Have you seen the "Spirit of Insurrection" in the church?
So, what do YOU think?
Keith drury
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5 comments:
Perhaps this mood was visible at the 2008 general conference. Many memorials were voted down, some by nearly unanimous margins. And the G. S. vote percentages weren't even published . That was unprecedented to my knowledge. Imagine if general conference had been held 2009!
I saw quite a few "Don't tread on me flags" in my general neighborhood this weekend. While uncertainty and fear are part of the root of this spirit, I think there is another important part--which would contrast the current situation from something like attitudes from the immediate post-9/11 time frame.
1) Americans dislike leaders who tell them directly or by implication that they "know best." You could probably write a coherent history of American denominationalism using this as the only thesis.
2) Leaders who "know best" but ignore this principal do so at extreme peril--it rarely if ever ends well for the leader regardless whether he or she is proved right.
3) Americans love leaders who make a point of telling them, "You know best," even when it isn't true.
4) A clever church leader will plant important ideas in many private conversations and water them with many public "you know bests."
I love it. I love seeing passion in people and I love how I am able to tap into that passion through the church.
We are using these times to research the idea of going to a totally different second service, to plant a hispanic ministry, and to become more missional in our downtown homeless facilities.
And yes, I lead the opening prayer at the local Tea Party. I was the only pastor there and had a wonderful time...largest group of people I ever prayed in front of, not that that matters...but it still felt kinda good.
I guess I'm part of the insurrection, in a quiet way. My church has been trying to go multicampus over the last couple of years, and I've watched my friends leave, my family get torn up, and the church finances get stretched to unbelievable ends, all in the name of evangelism.
I'm tired. I deal with deep, heavy world issues all week long and used to look forward to going to church for some down time and introspection. Now the church models itself after business practices and Sunday mornings are just an extension of TV - complete with video commercials and sound bites. My tithes fund plastic full-color wall hangings while Sunday school classrooms go without curriculum. Staff turns over faster than my kids change grades at school.
My choices seem to be either fight for what's left or bow out. We've dropped membership, anticipating the bow out, since everyone who's ever butted heads with the pastor in the last 15 years is already gone.
IMHO - The American model of "we the people" echos the "priesthood of believers."
Everyone likes that idea ... until they're in change and then very often both politians and professional Christians forget that leaders should be lead servants.
What does it mean to "submit to authority," when authority rests in the sheep not the sheep dogs?
corey.davis@ccpoa.org
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