The Tangible Kingdom::part 1

I just finished reading a book that has really made me think about the church called The Tangible Kingdom. To all those working in a church, attending a church, or even been burned by church; I challenge you to read this book! Here are some selections that really impacted me throughout the first few chapters:

We have churches everywhere, but they smell musty, fussy, clubby, judgmental, mean, punishing, ungenerous, and are not compelling people to come or stay.

Christians must learn how to live the gospel as a distinct people who no longer occupy the center of society. We must learn to build relational bridges that win a hearing.

Tension also comes when you know you can’t go back to present forms of church, but you don’t know what going forward will look like or what it will cost us in life, focus, family, or finances.

There are 2 primary camps of Christians: 1) “Jerusalem Christians”- those who see the person of Jesus through their traditions and the literal interpretation of doctrine, and 2) “Galilee Christians”- those who see the Christian message through the person of Jesus and the narratives about his life.

To move forward, we can’t keep everything we’ve always had. We have to pick what to take, what is absolutely necessary, and leave behind some things that have been important to us.

Wise leadership requires that you steward everyone well; pastor everyone well; be honest with where you want to go and try to express what the journey will feel like, what they won’t get to take if they go, and what it will cost them if they do. Then let people decide for themselves.

“Doing church different is like rearranging chairs on the Titanic.” We must realize that slight tweaks, new music, creative lighting, wearing hula shirts, shorts, and flip-flops won’t make doing church more attractive. Church must not be the goal of the gospel anymore… Church should be what ends up happening as a natural response to people wanting to follow us, be with us, and be like us as we are following the way of Christ.

Influence doesn’t happen by extracting ourselves from the world for the sake of our values, but by bringing our values into the culture.

America a Christian Nation???

Our small group got into a discussion a few weeks ago that paralleled with a book I’m reading (The Tangible Kingdom- which is REALLY messing with me). We were discussing the school system’s new anti-bullying curriculum that also teaches tolerance of all different religions, sexual orientation, etc… The comment that made me start thinking was, “America was founded on Christian principles and beliefs. Just read the constitution.” I totally, 100% agree with that. But, are we still a Christian nation?

Tangible Kingdom, along with unChristian, provide unbelievable evidence and statistics that show America is definitely not a Christian nation anymore. Of course, you can turn on the TV or look around your community and see that to be true. How does that make you feel? Personally….I’m glad to see us coming to grips that we aren’t a “Christian” nation. For one reason, the label of “Christian” has become so deluded, misrepresented, and tainted over the years that it’s real identity has been lost. Many have done or said things under the “Christian” banner over the years that I think would have really ticked Jesus off!

Tom Clegg and Warren Bird said this:

“The inescapable conclusion is that we must throw out any notion that God is truly at the center of the church’s heart in North America. The shift in society’s view of the church has resulted in the marginalization of the church and the secularization of society. Christians must learn how to live the gospel as a distinct people who no longer occupy the center of society. We must learn to build relational bridges that win a hearing.”

So what’s the answer? What are we supposed to do? I’m not totally sure. But, one thing is for sure: if we keep doing the same things, we are going to keep getting the same results. Maybe we’ve made church something it wasn’t supposed to be? Maybe we are now seeing the byproduct of the unchanging church structure or institution with an ever changing culture? Maybe God is calling us to something different, and maybe that something is actually found through returning. Hugh Halter says, “It’s not about success, size of buildings, budget, or ’salvations.’ It is about being faithful to live Christ’s alternative ways in the world again…It’s about the type of church that Jesus would go to, the type he died to give flight to.”

See what I meant? The Tangible Kingdom is really messing with me!

This Beautiful Mess

I recently got done reading a book that really messed me up and is still making my mind race! I definitely recommend you reading This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley (the pastor of Imago Dei church in Portland, OR). The book is all about the kingdom of God, which if you’re like me…doesn’t really get your blood pumping from the get go. However, I soon realized it was because I’ve reduced the kingdom of God to a small, comfortable portion that fits my current lifestyle and environment. But, this book blew that all to smithereens. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

“The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he…sold all he had and bought that field.”- Matthew 13:44

The kingdom of God is the living, breathing presence and purpose and reign of God on our planet. It’s beautiful and irreducible. To reduce it to a seven-point outline might help you on the quiz, but it won’t get you any closer to the experience. It would be like cutting up a corpse to figure out what it means to be human…

What if God broke into our world back then with a revolutionary message of truth, life, and freedom that His followers today have parted out, like an old ‘57 Chevy up on blocks, keeping just a few of the shinier parts?

What if you started praying for the things around you that break His heart–even if they don’t break yours yet?

…followers of Jesus are sent out to be signposts pointing to the reality of his eternal kingdom…Paradoxically, signposts of the kingdom radiate the most beauty when they’re planted in the middle of the most mess.

…relevance is a consequence of kingdom living, not a cause. We become relevant when we are committed to being that signpost of heaven in some part of the world. When we study Scripture, we find that relevance happens naturally when we choose to be real people caring for other real people. Even the real people who are not like us. Even the real people who don’t hesitate to hate us.

What would happen if hundreds of people descended onto the town or city where you live to redeem creation with the love of the King? What would happen if people who did not follow Jesus were invited on the journey? What if they tasted the kingdom in creation, in the sweat of redemption, and when it was all over you could explain why it moved their soul–because the King loves them more than the flowers they planted and He proved it with His own death? What would it look like if we practiced the kingdom by creating sacred space all over our cities and towns by simply redeeming the mess of creation with the beauty of restoration?

On my must read list…

You can check out more info on the book here or watch this video:

What is Worship?

When you hear the word “worship”, a number of different things can come to mind. A music style, a religious service, a specific time during a religious service, a sport, a celebrity, a significant other, a hobby, a passion, etc… But what is worship? I love Louie Giglio’s definition in The Air I Breathe, “Worship is our response to what we value most.”

Louie goes on to write, “You simply follow the trail of your time, your affection, your energy, your money and your allegiance. At the end of that trail you’ll find a throne; and whatever, or whomever, is on that throne is what’s of highest value to you. On that throne is what you worship…In the end, our worship is more about what we do than what we say.”

So, where does your trail lead? What does your life, time, affection, and money say that you worship?