I have had a very interesting couple of weeks. Throughout the past 1-2 weeks I have had many people talk with me about ‘grave concerns’ they have for me, so I obviously have been taking heed. What has really stuck me, however, is they all come from a similar vantage point.
What has been happening is a lot of Christians who ONLY know me outside of ‘church’ have been deeply concerned at my desire to move back into Christian pastoral ministry. A particular comment yesterday summed up what people have been getting at. A summary of the conversations I have been having would be ‘I see in you a missionary heart. Not necessarily a move overseas and become a missionary but a live every day as a missionary. Why would you want to get back into a role that systematically breeds the missionary out of a person’. WOW!
Most of these people have a very deep and strong faith. They spend their lives living and dying daily to win souls for Christ. But in almost every situation they have felt like they have needed to place themselves on the very outskirts of ‘church’ to be able to do this. This deeply saddens me but at the same time actually confirms in me WHY I want to move back into Church pastoral ministry.
My experience of church is far from the experience of so many other people. Church has liberated me. It has freed me TO be missional. Admittedly, I have been deeply embedded in whichever church I have been a part of, and the tension of how much time to spend on ‘church’ specific stuff always arises, but I have NEVER felt constricted or constrained by it, well until recently. More and more I am seeing this is not the case everywhere and that it IS true that many good, solid Christians are very much constrained by their church.
I want to be a part of the new, emerging paradigm. I strongly believe a new paradigm IS emerging. However, I very much want to be part of transitioning established churches along this path, rather than specifically being a part of the pioneering movements discovering the new paradigm. These interactions give me hope because it says to me there ARE people connected with churches with this desire. There ARE people ready and willing to pick up this challenge. Many people with this mindset are not ANTI church, they just struggle with a paradigm that constricts and constrains its adherents.
I recognise I am generalising a lot, but the future excites me. In my mind I KNOW what kind of church I am looking to get involved with and I believe that God is directing my path in this way. I want to help transition people, transition ministries, transition faith BACK to the idea of everyone living each day as a missionary. This is no easy task and exactly what I mean by this could not fit a blog entry. Suffice to say far from being challenged to change my mind the conversations I have been having just spur me on more and more for the challenges that lie ahead. I’m excited!
The most important thing is you do what God is leading you to do. Don’t listen to too many people, otherwise you’ll go nuts. Of course you need to listen to me, because I know everything!!!
Being part of a church structure can inhibit new ideas. I have a lot of freedom on the edges of my church, but within there is constraint due to the conservative nature of the people. If I try anything too out there I’ll lose them.
It’s harder than we think to change an organisation. But if you are patient and wise things can happen.
Dave Andrews gave me good advice about looking to start new things on the fringe, so they don’t affect the centre too much. Then if and when they start working you can move them into the centre.
I’m sure you’ll find a church who you fit and vice versa.
Thanks for that Gaz, sound advice;)