Keeping the main thing, the main thing---
03-19-2010, 11:14 PM
Everybody's got a theory, a theorum, a formula, a pondering about how our personal and corporate lives ought to be focused. Part of that is viewing life on earth through the filter of earthly giftings. That's not a bad thing, necessarily, but is it the right thing?
I have struggled with this at various times of my life and I have watched congregations large and small try to deal with the concept. There are so many different aspects to my personal walk (and yours
). We are supposed to be "moderate in all things" and yet we are to be radically committed. The word that many use is "balanced". Many of you know that I really do not like that word. Can I be a balanced radical for Jesus? Something oxymoronic about that, somehow.
I'm not talking about things like the faith message or name-it-claim-it theology. I'm interested in some of the real basics of what most Christians see as essential aspects of our corporate life. I don't want to label them as "ministries", but rather as facets of our corporate life. Liturgical churches and evangelistic churches see these things differently and put different emphases and labels on them, but some of the biggies in our life together include outreach (to unchurched or lapsed believers), evangelism (to unbelievers and includes missions), education (catechesis for children, youth, adults), praise/worship (including sacramental life, music, and movement in large and small groups, and in individual lives). Governance, leadership building, church planting, and a host of other things are out there, too, but I'm not not sure of how to group them all.
Some churches are so "Word-oriented" that nothing is considered unless it supports the promotion of and study of the Word. Teaching heavy, classes, classes, and more classes. Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Tuesday evening, and Thursday evening, plus a teaching evening for the youth and a teaching afternoon for seniors, early morning for work-a-day folks, later morning for the home-makers. That's radical, but is it "the" formula?
I'm reading a little book about how every congregation needs to become a house of prayer. That's the thing that will fix everything else because when it's the center of congregational everything, then everything will just work better. Prayer is the big thing and the other things will just come along as part of the package. Well, that's certainly a radical view. Prayer becomes the focus of the body and drive all the ministries. But is that "the" formula? Yes, I'm trying really hard to spin this thing out toward the extremes. Personally, I think Christianity cannot be viewed in tepid, middle of the road terms--"balanced".
All of those things are important. Having prayer as an integral part of these earthly ministries is certainly mandatory, not to be ignored. It could be seen as an integral part of the fabric of our congregations, the threads that bind much of what we do together. There are all sorts of analogies that can be offered. I want to offer a little different view.
For many years now, Helena and I have been trying to guide our lives on what we view as Kingdom principles, and actions of eternal significance. Kingdom principles work no matter who uses them or for what. Proclamation of the Word is a Kingdom principle. His Word never returns void, it always accomplishes His intentions. Confession (literally "saying with") is a Kingdom principle. God shows me where I've missed the mark. I confess it as sin, agreeing with Him, and He forgives me. Agreement is the place of power. When I agree with Him about that, His power cleanses me. These are clear, biblical, Kingdom principles. Let me introduce you to more.
Revelation 5:8 describes corporate life among the Church Triumphant. There, before the Throne (Kingdom principle), are twenty four thrones for twenty four elders (elders leading in actions of worship and praise is another Kingdom principle). Each of those elders holds a harp and a bowl of incense. This is yet a third Kingdom principle in this one verse, a verse that describes an eternity in His presence. For me, Kingdom life is about three things: the Throne of God, each of us involved in worship, and each of us involved in prayer (the harp and bowl are acknowledged biblical symbols of worship and prayer). The prayer and worship components represent the largest portion of what our eternity will look like. Because of that, should we not focus on making the eternal a larger portion of our temporality?
I am confronted now and again by my lovely wife about my tendencies to over-analyze and over-plan. My boss wags his finger at me regularly and tells me not to overwork my projects. He tells a lot of people that very same thing. Guys mostly. I think it might be just a guy thing. A friend of mine thinks that it's also a leader thing. Many of us fall into the trap of becoming human doings instead of human beings. It's an awful trap because we have these deep needs to plan and label and subdivide, to do and hone and polish. This is not Kingdom thinking and has no place among the Kingdom principles. Watch:
In the Revelation 5 verse, the principle humanoid characters on the stage were the twenty-four elders. Elders: it's who they were, not what they did. They held a harp in one hand and a bowl in the other. Their hands were FULL! No backpack, no grocery cart, no briefcase to lug other stuff, nothing tucked under their arms, no pockets, just the harp and the bowl. It's almost as though each of them were busy being, but had these two accessories to help express what they were called to do while they were about being elders. That's important. Each of those elders was modeling for the glassy sea of the multitudes surrounding the throne. They were busy elding. They were focused not on the harp or the bowl, but on the One upon the Throne. Did they worship or sing? Yeah, I'll bet they did. Did they pray? Yeah, I'll bet they did. Prayer is a broad topic, but it's mostly about conversation with Him, right? Not just about presenting one's "list". They were conversing, communing with Him. It was just a natural, normal part of their being.
That's what I see in the verse and the scene. And it's what I want my life to reflect. I want people to recognize me for what I am, not what I do. As one who loves life near the throne, I have to avoid tendencies to over-define and "over-work" the relationship. Worship is a natural part of life near the throne. Conversational prayer is a natural part of life near the throne. I strive to not allow myself to get in the mode where the worship or the prayer is the driver for my life and motives. My heart is toward HIM and worship and prayer are the means of communication. Neither worship nor prayer should drive my life--my love for Him has to drive my life. If it is any other way, I'm off track, not living in Kingdom mode.
More in part two.
I have struggled with this at various times of my life and I have watched congregations large and small try to deal with the concept. There are so many different aspects to my personal walk (and yours
). We are supposed to be "moderate in all things" and yet we are to be radically committed. The word that many use is "balanced". Many of you know that I really do not like that word. Can I be a balanced radical for Jesus? Something oxymoronic about that, somehow.I'm not talking about things like the faith message or name-it-claim-it theology. I'm interested in some of the real basics of what most Christians see as essential aspects of our corporate life. I don't want to label them as "ministries", but rather as facets of our corporate life. Liturgical churches and evangelistic churches see these things differently and put different emphases and labels on them, but some of the biggies in our life together include outreach (to unchurched or lapsed believers), evangelism (to unbelievers and includes missions), education (catechesis for children, youth, adults), praise/worship (including sacramental life, music, and movement in large and small groups, and in individual lives). Governance, leadership building, church planting, and a host of other things are out there, too, but I'm not not sure of how to group them all.
Some churches are so "Word-oriented" that nothing is considered unless it supports the promotion of and study of the Word. Teaching heavy, classes, classes, and more classes. Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Tuesday evening, and Thursday evening, plus a teaching evening for the youth and a teaching afternoon for seniors, early morning for work-a-day folks, later morning for the home-makers. That's radical, but is it "the" formula?
I'm reading a little book about how every congregation needs to become a house of prayer. That's the thing that will fix everything else because when it's the center of congregational everything, then everything will just work better. Prayer is the big thing and the other things will just come along as part of the package. Well, that's certainly a radical view. Prayer becomes the focus of the body and drive all the ministries. But is that "the" formula? Yes, I'm trying really hard to spin this thing out toward the extremes. Personally, I think Christianity cannot be viewed in tepid, middle of the road terms--"balanced".
All of those things are important. Having prayer as an integral part of these earthly ministries is certainly mandatory, not to be ignored. It could be seen as an integral part of the fabric of our congregations, the threads that bind much of what we do together. There are all sorts of analogies that can be offered. I want to offer a little different view.
For many years now, Helena and I have been trying to guide our lives on what we view as Kingdom principles, and actions of eternal significance. Kingdom principles work no matter who uses them or for what. Proclamation of the Word is a Kingdom principle. His Word never returns void, it always accomplishes His intentions. Confession (literally "saying with") is a Kingdom principle. God shows me where I've missed the mark. I confess it as sin, agreeing with Him, and He forgives me. Agreement is the place of power. When I agree with Him about that, His power cleanses me. These are clear, biblical, Kingdom principles. Let me introduce you to more.
Revelation 5:8 describes corporate life among the Church Triumphant. There, before the Throne (Kingdom principle), are twenty four thrones for twenty four elders (elders leading in actions of worship and praise is another Kingdom principle). Each of those elders holds a harp and a bowl of incense. This is yet a third Kingdom principle in this one verse, a verse that describes an eternity in His presence. For me, Kingdom life is about three things: the Throne of God, each of us involved in worship, and each of us involved in prayer (the harp and bowl are acknowledged biblical symbols of worship and prayer). The prayer and worship components represent the largest portion of what our eternity will look like. Because of that, should we not focus on making the eternal a larger portion of our temporality?
I am confronted now and again by my lovely wife about my tendencies to over-analyze and over-plan. My boss wags his finger at me regularly and tells me not to overwork my projects. He tells a lot of people that very same thing. Guys mostly. I think it might be just a guy thing. A friend of mine thinks that it's also a leader thing. Many of us fall into the trap of becoming human doings instead of human beings. It's an awful trap because we have these deep needs to plan and label and subdivide, to do and hone and polish. This is not Kingdom thinking and has no place among the Kingdom principles. Watch:
In the Revelation 5 verse, the principle humanoid characters on the stage were the twenty-four elders. Elders: it's who they were, not what they did. They held a harp in one hand and a bowl in the other. Their hands were FULL! No backpack, no grocery cart, no briefcase to lug other stuff, nothing tucked under their arms, no pockets, just the harp and the bowl. It's almost as though each of them were busy being, but had these two accessories to help express what they were called to do while they were about being elders. That's important. Each of those elders was modeling for the glassy sea of the multitudes surrounding the throne. They were busy elding. They were focused not on the harp or the bowl, but on the One upon the Throne. Did they worship or sing? Yeah, I'll bet they did. Did they pray? Yeah, I'll bet they did. Prayer is a broad topic, but it's mostly about conversation with Him, right? Not just about presenting one's "list". They were conversing, communing with Him. It was just a natural, normal part of their being.
That's what I see in the verse and the scene. And it's what I want my life to reflect. I want people to recognize me for what I am, not what I do. As one who loves life near the throne, I have to avoid tendencies to over-define and "over-work" the relationship. Worship is a natural part of life near the throne. Conversational prayer is a natural part of life near the throne. I strive to not allow myself to get in the mode where the worship or the prayer is the driver for my life and motives. My heart is toward HIM and worship and prayer are the means of communication. Neither worship nor prayer should drive my life--my love for Him has to drive my life. If it is any other way, I'm off track, not living in Kingdom mode.
More in part two.
Blessings!
Dean
DeanZF
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