanctifying grace.
- Romans 8:18-39, we live in the quiet confidence (hope) that before God is through with this transforming work in us, we will have been conformed to the image of God's Son (Romans 8:29). John Wesley spoke of this hope as perfecting grace.
This focus on the relationship with God and God's transforming work is what is missing in most institutional expressions of church life. We assume the purpose is there because we are doing church activities, but unless the focus/purpose is intentional, it is overtaken by our ego-driven agendas.
Without this primary focus, worship is often about performance or following a set ("proper") order of service or listening to a good sermon. With this primary focus, worship focuses on God and the relationship with God. Its intent is to help us encounter God anew. Worship reminds us of who God is, of God's grace, of who we are as God's beloved children. Worship is designed to help us open our lives to God anew that we might experience God's grace and hear God's word for us. Worship guides our response to God and God's grace.
Without this primary focus, Bible study and religious education emphasize knowing biblical facts and learning the biblical stories. They teach us to find things in the Bible and how to quote scripture. But when we do Bible study with a focus on spiritual formation, study becomes a means of knowing God and encountering God. It is the path that leads to learning the ways of God that Jesus taught. It is about allowing Jesus' teachings to challenge and shape how we think and, thereby, how we live. What is missing in most Bible study is application: what is the implication in my life? What am I being called to do? Apart from these kinds of questions, Bible study becomes an intellectual exercise - a head trip - the pursuit of more biblical knowledge that leaves us unchanged.
Without this primary focus, small groups tend to become primarily a place of social connections. A focus on spiritual formation changes the group into a cluster of spiritual friends. We share our spiritual journey with them, including the struggles on that journey. These spiritual friends become a support system as my partners in what God is doing in my life. Prayer becomes central to our group's life together. They pray with me and for me and I with and for them. While the relationships involve a social dimension, the spiritual dimension is primary and what is prized. Thus, the group is intentional about fostering the spiritual dimension. Spiritual formation takes place in the context of spiritual friendships.
Mission projects and ministry teams are important ways we live out our faith. Their objective is to help someone, particularly someone in need. Without this primary focus on spiritual formation, however, our mission and ministry involvement can leave us unchanged. We perform tasks on another's behalf (or give money), but our efforts are often devoid of any meaningful relationship with the one we are helping. We touch a short term need that leaves the other's situation essentially unchanged. The social system that created the need is not recognized, much less addressed. We walk away feeling good about what we have done to help, yet blind to our place in and contribution to the system. Approaching mission and ministry from the perspective of spiritual formation puts us in a position to receive as well as give, to learn as well as help, to be changed as well as help change another's situation.
Without spiritual formation as a primary focus, prayer is often about the difficult situations our family and friends and church are facing. Prayer requests seek God's blessing on these family members and friends in the midst of their challenge. Prayer becomes a way to open and close a church gathering. A focus on spiritual formation gives prayer a prominent place in our lives and our life together. Prayer becomes a way of seeking God, God's guidance, God's direction. It is the path to discernment. Prayer opens us to God and to how God wants to use us. It allows God to help us see how we are a part of the problem as well as how we can be a part of the solution. Prayer is an indispensable aspect of the relationship with God and God's transforming work within us.
When what is missing is restored - a primary focus on the relationship with God and God's transforming work in our lives - we give the Spirit freedom to move and work. Spiritual life and vitality return. Spiritual energy abounds. Lives are changed. The church and its members grow.
Thursday, June 13, 2019
It Doesn't Have to Be That Way ... Yet It Is
I suggested in my last blog that the problem underlying the decline of the institutional church is a spiritual problem. Let me be more specific.
The institutional structure of a church is a tool to foster the spiritual life and development of the community. The spiritual community is primary; the structure is secondary (as I said in my previous blog - yes, I know I am repeating myself!). When the structure, i.e., the institutional expression of the church (organization, committees, groups, programs, traditions, beliefs), becomes primary, the spiritual life begins to suffer and diminish. Without a vibrant spiritual life, the church becomes nothing more than another human institution/organization, albeit a religious one.
The institutional church does not require an spiritual life in order to function. (Read that sentence again and think about it.) In fact, the institutional church appeals to the human ego. It offers places to belong, positions to hold, roles to play, power to wield. Our identity and sense of value can become tied up in our involvement in the institutional life. Beliefs allow us to perceive ourselves as "right" and, thereby, superior to those who believe differently. Functioning out of ego makes us comfortable and complacent ... as well as angry and defensive when something disrupts the comfort and familiarity of our status quo. (BTW, have you ever noticed how disruptive God can be?!)
When the ego gets involved, spiritual life is displaced. We revert to functioning out of our human nature, not out of the ways of the Kingdom. We use power the way the world uses power - to dominate and control, i.e., to protect our position-place-role-power-identity-value-beliefs. We think in terms of us-them. A critical, judgmental spirit displaces the spirit of love; seriousness and inflexibility block the spirit of freedom and joy. Decisions made in the parking lot by a few take the place of open, honest communication that seeks to discern the Spirit's guidance. The servant spirit of Jesus, rather than permeating all that is done, becomes the exception because the human ego is in control.
This ego-driven, human-oriented way of functioning is possible because of flawed thinking theologically.
Without a healthy, vibrant spiritual life, the institutional church will decline and die ... just as everything human declines and dies. It doesn't have to be that way, yet it is because the human ego gets involved.
The institutional structure of a church is a tool to foster the spiritual life and development of the community. The spiritual community is primary; the structure is secondary (as I said in my previous blog - yes, I know I am repeating myself!). When the structure, i.e., the institutional expression of the church (organization, committees, groups, programs, traditions, beliefs), becomes primary, the spiritual life begins to suffer and diminish. Without a vibrant spiritual life, the church becomes nothing more than another human institution/organization, albeit a religious one.
The institutional church does not require an spiritual life in order to function. (Read that sentence again and think about it.) In fact, the institutional church appeals to the human ego. It offers places to belong, positions to hold, roles to play, power to wield. Our identity and sense of value can become tied up in our involvement in the institutional life. Beliefs allow us to perceive ourselves as "right" and, thereby, superior to those who believe differently. Functioning out of ego makes us comfortable and complacent ... as well as angry and defensive when something disrupts the comfort and familiarity of our status quo. (BTW, have you ever noticed how disruptive God can be?!)
When the ego gets involved, spiritual life is displaced. We revert to functioning out of our human nature, not out of the ways of the Kingdom. We use power the way the world uses power - to dominate and control, i.e., to protect our position-place-role-power-identity-value-beliefs. We think in terms of us-them. A critical, judgmental spirit displaces the spirit of love; seriousness and inflexibility block the spirit of freedom and joy. Decisions made in the parking lot by a few take the place of open, honest communication that seeks to discern the Spirit's guidance. The servant spirit of Jesus, rather than permeating all that is done, becomes the exception because the human ego is in control.
This ego-driven, human-oriented way of functioning is possible because of flawed thinking theologically.
- Salvation is viewed as going to heaven when we die, not as the transformation of my life as I grow into the likeness of Jesus.
- Sin is viewed as doing things wrong - the violation of a religious, moral standard - rather than as an attitude and way of life that opposes the ways of God.
- Jesus is viewed as a Savior who gets us into heaven rather than as Lord whose ways we follow.
- Jesus' death is seen as the price required to gain God's forgiveness rather than the predictable result of our resistance to God and the ways of God. This perspective reduces salvation to a transaction between God and me: in exchange for believing in Jesus, God forgives my sins and grants me access into heaven.
- Salvation is based upon belief - believing certain facts about Jesus and his death - rather than upon opening my life to God and living in a daily, personal relationship with God.
- The Christian life is reduced to church involvement, assenting to a core set of beliefs, conforming to a moral standard, and doing good things to help others. A life of love, patterned after the ways of the Kingdom that Jesus taught, drifts out of view. In short, church membership displaces discipleship.
- The world gets divided into us-them - those who believe and those who don't, the righteous and the sinners, those like us and the "other."
- The Bible gets used as a rule book to validate what we believe.
Without a healthy, vibrant spiritual life, the institutional church will decline and die ... just as everything human declines and dies. It doesn't have to be that way, yet it is because the human ego gets involved.
Monday, June 3, 2019
It Doesn't Have to Be That Way ... So Why Is It That Way
Any number of reasons could be given for the decline of the institutional church in American culture:
There is a deeper issue that is generally unrecognized and, consequently, unaddressed. All of the things listed above are symptoms of this deeper issue. The deeper issue is a spiritual issue. (Do you see the irony in that statement?)
In his letter to the churches of Galatia, the Apostle Paul drew a contrast between the flesh and the Spirit. (See Galatians 5:16-26.) The flesh refers to our basic human nature - our default way of thinking and functioning. We don't have to choose to act out of this nature. It is automatic. The Spirit refers to the Spirit of God who lives and works in us as the followers of Jesus. The Spirit teaches us and empowers us to live the ways of God. This way of thinking and living must be consciously chosen as the Spirit guides us. We must choose not to act out of our human nature in order to live the ways of God.
Paul taught that the flesh and the Spirit are at odds with one another. They produce different outcomes. The flesh is self-indulgent, power-oriented, and divisive. It produces chaos and destruction, resulting ultimately in death. (See the works of the flesh, Galatians 5:19-22.) The Spirit leads us to love out of a spirit of joy and peace. The Spirit leads us into the abundant life Jesus promised. The Spirit works in us (1) to set us free from the power of the flesh while (2) producing Christ's life (the fruit of the Spirit) in us.
The spiritual issue of the church lies in this distinction. The way members frequently think and act is governed more by their human nature than by the Spirit. The result is a human institution that operates out of our human nature. (Think of the conflict that churches experience - of the petty issues over which we fight - of the ways we attack, complain about, and criticize one another - of the way we use power to get our way, i.e., win.) The ways of God are absent; the Spirit's influence is missing. The result is what our human nature always produces: chaos and division that leads to destruction.
The decline in the institutional church is a spiritual issue. More about that in my next blog.
- The culture has changed and the church hasn't adapted.
- Same song, second verse - the way we did things back then don't work today. One might say the church is stuck in the past.
- Same song, third verse - back then, church was a primary social center for people (alongside school activities). Today's society offers multiple social outlets - think kids sports, dance, etc. People don't look to the church for social connections the way they once did. And they don't have time for church because they are so involved in those other pursuits.
- Same song, fourth verse - the country has become polarized around issues and politics. The church has contributed to and duplicated the polarization rather than offering a viable alternative - a different way of living in relationship.
- Same song, next verse - the church has lost its prophetic voice because it duplicates the division in the culture and/or because it seeks to force its beliefs/positions onto the culture through legislation.
- Same song, sixth verse - much of the culture (particularly younger generations) has moved beyond the issues the church is stuck on (i.e., the LGBTQ+ issues The UMC is fighting over).
- Same song ... - fighting over issues never changes anyone. (Did prohibition work? Has the War on Drugs solved the drug problem? Has the War on Poverty eliminated poverty? Will making abortion illegal stop abortions?) The only hope for real change is the grace of God, the transforming work of God's Spirit - the old biblical-church word salvation (being transformed into the likeness of Christ, not going to heaven).
- Next verse - the church has forgotten its message and its purpose. It's message is grace, not condemnation and judgment; its purpose is the transformation of lives, not getting people to believe like us so they will be like us.
There is a deeper issue that is generally unrecognized and, consequently, unaddressed. All of the things listed above are symptoms of this deeper issue. The deeper issue is a spiritual issue. (Do you see the irony in that statement?)
In his letter to the churches of Galatia, the Apostle Paul drew a contrast between the flesh and the Spirit. (See Galatians 5:16-26.) The flesh refers to our basic human nature - our default way of thinking and functioning. We don't have to choose to act out of this nature. It is automatic. The Spirit refers to the Spirit of God who lives and works in us as the followers of Jesus. The Spirit teaches us and empowers us to live the ways of God. This way of thinking and living must be consciously chosen as the Spirit guides us. We must choose not to act out of our human nature in order to live the ways of God.
Paul taught that the flesh and the Spirit are at odds with one another. They produce different outcomes. The flesh is self-indulgent, power-oriented, and divisive. It produces chaos and destruction, resulting ultimately in death. (See the works of the flesh, Galatians 5:19-22.) The Spirit leads us to love out of a spirit of joy and peace. The Spirit leads us into the abundant life Jesus promised. The Spirit works in us (1) to set us free from the power of the flesh while (2) producing Christ's life (the fruit of the Spirit) in us.
The spiritual issue of the church lies in this distinction. The way members frequently think and act is governed more by their human nature than by the Spirit. The result is a human institution that operates out of our human nature. (Think of the conflict that churches experience - of the petty issues over which we fight - of the ways we attack, complain about, and criticize one another - of the way we use power to get our way, i.e., win.) The ways of God are absent; the Spirit's influence is missing. The result is what our human nature always produces: chaos and division that leads to destruction.
The decline in the institutional church is a spiritual issue. More about that in my next blog.
Monday, May 27, 2019
It Doesn't Have to Be That Way
It is a well established fact that mainline churches, including churches within The UMC, are experiencing a long-term, steady decline. The vast majority of churches are aging out, that is, their membership consists primarily of older adults who in 10-15 years will no longer be able to be active. Younger generations have largely abandoned the institutional church. Worship attendance and giving have plateaued or are in decline. The spirit of these churches is one of anxiety, not hope, of discouragement, not expectation. Their unstated purpose is survival.
But it doesn't have to be that way. Churches don't have to plateau and decline. They don't have to waste away and die.
Countless time, energy, money, and effort have been invested in an attempt to revitalize plateaued and declining churches. Unfortunately, this investment generally does not accomplish the desired result. The reason for this failure to produce, I believe (and this is just my thinking - but, again, this is my blog) is that we invest our time and energy in the wrong things. We focus our efforts on the institutional church - appearance of the building (especially the nursery and restrooms), people greeting at the doors, the style of music in worship, programs and activities for children, youth, and young families, PR and the right branding and a clear mission statement, WIG's (for Central Texas Conference folks), etc.
Nothing is wrong with any of these efforts. In fact, they are all important. But they will not, of themselves, reverse the decline or produce church growth. Something more is needed. That something more, in my opinion (again) is healthy spirituality.
But here's the thing: we cannot manufacturer healthy spirituality. That is the Spirit's work. The Spirit is the one who cultivates healthy spirituality in our lives as individuals, small groups, congregations.
What we can do is to be intentional and faithful in our relationship with God, placing ourselves in a position for the Spirit to work in our lives - individually, as groups, as a church. We can live as a spiritual community, walking together in deep, authentic, committed spiritual friendships that are focused on learning and living the ways of God that Jesus taught (the Kingdom of God). The church as a spiritual community is the secret to spiritual health and vitality that, in turn, produces numerical growth. The book of Acts bears testimony to this reality. (See Acts 2:47b, 5:12-14, 6:7, etc.) People hunger for that which is spiritually vibrant and genuinely life changing. They are attracted to authentic spiritual community.
Without this intentional spiritual focus - this intentional commitment to grow and live as disciples of Jesus - all our efforts to produce church growth are just that - our efforts, our plans, our work. The heart is missing. The power is missing - the power of the Spirit.
The institutional dimension of church life exists to nurture the spiritual life (as I said in a previous blog). It is secondary; spiritual growth/formation is primary. When a congregation becomes sidetracked in running and maintaining the institutional church - programs and activities, finances and buildings, traditions and creeds, etc., the spiritual focus gets lost as does the purpose of making disciples. The congregation's busyness blinds them to these losses. The soul of the congregation begins to wither away. The life and witness, power and joy, gifts and witness of the Spirit disappear. The church becomes a shell without an inner life.
But it doesn't have to be that way ...
But it doesn't have to be that way. Churches don't have to plateau and decline. They don't have to waste away and die.
Countless time, energy, money, and effort have been invested in an attempt to revitalize plateaued and declining churches. Unfortunately, this investment generally does not accomplish the desired result. The reason for this failure to produce, I believe (and this is just my thinking - but, again, this is my blog) is that we invest our time and energy in the wrong things. We focus our efforts on the institutional church - appearance of the building (especially the nursery and restrooms), people greeting at the doors, the style of music in worship, programs and activities for children, youth, and young families, PR and the right branding and a clear mission statement, WIG's (for Central Texas Conference folks), etc.
Nothing is wrong with any of these efforts. In fact, they are all important. But they will not, of themselves, reverse the decline or produce church growth. Something more is needed. That something more, in my opinion (again) is healthy spirituality.
But here's the thing: we cannot manufacturer healthy spirituality. That is the Spirit's work. The Spirit is the one who cultivates healthy spirituality in our lives as individuals, small groups, congregations.
What we can do is to be intentional and faithful in our relationship with God, placing ourselves in a position for the Spirit to work in our lives - individually, as groups, as a church. We can live as a spiritual community, walking together in deep, authentic, committed spiritual friendships that are focused on learning and living the ways of God that Jesus taught (the Kingdom of God). The church as a spiritual community is the secret to spiritual health and vitality that, in turn, produces numerical growth. The book of Acts bears testimony to this reality. (See Acts 2:47b, 5:12-14, 6:7, etc.) People hunger for that which is spiritually vibrant and genuinely life changing. They are attracted to authentic spiritual community.
Without this intentional spiritual focus - this intentional commitment to grow and live as disciples of Jesus - all our efforts to produce church growth are just that - our efforts, our plans, our work. The heart is missing. The power is missing - the power of the Spirit.
The institutional dimension of church life exists to nurture the spiritual life (as I said in a previous blog). It is secondary; spiritual growth/formation is primary. When a congregation becomes sidetracked in running and maintaining the institutional church - programs and activities, finances and buildings, traditions and creeds, etc., the spiritual focus gets lost as does the purpose of making disciples. The congregation's busyness blinds them to these losses. The soul of the congregation begins to wither away. The life and witness, power and joy, gifts and witness of the Spirit disappear. The church becomes a shell without an inner life.
But it doesn't have to be that way ...
Monday, May 20, 2019
So What's the Difference?
This post is the fourth addressing the church as a spiritual community versus the church as an institution. The kind of community, level of relationship, priorities, and focus are different in these two forms of church life. (See The Church as a Spiritual Community, 5/6/2019, for a description of the relationships and focus of a spiritual community; And Then There's the Institutional Church, 5/13/19, for a description of the institutional church.)
Here are some of my observations of the differences in these two forms of church life. I'm sure there are many more.
Involvement in the institutional church is less costly than in a spiritual community. It requires participation and some financial support ... and each individual gets to determine the level of their participation and the level of their giving. A spiritual community is based upon covenant and faithful commitment.
The institutional church calls for membership, not discipleship. A spiritual community centers on growing and living as a follower of Jesus today (a disciple).
In the institutional church, we "go to church." In the church as a spiritual community, we are the church. The institutional church centers in a building and activities in that building, primarily on Sundays. The church as a spiritual community centers in relationships and God's work in and through those relationships.
The institutional church emphasizes belief - agreeing to a core of beliefs about God and Jesus and the Bible and positions on moral/political issues. Associating with those who think and believe like us reinforces our beliefs and lifestyle, leaving us essentially unchanged through the years. A spiritual community is focused on spiritual formation - the transformation of heart and mind - and how that growth is lived out in everyday relationships. The implications of what one believes is just as important as what is believed. Spiritual progress is the norm.
The institutional church allows us to formalize our beliefs and positions, using the Bible (and, thereby, God) to validate those beliefs and positions as "right." These beliefs allow us to live with certainty, thereby avoiding the hard work of thinking when confronted with a different way of thinking. We can avoid the challenge of listening and seeking to understand people who hold a different position. We can avoid wrestling with the ways of God that Jesus taught, dismissing them as unrealistic or too hard. We can avoid having to change our minds about something and, thereby, avoid growing spiritually. A spiritual community is about the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2) and taking on the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:1-11). It deals with the messiness of loving others, particularly those not like us.
The institutional church provides an avenue for connecting with others under the umbrella of Christianity. The connection is generally with others whose lifestyle and thinking are compatible with ours. Conversations and studies reinforce how we already think and validate what we already believe rather than challenging us to embrace the ways of God that Jesus taught. Study seldom involves application - discussing the implications on our lives of what we have studied. Consequently, relationships tend to be more social than spiritual. Such connecting allows us to avoid the honesty, openness, and vulnerability that are the mark of deep, spiritual friendships. Spiritual friendships lie at the heart of the church as a spiritual community. They are the arena in which the transformation of heart and mind occurs.
The institutional church allows us to create a place of familiarity and comfort in the midst of a changing and challenging world. We create traditions, rituals, and routines - based on our likes and preferences - that help us escape the dis-ease of our inner lives. The familiarity of our traditions and rituals provide us a (false) sense of security so that we don't have to live by faith in dependence on God. Spiritual community is focused on living in relationship with God, including dependency on God for guidance and strength to faithfully live the ways of God in the midst of a changing and challenging world.
The institutional church is inherited from previous generations and, thus, generally focused on the priorities and the way we did things in the past. Spiritual community is about what God is doing in our lives today and the future into which God is leading us.
The institutional church appeals to our ego. We really don't need God or the Spirit's guidance to run the organization. We do this sort of thing all the time where we work and in the businesses we run and in our social clubs. So, other than tipping our hat to God with an opening and closing prayer, God is seldom a part of the conversation in organizational matters. God and God's work in/through our lives is the central focus of a spiritual community. It is God-centered.
The institutional church allows church to be about me ... not God and certainly not those neighbors God wants us to love. It allows an inward focus to develop. My desires, likes, and preferences take priority over what the Spirit wants to do in and through the church in its local community. A spiritual community is about God - God's nature, God's kingdom, God's will lived out in my life.
The unstated purpose of the institutional church is survival of the institution. The longer any group or organization exists, the more it becomes focused on survival, the less it functions out of its original purpose. That is a sociological fact ... and is true of the institutional church. The clearly stated purpose of a spiritual community is making disciples - learning and living the ways of God that Jesus taught, leading others to become disciples, too. Its ultimate purpose is to be a part of the kingdom coming on earth, today.
In many ways, the institutional church functions as a man-made organization rather than as a community born of and shaped by the Spirit. It provides a comfortable expression of religiosity, but not necessarily healthy spirituality.
These differences lie outside of the awareness for most of us because the institutional church is the only expression of church life we have known. We've not experienced the church as a spiritual community in spite of our active involvement in the institutional church. And yet, something deep within often stirs the thought "There's got to be more to the church than this."
Here are some of my observations of the differences in these two forms of church life. I'm sure there are many more.
Involvement in the institutional church is less costly than in a spiritual community. It requires participation and some financial support ... and each individual gets to determine the level of their participation and the level of their giving. A spiritual community is based upon covenant and faithful commitment.
The institutional church calls for membership, not discipleship. A spiritual community centers on growing and living as a follower of Jesus today (a disciple).
In the institutional church, we "go to church." In the church as a spiritual community, we are the church. The institutional church centers in a building and activities in that building, primarily on Sundays. The church as a spiritual community centers in relationships and God's work in and through those relationships.
The institutional church emphasizes belief - agreeing to a core of beliefs about God and Jesus and the Bible and positions on moral/political issues. Associating with those who think and believe like us reinforces our beliefs and lifestyle, leaving us essentially unchanged through the years. A spiritual community is focused on spiritual formation - the transformation of heart and mind - and how that growth is lived out in everyday relationships. The implications of what one believes is just as important as what is believed. Spiritual progress is the norm.
The institutional church allows us to formalize our beliefs and positions, using the Bible (and, thereby, God) to validate those beliefs and positions as "right." These beliefs allow us to live with certainty, thereby avoiding the hard work of thinking when confronted with a different way of thinking. We can avoid the challenge of listening and seeking to understand people who hold a different position. We can avoid wrestling with the ways of God that Jesus taught, dismissing them as unrealistic or too hard. We can avoid having to change our minds about something and, thereby, avoid growing spiritually. A spiritual community is about the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:2) and taking on the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:1-11). It deals with the messiness of loving others, particularly those not like us.
The institutional church provides an avenue for connecting with others under the umbrella of Christianity. The connection is generally with others whose lifestyle and thinking are compatible with ours. Conversations and studies reinforce how we already think and validate what we already believe rather than challenging us to embrace the ways of God that Jesus taught. Study seldom involves application - discussing the implications on our lives of what we have studied. Consequently, relationships tend to be more social than spiritual. Such connecting allows us to avoid the honesty, openness, and vulnerability that are the mark of deep, spiritual friendships. Spiritual friendships lie at the heart of the church as a spiritual community. They are the arena in which the transformation of heart and mind occurs.
The institutional church is inherited from previous generations and, thus, generally focused on the priorities and the way we did things in the past. Spiritual community is about what God is doing in our lives today and the future into which God is leading us.
The institutional church appeals to our ego. We really don't need God or the Spirit's guidance to run the organization. We do this sort of thing all the time where we work and in the businesses we run and in our social clubs. So, other than tipping our hat to God with an opening and closing prayer, God is seldom a part of the conversation in organizational matters. God and God's work in/through our lives is the central focus of a spiritual community. It is God-centered.
The institutional church allows church to be about me ... not God and certainly not those neighbors God wants us to love. It allows an inward focus to develop. My desires, likes, and preferences take priority over what the Spirit wants to do in and through the church in its local community. A spiritual community is about God - God's nature, God's kingdom, God's will lived out in my life.
The unstated purpose of the institutional church is survival of the institution. The longer any group or organization exists, the more it becomes focused on survival, the less it functions out of its original purpose. That is a sociological fact ... and is true of the institutional church. The clearly stated purpose of a spiritual community is making disciples - learning and living the ways of God that Jesus taught, leading others to become disciples, too. Its ultimate purpose is to be a part of the kingdom coming on earth, today.
In many ways, the institutional church functions as a man-made organization rather than as a community born of and shaped by the Spirit. It provides a comfortable expression of religiosity, but not necessarily healthy spirituality.
These differences lie outside of the awareness for most of us because the institutional church is the only expression of church life we have known. We've not experienced the church as a spiritual community in spite of our active involvement in the institutional church. And yet, something deep within often stirs the thought "There's got to be more to the church than this."
Monday, May 13, 2019
And Then There's the Institutional Church
And then there's the institutional church - the only kind of church life most of us have known.
We are involved in this expression of church as a part of our identity as a Christian. Being a part of (and supposedly active in) a local church is a large part of what it means to be a Christian in our culture. It is what we do as a Christian.
The institutional church provides us a place to worship, a place to connect with other Christians and build friendships, a place to study the Bible and our Christian faith, a place to grow in what we believe, a place (and a partner!) to nurture our children's faith development, a place to be involved, a place to serve. The institutional church allows us to join our energies and resources to do what none of us could do alone, to accomplish far more than any of us could do individually.
But the institutional expression of church life has a dangerous downside that many (most?) local churches fall into. That downside is its institutional life: the organizational side with its structure, roles, programs, traditions, rituals, and events.
A church's structure or organization are an important part of the church's functioning. They are designed to address some need in the church's life. Acts 6 records the creation of such a structure to address a need in the life of the early church. (See The Church with the Church, 4/29/2019.) This account reflects the secondary nature of the structure and organization. They are tools to serve a greater purpose. Their role is to facilitate the spiritual life and development of the community, i.e., the make disciples.
The problem occurs when that which is secondary becomes primary, when focus on the institution takes the place of a focus on the spiritual, when the life of the institution displaces the life of the church as a spiritual community.
This subtle shift of focus has a devastating impact.
National statistics indicate that countless churches across the nation, including within The UMC, have experienced this subtle shift and experienced its devastating results. They have forgotten their disciple-making purpose, forsaken their spiritual nature, and lost touch with the church as a life-giving, life-transforming, Spirit-filled spiritual community. They have morphed into a religious institution - the institutional church - rather than living as a spiritual community.
But it doesn't have to be that way ...
We are involved in this expression of church as a part of our identity as a Christian. Being a part of (and supposedly active in) a local church is a large part of what it means to be a Christian in our culture. It is what we do as a Christian.
The institutional church provides us a place to worship, a place to connect with other Christians and build friendships, a place to study the Bible and our Christian faith, a place to grow in what we believe, a place (and a partner!) to nurture our children's faith development, a place to be involved, a place to serve. The institutional church allows us to join our energies and resources to do what none of us could do alone, to accomplish far more than any of us could do individually.
But the institutional expression of church life has a dangerous downside that many (most?) local churches fall into. That downside is its institutional life: the organizational side with its structure, roles, programs, traditions, rituals, and events.
A church's structure or organization are an important part of the church's functioning. They are designed to address some need in the church's life. Acts 6 records the creation of such a structure to address a need in the life of the early church. (See The Church with the Church, 4/29/2019.) This account reflects the secondary nature of the structure and organization. They are tools to serve a greater purpose. Their role is to facilitate the spiritual life and development of the community, i.e., the make disciples.
The problem occurs when that which is secondary becomes primary, when focus on the institution takes the place of a focus on the spiritual, when the life of the institution displaces the life of the church as a spiritual community.
This subtle shift of focus has a devastating impact.
- Purpose - growing and living as the followers of Jesus today, making disciples - is forgotten and neglected.
- Membership displaces discipleship.
- Social relationships take the place of spiritual friendships.
- Right belief displaces a transformed life. Defending positions replaces loving people. Standards of right belief, positions on issues are used to judge others (including the preacher!).
- The Bible is used to support already held positions and established lifestyles rather than to shape how we think and live.
- Worship becomes routine rather than life giving. Preaching that entertains rather than challenges is desired. Preaching is evaluated from political positions rather than from a biblical perspective.
- Keeping members happy (inward focus) becomes more important than doing the things that will reach others (outward focus). This priority is expressed in complaints based on personal likes and preferences, in threats of withholding giving, and in boycotting worship. Petty issues drain focus and energy.
- Focus on the past (what we have always done and how we have always done it, the way things were when ...) takes the place of dealing realistically with the present reality or intentionally planning for and pursing the future into which God is leading.
- We continue to do what we have always done. Calendars and budgets are based on last year's calendar and budget which were based on the previous year's calendar and budget which were ...
- A small group of people hold key positions in the organization and influence (or make) key decisions. Other people defer to their opinions rather than engaging in dialogue that seeks the Spirit's guidance and the will of the larger church. The congregation generally has no forum for such conversations or a means of dealing with conflict in a healthy way. Conflict is avoided at all costs.
- Success is measured by numbers and enjoyment rather than by whether something meaningful and transformative occurred. Transformed lives and spiritual progress are seldom discussed.
- Spiritual health and vitality in the church begin to wain - generally without being recognized.
- Membership and giving plateau, then decline.
- Resources (money) rather than purpose dictate decisions. Maintaining the building consumes a major portion of the budget.
- Anxiety and fear, rather than joy and hope, permeate the church's life. Survival of the institution becomes the unspoken purpose that drives the church.
- Eventually, ultimately, the church dies.
National statistics indicate that countless churches across the nation, including within The UMC, have experienced this subtle shift and experienced its devastating results. They have forgotten their disciple-making purpose, forsaken their spiritual nature, and lost touch with the church as a life-giving, life-transforming, Spirit-filled spiritual community. They have morphed into a religious institution - the institutional church - rather than living as a spiritual community.
But it doesn't have to be that way ...
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