i suppose all of us have some sort of "lifetime to-do list". you know what i'm talking about--the things you'll always get to "someday." for some, it is a collection of life experiences to be experienced (someday i'd like to try bungee jumping. someday i'll be brave enough to try sushi.), for others it is a to-do list, but for things that require more time than we currently have to devote to such a project (when i write the great american novel...).
i often fall into this later category.
my coffee buddee (notice the "ee" in homage to coffee) reminded me today that for nearly 5 years i've been talking about a book i'm going to write entitled, "why i left the restoration movement". i imagine it will be one of those imaginary conversations that we have with ourselves where we set out to disprove something, but end up confirming it to ourselves--i.e. the basic principles, slogans and dogma of the restoration movement (because you know we're not a denomination). but alas, after these 5 years, the book remains unwritten.
i realize that is a lot of backstory, but it's necessary.
but, also included in our coffee talk today was the inspiration for another book (to be written at a later date). i'm happy to announce my next rendering will be titled "we're a church, not a team".
the underlying motivation is because i'm tired of hearing about corporate teamwork within the church. too many people are giving us a bill of goods that is promoting an unhealthy view of the church. we need to reverse our imagery. a church is a better concept than a team. scripture tells us how to be a church; it doesn't address the issue of teamwork.
i will admit that there are several images and ideas of scripture that promote "teamwork". but, my point is that you need to use the church as an example of how to get your team working better--vice-versa does not work here. in fact, i'll go so far as to say the idea of teamwork in the church (instead of "be the church") has been detrimental to us. a case could easily be made that this is yet another example of the world influencing the church instead of the other way around (the way God intended).
i'd love to discuss this more with anyone. drop me a line or share your opinions.
Lion of Judah, i feel your strength as you reveal to me more of this truth. let me not keep it to myself, but let me dialogue with others that You are raising up to be men and women of Your kingdom. every good and perfect gift comes from You. empower me to continue to discern Your truths and Your will, Your path and direction for Your church. in the world, "together, everyone achieves more", but in Your kingdom, "with God, all things are possible."
5 comments:
So what about the RM makes you say you left it?
As the RM is very diverse and I'm wondering what your view of what the RM is. As there are parts of the RM movement that I want absolutely nothing to do with... then there are other parts that I absolutely love.
if i'd had time to think through every point of the restoration movement and what i like/dislike about it, i'd have the book written already and you could just read that for yourself. but in brief: 1) policy and practice have become equal to scripture and doctrine thereby contradicting the roots ideas (my book will show why i should continue to hold to the principles of the movement as they are the only hope for unity among believers), 2) we may not have headquarters, but we have become a denomination by every definition--let's just admit it.
I've said for a long time that 'we' are a denomination. I even think that a non-denominational church is a myth!
My blog on the topic
So can you give me one example of a policy/practice that has become equal to scripture? And I certainly could come up with my own list, just curious what your's is.
"we're not the only christians, we're christians only"
many people i've encountered in the movement that certainly think that we are the only christians. and it seems that some think that God only inhabits small church venues and are therefore very distrustful of "successful" churches. i.e. - "southeast must be selling out or they wouldn't be so large." so it seems that since we are known by the fruit we bear, we hold more to the truth of the slogan above than we do to the promises in scripture that God rewards faithfulness and that His Spirit works through the Truth of His Word to change lives.
but, in my book, i'll come back to the ideal of the slogan. many people have experienced the question "what kind of christian are you?". and while it's idealistic (and unrealistic) to expect everyone to understand that we believe in the universal (i.e. catholic) church of God world-wide and that we practice immersion (i.e. baptist) and that we have a desire to restore the ideals and practices of the new testament church (i.e. restoration movement or campbellites), we are christians only.
scripture always points us to the slogans, but the slogans don't necessarily point us to scripture. that's my bottom line.
Understood. Thanks for clarifying.
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