blackie's blog-the rumination tour

Simple Purpose, Simple Life

I'm reading a book for a class in Seminary right now called Simple Church. There is a lot within the book that I agree with, especially when it comes to strategically considering how much "process" people can handle when evaluating what church programs to fit into increasingly busy schedules. What i didn't like, was that the book practically left the Holy Spirit, the still small voice of God, out of the equation. To me, the book comes across as another "Purpose Drive Church", just written about more than one church, unlike Warren's book which is just written about his church.

I liked Purpose Driven Church when it came out, it reminded me a lot of my basic marketing and business classes that i took while getting my undergrad degree in Marketing, but it was truism about people. Simple Church is very similar. It just shies away from telling you exactly what to do like Purpose Driven did. For the record, overall, I like Simple Church too.

However... the longer I have been a pastor, the longer i have been involved in implementing church growth techniques and practices, the more concerned i am becoming that we are not seeing the Simple Purpose to which all of this church growth is supposed to be pointing to. We have nearly 20 years of megachurch growth, and probably 50 years of pushing church growth (church marketing and systems) approaches down the throats of church leaders - yet how many of those churches are seeing true conversions take place? I know there are several that are, I know some of them personally, however, when i hear many pastors talk, what I hear is more a discussion about the actual growth, the process or the programs, rather than a focus on Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Church Growth seems to have become an idol. I want my church to grow. I want to reach as many people for Jesus as i possibly can. But growth for growth sake is not only totally unfocused, it has the great potential to actual become counterproductive to the actual goal of reaching people with the Gospel (notice i said the Gospel, not just the "love of God".... if you wan't to know what i mean by that - send me an e-mail)

What i really like, is not Simple Church or Purpose Driven Church. What I like, and yes this is my blog, I like the church that is focused on these three things: (1) The Bible - and I'm not just saying a church that claims it is focused on the Bible, I'm talking about one that really learns and lives it. (2) People - I'm not talking about pastors standing in the pulpit and pushing the people to go get involved in the latest social activism effort - every business and govt organization can and does do that (a topic for another blog) i'm talking about truly loving people. People you don't agree with, people you don't like, people who smell different, people who have different tastes. Your neighbor, your coworker, your family member, a totally stranger - and yes(gasp) the people who attend your church. To do this, means pursuing relationship with these people - especially if you finds yourself at odds with one of them. Unity takes work. Love takes effort (sorry, I already blogged on that subject :) Finally, I like a church that is focused on (3) Worship. I'm not talking about attending a service. Playing a CD. Listening to a sermon, saying a prayer, giving a check, serving in Sunday School. I'm talking about authentic, lifechanging, soul baring, Holy Spirit encountering, Jesus revealing FOCUS of every part of our hearts, soul, mind and strength.

I don't know what kind of church that would be. I don't know what type of label to use. Do we really need labels?

Kids, teens, adults - we all desperately need to find the purpose for our lives that leads us to these three things and then stay there, bloom there, launch from there into real, intentional, influential, inspiring life.

The following is a quote from another book i just read for the same master's class. It is a book on raising "spiritual champions". A book focused on raising our kids to have authentic relationship with God. In reading it, this next quote just blew me away. Read it and maybe you will weep. If you do, just ask God to show you what it is that he made you for. He will show you.


"In our national research, we find that almost half of all adults say they
are still seeking meaning and purpose in life. Among teenagers, 2 out of 3
are still seeking that sense of direction. Not surprisingly, the figures are
highest among adolescents. We see this kind of confusion all around us,
every day - people who meander through life, aimless and lethargic, capable
but unproductive, comfortable but unfulfilled.

Meaning and purpose in life are gained by developing spiritual
understanding. Meaning and purpose are not all about occupational choices,
education degrees, marital status, financial security, personal achievement
or leisure and recreational pursuits. It is about knowing God so intimately
that you can discern His calling upon your life.

Establishing an unwavering commitment to God's calling should trump your
devotion to realizing your personal desires every time (although when you
consistently live for God, His desires eventually become your own). Why?
Because when you try to be something that God did not make you to be, (even
in pursuit of noble objectives) you can count on a life of frustration,
dissatisfaction and failure. When you listen to the voice of God to discern
what He has called you to be, then you are in line for the blessings that
enable you to succeed in the ventures for which He created you."

-George Barna - From: Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions

posted by Blackie's Tour @ 7:02 PM