Uncovering an Ethos - Part 5
Returning from a short break, I want to finish the discussion of our little group’s ethos. In the last post, I mentioned four aspects that are traditionally given a tremendous amount of energy (and consternation) over that I believe are more fairly treated by placing them in their proper context. They are leadership, structure, commitment, and money. I discussed the first two last time and will continue with commitment and money in this post.
Starting sometime around the 1950’s, there began a considerable amount of hand-wringing regarding what it meant to be a member of a church. Before that time, folks just assumed if you said you were a Methodist or a Baptist, your name was on the membership roll of a local church and you participated in that church’s activities. However, during the cultural explosion that took place after World War II, people began to understand that they had options as consumers. They were no longer tied to what their family did or the expectations of their neighborhood. The suburbs created brand new opportunities to play the religious field, and this attitude naturally led pastors and leaders into the Church Growth movement of the ‘80s and ‘90s. In many ways, church membership these days looks more like brand loyalty than it does a conscious engagement with a group of people.
One response to this situation has been to clearly define the parameters for who is “in” or “out” of an organization. This can be done by encouraging allegiance to a leader, various doctrinal stances, or traditions. Another path has been to establish a step-by-step pathway for someone to move from an “attender” to a full-fledged participant in the organization’s vision and mission (see the oft-imitated Saddleback bases for example). But where these methods have been successful in attaching consumers to particular organizations, have they addressed the deeper question of how someone becomes a true disciple of Jesus among other disciples? It should be obvious that in the context of a faith community, commitment should mean more than you have taken the required classes, can recite the right dogma, or have bought enough of the pastor’s books and tapes.
Over the years, our community has at various times reestablished that the primary rallying point for what it means to be “committed” is to declare “I want to be (and continue to learn how to grow as) an apprentice of Jesus.” What this has meant, in short, is to intend to live a Jesus kind of life, as if he were we. This is not a side project, Sunday-morning-best kind of spirituality. This is full-body Christianity; no holds barred wrestling with God about every detail of our sinful in-need-of-redemption lives. It also means that we are forced to deal with each other as we really are (not how we would like to present ourselves at a worship service). This, of course, is a scary prospect, and not one entered into lightly. If this commitment cannot be made for whatever reason, there are no hard feelings or ill wishes. If it takes someone years to make a decision to pursue Jesus in community, that is perfectly acceptable from the community’s point of view. However, it has been our experience that over time an atmosphere is created where people voluntarily give their love and allegiance to one another. In this atmosphere, it becomes natural (or at least possible) to bear one another’s burdens, rejoice in each other’s triumphs, and grow in deeper obedience and passion for Jesus.
Of course, one of the areas affected by apprenticing yourself to Jesus is how you deal with money. Building on the entire ethos as I’ve described it up until this point, it should be obvious that we probably look at money a little differently than what is stereotypical for the church. First of all, money is not a tool God uses to beat us into submission. We have rejected the idea that the church needs money to function, for us to be what God intends us to be in the world. Rather, we have been captured by the reality (and promise) that the full resources of God’s kingdom are at our fingertips – both monetarily and otherwise. As Americans we believe that our money is a pretty powerful thing, but as Christians we should see that our money is about as worthless as monopoly bills compared to God’s resources. That being said, we have seen that God can use even our pocket change to do some pretty amazing things – from sponsoring Compassion kids to helping out a single mom who is having trouble paying her mortgage. The goal is to detach ourselves from being too enamored with our money or stuff. As we are freed from those idolatries, we become free to serve financially in whatever way God sees fit and champion causes that otherwise become buried in our consumer culture.
So this is the end of my series on ethos, but it is not the end of how our community will continue change its definition. Every person we journey with as a companion will bring something to help redefine another facet. As raw and as ugly it seems at times, God has promised that he will make something beautiful. But as with anything beautiful, he doesn’t promise that things will come quickly or easily.
In 2002, about eight months after we started this group, a friend of mine from Gainesville sent me an email asking how things were going. This was part of my response:
“Remember the movie "The Shawshank Redemption?" Tim Robbins' character escaped prison using only a tiny sculpting tool. He did not use explosives or incite a riot (which would draw lots of attention and failure could mean death). He did not decide to escape and then make a quick, unplanned attempt the next day (which would increase considerably his chance of failure). But, he also did not throw himself on the 'mercies' of the parole board hoping (wishfully) to be released early. Instead, he chose a path that required the one thing he had plenty of...time.
Patience is not a wimpy virtue, it is a subversive weapon. It can destroy enemies that seem overwhelmingly massive and strong, and it will go undetected. If we are determined to find "freedom from our sinful self-life," individually and corporately, then we must determine to stick it out with Jesus for the long haul. Our prisons of addiction, greed, lust, anger, etc. are more impenetrable than Alcatraz ever was. But as ones who are determining to submit our entire life to the kingdom of God, we have the advantage of time, each other, and the Creator of the Universe. Pretty cool, huh?"
Starting sometime around the 1950’s, there began a considerable amount of hand-wringing regarding what it meant to be a member of a church. Before that time, folks just assumed if you said you were a Methodist or a Baptist, your name was on the membership roll of a local church and you participated in that church’s activities. However, during the cultural explosion that took place after World War II, people began to understand that they had options as consumers. They were no longer tied to what their family did or the expectations of their neighborhood. The suburbs created brand new opportunities to play the religious field, and this attitude naturally led pastors and leaders into the Church Growth movement of the ‘80s and ‘90s. In many ways, church membership these days looks more like brand loyalty than it does a conscious engagement with a group of people.
One response to this situation has been to clearly define the parameters for who is “in” or “out” of an organization. This can be done by encouraging allegiance to a leader, various doctrinal stances, or traditions. Another path has been to establish a step-by-step pathway for someone to move from an “attender” to a full-fledged participant in the organization’s vision and mission (see the oft-imitated Saddleback bases for example). But where these methods have been successful in attaching consumers to particular organizations, have they addressed the deeper question of how someone becomes a true disciple of Jesus among other disciples? It should be obvious that in the context of a faith community, commitment should mean more than you have taken the required classes, can recite the right dogma, or have bought enough of the pastor’s books and tapes.
Over the years, our community has at various times reestablished that the primary rallying point for what it means to be “committed” is to declare “I want to be (and continue to learn how to grow as) an apprentice of Jesus.” What this has meant, in short, is to intend to live a Jesus kind of life, as if he were we. This is not a side project, Sunday-morning-best kind of spirituality. This is full-body Christianity; no holds barred wrestling with God about every detail of our sinful in-need-of-redemption lives. It also means that we are forced to deal with each other as we really are (not how we would like to present ourselves at a worship service). This, of course, is a scary prospect, and not one entered into lightly. If this commitment cannot be made for whatever reason, there are no hard feelings or ill wishes. If it takes someone years to make a decision to pursue Jesus in community, that is perfectly acceptable from the community’s point of view. However, it has been our experience that over time an atmosphere is created where people voluntarily give their love and allegiance to one another. In this atmosphere, it becomes natural (or at least possible) to bear one another’s burdens, rejoice in each other’s triumphs, and grow in deeper obedience and passion for Jesus.
Of course, one of the areas affected by apprenticing yourself to Jesus is how you deal with money. Building on the entire ethos as I’ve described it up until this point, it should be obvious that we probably look at money a little differently than what is stereotypical for the church. First of all, money is not a tool God uses to beat us into submission. We have rejected the idea that the church needs money to function, for us to be what God intends us to be in the world. Rather, we have been captured by the reality (and promise) that the full resources of God’s kingdom are at our fingertips – both monetarily and otherwise. As Americans we believe that our money is a pretty powerful thing, but as Christians we should see that our money is about as worthless as monopoly bills compared to God’s resources. That being said, we have seen that God can use even our pocket change to do some pretty amazing things – from sponsoring Compassion kids to helping out a single mom who is having trouble paying her mortgage. The goal is to detach ourselves from being too enamored with our money or stuff. As we are freed from those idolatries, we become free to serve financially in whatever way God sees fit and champion causes that otherwise become buried in our consumer culture.
So this is the end of my series on ethos, but it is not the end of how our community will continue change its definition. Every person we journey with as a companion will bring something to help redefine another facet. As raw and as ugly it seems at times, God has promised that he will make something beautiful. But as with anything beautiful, he doesn’t promise that things will come quickly or easily.
In 2002, about eight months after we started this group, a friend of mine from Gainesville sent me an email asking how things were going. This was part of my response:
“Remember the movie "The Shawshank Redemption?" Tim Robbins' character escaped prison using only a tiny sculpting tool. He did not use explosives or incite a riot (which would draw lots of attention and failure could mean death). He did not decide to escape and then make a quick, unplanned attempt the next day (which would increase considerably his chance of failure). But, he also did not throw himself on the 'mercies' of the parole board hoping (wishfully) to be released early. Instead, he chose a path that required the one thing he had plenty of...time.
Patience is not a wimpy virtue, it is a subversive weapon. It can destroy enemies that seem overwhelmingly massive and strong, and it will go undetected. If we are determined to find "freedom from our sinful self-life," individually and corporately, then we must determine to stick it out with Jesus for the long haul. Our prisons of addiction, greed, lust, anger, etc. are more impenetrable than Alcatraz ever was. But as ones who are determining to submit our entire life to the kingdom of God, we have the advantage of time, each other, and the Creator of the Universe. Pretty cool, huh?"
posted by Mike Bishop at 10:01 PM
2 Comments:
mike, that is a powerful example of the significance of patience. i love that...
peace
I know I'm coming in a little late with this comment.
Another reason that American churches have felt the need to define "membership" is the government.
In Illinois (and presumably other states), tax-exempt organizations are required to have by-laws which spell out the membership structures and requirements (how one becomes a member and discontinues membership, voting rights, etc.).
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