"I celebrate the church, Traditional, Emergent, Thrid Wave, Charismatic and other. My prayer is that as long as God is being glorified and people are being reached for the Kingdom: no matter in what catergory the church belongs may it exist for God. And when it stops serving that function may it drift off quietly into the night.
Will the IC change...don't know but more importantly don't care... it is God's church not mine." -Dwayne from the Ooze discussion board
I tend to agree with Dwayne's sentiments. I have spent time in just about every church context you can think of. I have seen abuses and glories in both institutional church, small groups, parachurch ministries and home church settings. I have been both the problem and the solution. I believe that it really all comes down to the people within the particular community.
Having reviewed some of Mr. Viola's other work, I have enjoyed it because it does provide one perspective on the Church. However, I find that he does tend to paint entire segments with rather broad brush stroaks.
Mr. Viola wrote, "Many today are championing the idea of restoring the institutional church from the inside out. But those who have sought to revamp the established church have met serious resistance and frustration." I guess that I am one of the people that he is writing about. I know that God has called me out of a home church setting to minsister to those within more institutional church settings.
Currently, I fellowship at a large megachurch and am actively involved in youth and discipleship ministry. I have found that many of Mr. Viola's assertions are true. But I really don't care. Do I get frustrated? You betcha. But if it is easy, does it require faith? Didn't Jesus say that we would be persecuted if we followed his lead.? And the last time I checked, Jesus never gave up on anyone. He died for the Pharisees just as much as the poor and tax collectors. Jesus preached in the temples throughout his earthly ministry. So did the apostle Paul.
I would rather invoke change by actively participating in the system and modeling a different way than lob volleys at it from outside the wall. Which is really more effective?
Mr. Viola seems to be missing the point. It is not about changing the institution. It is about the people within. The only way that things will change is one intereaction, one relationship at a time. I don't really ever expect the IC as a whole to change much. But I am seeing individuals change as radical people challenge preconceived notions and intellectual prisons by their very lifestyles. It is not about shouting from the rooftops what is wrong with the IC or other types of fellowships as much as living the divine life for others to see. And a big part of this Jesus inspired life is to love, live among and serve those who may not understand or may possibly even oppose you.
And while I am far from being where I need to be, I am learning how to be like Jesus by being a part of and serving a community with many of the hangups that Mr. Viola described. Each new day, helps me learn how to speak the truth in love and yet see my own shortcomings, which are too many to even describe. I am learning how to be more like the publican and less like the Pharisee. And as I stare into my own heart, I understand why the IC has lost its way.
The IC would not have fallen to the place it has without the people letting it get there. The IC reflects the beating of our hideous hearts, the desires of the majority. Honestly, we long for an earthly king just like the Israelites did. Most days I would take a man over God because a man does not know me as God does. Men are easier to manipulate and generally more willing to feed my impulses. Truly, encountering God can be a frightening thing for someone who just wants a little religion. And many days that is all I want. I guess that the long and the short of it is that fixing the Church starts with me. God will take care of the rest.
