Further Thoughts of Christian Plodding and the Dangers of Consumeristic Church
It seems in the past few years I have been confronted by a growing dichotomy which seems to be taking shape within our Christian Church. Set up between two frontlines the Missional and Emergent tribes seem to call for radical reformation while the more streamline and orthodox seem to take this as a personal attack claiming these thoughts as being a loss of accountability at best and at worst, borderline heresy. So which is it and where do we find God at work within it all? Most importantly… where does politics give way to Kingdom love?
Not that long ago a friend of mine quoted Kevin Deyoung from a blog post called ‘The Glory of Plodding’. He said, “What we need are fewer revolutionaries and a few more plodding visionaries. That’s my dream for the church — a multitude of faithful, risk taking plodders.” What an inspiring deliberation and yet I wonder; can you be a faithful, risk taking plodder without running the risk of cultural revolutionary reactions?
The Apostle Peter was a plodder too and while he stood before thousands of people he spoke from his heart, “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17) Much like Peter perhaps the plodders of our time have a dream in uncharted waters; and our visionaries are leading us towards a revolution – one which is counter cultural not counter Christological!
The dangers of consumeristic church are most definitely rooted in a lack of commitment and the spiritual cannibalistic practices of “what’s in it for me?” My fear is that this reality has become not just individualistic in practice but also corporately expressed through the ideological expectations of set ecclesiological mandates. Let’s face it, Christian accountability is something which is centered not on maintaining an existing ecclesiology but upon the commitment to the missionary plodding of sending all of Christ’s followers into the world united with an impassioned vision for God’s Kingdom drawing near to every fabric of life.
So what of love for God’s Kingdom? Richard Neuhaus once said, “It is easy to think that we love an abstract, spiritualized, de-historicized Church just as it is easy to love abstract, spiritualized, de-historicized people. In truth to love abstractions is not to love at all; it is but a sentimental attachment to our own whimsies.”
In truth I can say I love God’s Kingdom but in so doing I am in love with God’s people; in all places, forms, traditions, and diversities. To not recognize the riches of this virtue brings heed to Jesus’ warning that, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.” (Matt. 11:17)
Does the dichotomy between Missional/Emergent and Main Stream Church demand revolutionary mentality? I do not know but, in the words of Martin Luther King I’ve been hearing a lot lately… “I have a dream today!” Maybe the church itself should spend some time dreaming too.
A Season for Rejoicing!
Read this first: Ecclesiastes 4
15″I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that youth who was to stand in the king’s place. 16There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him.” – Ecc. 4:15-16
Most of us have heard the story of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and know the character of Scrooge. It seems like the spirit of scrooge is still alive and well if we look around at some of the people we encounter amidst the business of our Christmas holidays. A few years ago I think I had the most ironic and oppressive encounter with such a character while working in a Greyhound parcel depot here in Calgary.
To be honest I took the job thinking it would be fun and I would be a deliverer of blessings and joy to many over the Christmas season. It was anything but and possibly one of the hardest jobs I have ever done. There I was sitting in the back room with no windows and just a fold out table in front of me stacked with piles upon piles of parcel delivery slips and just a small space for me to put a phone on. I would phone hundreds of people a day, trying desperately to pronounce their names right as I advised them of their parcel waiting for them to pick up.
By the third day I was beginning to feel like I had lost all meaning to Christmas and the Spirit of joy had slipped away. So in an effort to rekindle the fires if you will, I decided to bring in a music box and play some Christmas music in the background. Things were going smoothly until the mid day when I heard some shouting out in the front of the depot.
I came out from the back room that I was in through the double doors to the front and found close to fifty people all lined up at the front desk and winding slowly back towards the outer doors with the snowy cold blowing through them as more people came in. Robin, a coworker and friend, was at the desk trying to help a gentleman with finding the parcels he expected to receive once he arrived at the depot which unfortunately were no where to be found and he was extremely angry that we did not have his expected parcels.
“What do you mean you do not have my &%*#@ parcels!” He would shout at the top of his lungs as he tore strips off of Robin. “Listen to me you little #$%^&; I want my parcels now!”
Now picture this as I sat there watching what was going on while listening to this:
My heart wanted to just explode while the lyrics of the song rolled around in my head! Where was the love of Jesus? Where was the Christmas joy everyone was supposed to be celebrating? I was asking, “For whom is this guy toiling and depriving himself of pleasure?” (Ecc. 4:8)
I suppose it could be so easy to get wrapped up in the business of the season and forget the real reason we are celebrating. Christmas is more then presents, gifts, food, and the “Ooo’s” and “Ahh’s” of what did you give to so and so or what did I get.
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus! Christmas is the season to rejoice in our King and Lord who has no end to those he leads and all who follow (Ecc. 4:16). Christmas is the joy of knowing we received the gift of Immanuel (God with us) and it is through his blessing that we can stand in his place (Ecc. 4:15) and be given the glory of being in the Kingdom of God as his children.
All that to say I wish you All a Merry Christmas and a Season for Rejoicing!
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” - Matthew 1:23
Expressions
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years By Donald Miller
Eternity in Their Hearts By Don Richardson
Follow Me to Freedom By Shane Claiborne & John Perkins
Journey to Significance By Neil Cole
Organic Leadership By Niel Cole
Forge Canada
Friend of Missional
Missional Apologetics
The Missional Network
Verge Network
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