questions
My job is to direct the middle school ministry at a church. Because of that I tend to ask churchy questions a lot. This week I have been asking the question, ‘how do you best create an atmosphere for ministry to happen?’ How do you call people to journey together to learn what the kingdom of God is and live in that kingdom? At what cost do you try and make Christianity fun and appealing? Is the gospel those things at its nature? It seems that the message of the cross appeals to our deepest desires.
We want community. Jesus invites us to be part of the body of Christ.
We want meaning. God calls us to be the light of hope in a dark and dying world.
We want to be loved. The Son died for our sake while we still hated him.
We want to be known. Our Maker knows us better than we know ourselves.
I am sure there are many many more…
So how does ministry happen? How do we share this life with others? How do we create safe places to ask questions like Matt, Sarah, Cory and Mary do?
How do you work with a population whose god is fun and meet them where they are? The above questions/blogs and being part of a number of interesting conversations this week makes me want to start a church. How awesome would it be to journey together with people you love looking at God’s Word and wondering along the way…
Does Satan exist?
What kind of life does God want us to have?
What role should Jesus followers play in their country's government and if we were in charge how would we govern with kingdom ethics?
Is the Bible really literal?
Does it have errors?
So many questions.
posted by Jon at
8:54 AM
7 Comments:
jon, i'm really glad you posted on this. it's something that i continue to pour over in my head and heart ...
sometimes i think what i'd love most - and maybe what i imagine seminary to be like - is lots of people who love god together in a room kind of spilling out their statement of faith. what's true? what do we believe? what do you believe and does that challenge what i believe? is someone right? is it a moot point? i don't know ... all of that. build a church, j. i'd be behind it.
So many questions.. it's amazing. When I was in college I honestly thought I had figured all this stuff out. How hilarious that is now!
I actually think it is really difficult to be in a church and openly discuss these big questions. I suppose that's because part of being true member of most churches means signing something that says you unequivocally believe all these things. That leaves little room for questions, in my opinion.
That's a bit cynical and certainly many good churched allow lots of room for questions among seekers, but what about those of us who have been part of the church and still find outselves struggling on the fringes with these "fundamental" tenets of the faith. What do we do? I haven't figured it out.
Laura, I was reading your comment and thinking a lot about churches and though I am not saying I have it all figured out, I think we are the ones who put ourselves on the fringes of "the church." I am a fan of the thought that a church is a body of people and not an institution and that conversations have to take place to make it a church. I know that I have a lot of grace with nonChristians and not very much with Christians. That is MY fault, not theirs. I can't just throw up my hands and walk away from the table. I can't imagine that I am the only one asking questions or that in my questions I really think I have it all figured out. Instead I have to stay and participate and listen, while asking all those questions.
This coming from a girl who has never been over involved in a church - but those are just my thoughts. I can't wait to see you over New Years!
Shelly
thanks for the excellent post jon. i started commenting, but it got too long, so i made it a post on my blog. check it out when you have time...
Shelly, I appreciate the thoughts. I totally take responsibility for being on the fringes of church. I mean, ultimately, it's my time, my life, if I wanted to be involved in a church, I would. I think what I have been thinking is about is the tension between churches (many of which have certain doctrines that members hold to) and individuals who may have many doubts and issues with some things.
I guess a lot of my experience has been with groups that put a lot of attention on the us/them factor with a lot of emphasis on membership (or just belonging based on a set of beliefs).
Certainly, all churches are not like that. My problem is that I went past the point of simple questioning and started to totally re-think a lot of things I believed, and that made it really difficult for me to stay in a church. I felt like I was a fake and one thing I didn't want to be was someone pretending, in front of a community, and especially before God.
It's definitely a decision we make. I definitely judge people, regrettably, but ultimately, it's our own choice to do what we will with our doubts/feelings/questions.
This is a really interesting topic, and going on in so many blogs. In one way this dialogue is something that I wish existed in more churches, and maybe I am missing it somewhere. Like Cory said, I think it's time to take this onto my own blog, instead of taking up all of Jon's comment page. =)
I do understand what you mean Laura, about not wanting to be a fake in front of a church or especially God. I think Gustavus forced me and everyone there to step beyond simple questioning in all their faith challenges. But that experience also showed me the value of being in community with others at the same time who have "similar" beliefs and both simpler and more complicated questions all at the same time. Then with Courtney dying, the community that that developed from that gave me a place to have everyone around me ask tough questions without sure answers. I think those experiences gave me a feeling that God loves to be questioned and has a "bring it on" mentality. God can handle it - both in and out of the Church.
Very interesting topic and one that I have no answers to, but one that I have plenty of questions of! Have a great morning everyone.
Side note: I went with my family to see Narnia on Christmas Day and when Aslan dies, it gave me goose bumps making the connection to Jesus. It was a great movie!
Jon and all,
Forgive me--I did not read all of the previous comments here before putting my two cents in. It's just that i was just yesterday thinking about ministry and the "need" to create "safety" (nice use of quotes, no?). And I wondered, why should church strive to be "safe?" The reasons I wondered this were thus:
1. it never seems to be attained
I've been a part of a good number of different Chritian small groups (leader and member) in the last 25 years of life, and another number of not "Christian" small groups. And, as much as safety has been brought up as a value or a goal to be shot for, I don't think any group has ever been truly "safe." As a teacher, we talk about making a classroom a "safe" place to learn. In my discipleship program, we talked about the program being a "safe" place to fail. But, no classroom and no church related group has ever been "safe" for me. And, having done groups many times--I am more proud of the ways in which I have "risked" and learned than those places in which I've felt safe and done little/had little done to me.
2. God is not safe
It's that line from "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,"--the one I was upset to not hear in it's proper context during the movie (not that that is a big deal). It's one of the Beavers' answer to the children when, in response to knowledge that Aslan is a lion they ask: "Is He safe?." And the Beavers' reply: "Safe, who said anything about safe? ... but He's good."
Jon, if you and I and anyone that tries to lead anybody toward/with Christ would seek to be "good," or "true,"--something that IS like God (unlike "safe" which is not)--then maybe people will love Him for who He IS instead of who we want Him to be. And that'd be good.
Love ya' bro. Great questions.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home