Perk Test

My dad – a real estate guy – used to tell his children: Don’t buy land that won’t perk. We nodded and said, “Okay.”

I preached at a friend’s installation two days ago, and that sermon is still with me. It was a message my own congregation has heard so many times before but it sounded fresh to strangers, and they seemed to absorb it.

GROWTH. CHANGE. TRANSFORMATION.
Gladly abandoning the Constantianian Church and a 1950s paradigm to become a missional (that favorite catch word) post-modern Christian community of faith. Bringing 1st century practices into the 21st century. Living in faith instead of fear. "Doing church" with this mantra: It's not about me. It's about bringing about the Kingdom of God. (and I know "kingdom" is not gender neutral but let's go with it.)

I’ve been talking about all this for a long time.
But I’m starting to wonder if the words ever sink in. Sometimes it feels like the soil won't perk.


I was called to serve a congregation that was a Redevelopment Church. They wanted to GROW -- they said so 11 times in the church information form I’d read about them. They had NO CHOICE they said. They were willing to do ANYTHING they said.

Anything?

Questions I wish I'd asked:

Would you be willing to deplete the financial assets?

Would you be willing to welcome people who didn’t look like you? Act like you? Worship like you?

Would you be willing to give up your sacred cows, as well as your sacred ducks, geese, and zebras?

Would you be willing to make personal financial sacrifices? Like tithing.

Would you be willing to give up everything you ever learned about How Church Is Supposed to Be?

Would you trust your pastor and others to lead the way?

Would you borrow and beg, sell and destroy, hand over everything but your faith to allow God to do marvelous things?

There are very few congregations who would answer “yes” to all these questions. We like the idea of change. But the reality scares us.

QG referred to "Churchianity" recently (Wednesday, September 6th) and she's onto something. Do we, who have loved our churches for a long time, worship the church or Christ?
Are we more interested in preserving the traditions we find meaningful/the habits we find comfortable/the status quo?

Or do we love God enough to change everything if it means we can share God's message with the more of the world?

Just a few questions as I head off to bed.