Re-imagining church success

The size of growth of a church might just be a function of its relevance to the culture that is pre-existing. Show me a thriving, radical counter-culture measured in radical humble and serving love and I will show what you a successful church looks like.

Shifting Culture

Cities are repositories of culture where modes of thinking are passed down from generation to generation and stored in our collective memories in the way we work in schools in politics, in buildings in the military in the way we respond. Shaping communities and buildings which we now inhabit and shaping the generations to come.

Culture is profound education. Deeper than most formal learning which is cognitive in nature. Culture molds the underlying attitudes which then forms a receptacle to hold those ideas.

People act out of the seat of their deep conviction which are often times dictated by the culture in which they live. to shift culture in a families is to shift the heart of a city.

Therein are nations won to righteousness or lost to the world.

adrift

A single plank

On a dark wide sea

Soul adrift

Lost my bearings many moons ago

Where are all the signs

Which in pervious times seemed so plenty

I never really could lose my way

A desperate cry
Cold and hunger

Comrades with the salt and spray

Of wind tossed waves

Dark and damp

Two unsettling friends

Somewhere deep there lies

The bound, wet and

Shredded remains of a map

Traces of a forgotten dream

All this while

The hunger never dies

All false promises

Never deliver

Quite the joy I pictured tasting in my mind

When will I find

Shore again

Everything I’ve believed in

I now question thrice

My compass

Spins in

Every direction but true

Yet my heart still

Haunted by faded gleams-

The memories of you

Looking for Something

More permanent than a feeling
No words can describe
No colour illustrate
Nor sight vivify
No music could bring to life
Nor song elaborate
No friendship satisfy
Nor thought explain

In true substance
Not imagination
In power
Not fleeting touch

I ache as a man dead laying
All of life holds no meaning
I languish until you come

The glory and the beauty 
The person of you

Winter's Song

In winter in summer spring or fall
,
Let me grow Deep, 
growing deep is all

Whether there be fruit or friend nearby

Solitary
As can be

In a storm of biting cold

Not a stir of a breath in the environs around

Except the sound of twigs falling
Dried and cracked from The winter's bound

Purpose or no

Sails full
 or flagging

Let me grow deeper and nearer to where
Hidden rivers bubble and well

Ever closer 

Gradual closer inching every day
Every year gaining but a yard
Hands reaching ever grasping
Forward, onwards
To the hidden secret of who You are

GOD is beauty
He is life and overflowing life
He is truth undergirding all of of reality
He is sincere, honest and real

Sometimes with eyes closed we see better for vision many times obscures.

Faith is a substance more primal than sight

So what if you build something, if God is not truly its commissioner and builder, you truly build in vain, blasphemous monuments of atrocity

So what if you are wise, or simple? God is strong wisdom to the simple and can make the simple great in wisdom.

How can one who is lost lead another who is lost? It can never happen.

First you have to find something, only those have been found can lead the lost.

Only those who have something can give it away.

Moses on the mountain - Seeking God when the fight is all around

It seems to me that Moses when he worshipped God on the mountain whilst the Israelites fought below, worshipped and sought God, focusing on Him. Not being distracted by the battle and problems and Chaos below. Indeed the very choice of a high vantage point suggests that He wanted to keep his heart, his eyes and hands lifted up.

This story seems to fit with the story of Moses who sought a focused encounter to see His glory. Remember Brother Lawrence’s lesson – focusing on the majesty and person of God in the midst of chaos, pots and pans people to be fed, the everyday chaos of business to be done. Do it all focused upon God.

The lesson is simple. Seek him and worship with all your heart all the battles that rage around you - even those that others fight will be won, when our hearts are single, upon God and God alone. Elijah who impacted the Nation also followed this rule – saying to Ahab – “God, before Whom I stand” - Stand continually in His presence, before His throne, In HIs mighty presence. The dividends and consequent impact on you, your family, your nation are incalculable.

In full knowledge of the problems surrounding him, not denying their realities but wanting to be aware of a greater reality through worship. The reality of His God.

Moses knew doctrine but did not make it his focus

Did moses know doctrine? Yes, undoubtedly so - God gave him the revelation of blood, lambs bulls, goats, the holy place, the holy of Holies, the temple, a prophet which will arise in time to come who is Christ. But what was his focus? Was it on all these things? If it was He would have been found in the temple - but Yet, the scriptures say He was in his own tent, his own home and the Glory of God like a pillar of light would come and speak face to face with him, like a friend. Apparently God likes simplicity.

Coming to God in His presence - you will be cleansed, you will feel the power of the blood and the presence of the King. It will be theology in its full experience and power.

Being stripped down of all the religious activity and fare and business God likes stripped down, simple conversational arrangements in your house. Simple worship, simple conversation, heart to heart talks. The same happened with David, the Ark in a simple tent with people coming to seek Him. He liked it so much He says I will rebuild the tent of David.

Christ was not distracted by theology

If Christ were distracted by theology, then the Lord's prayer would have been as long as some as our "theologically sound" prayers. The Lords prayer and even Christ's retorts to the evil one are lessons in elegance, simplicity and heartfelt sincerity. Elijah's prayer takes 11 seconds to pray for fire to consume his enemies. Know God in firsthand experience.

God cause our hearts to live in your presence, cause us to continually dwell where you are.

Pursue beauty or pursue systematic theology one leads to death the other leads to life.

Systematic theology and genuine mysticism are two diametrically opposed systems

Systematic theology at its extreme - is mans' attempt to impose a system of control over God, control over the form of God - conceptual control as well as control over the presence and power of God. Making the whole endeavour of relating to God conceptual in nature. Removing and replacing conversational prayer with pre programmed liturgy. Removing the heart and the spontaneity of human initiative, responses and desires with rigid, programmed external responses. Removing the very presence of God from people who need it.

Carried to an extreme, it removes from its own concept the genuine theology of knowledge of God, which is born from a relationship with the Spirit of God through the living word of God. In the process removing the dynamic life in responses of the heart’s encounter with the Holy Spirit, from spiritual endeavour.

Good theology leads to true mysticism, a genuine experience of God’s Spirit, which results in a transformed life - a life which most looks like Christ, which desires to do the Fathers will.

Systematic theology fosters a mans loyalty to creeds and common beliefs and systems and church traditions, but never quite cements a loyalty to following the person of Christ who is bigger than any creed or system of belief.

As a result programmes and human effort sprout like weeds in an attempt to create spiritual impact which is impossible for the source of these activity are but man’s fleshly effort to work God’s miracles.

Its fruit never produces the calming rest that comes from intimacy. Knowledge puffs up – ultimately it produces arrogance and pride instead of humility and love.

It seeks a place of authority, absolute knowledge and control over the uncontrollable – the nature of the mystery of God. We are called to  walk with God and experience Him not to control Him.

The Things of God surpass knowledge, these are things which cannot be controlled by man. For God is in heaven he does what he wills. We are called to walk in intimacy of experience. Not to have control and power over religious experiences.

Systematic theology at its extreme produces thought control in the same manner systematic Aryan master race beliefs produced thought control measures in Nazi Germany. An attempt to create a brainwashed people with no initiative, with mouths and hearts full of creeds and blind loyalty. People must be set free to think the thoughts of God through the spirit of God. The must be set free to Come alive in the sprit of God in spiritual endeavour which is created through prayer.

The systematic theologian calls what is genuinely mechanical, barbaric, parochial, dogmatic, narrow and nonsensical - noble, lovely beautiful and good.

Systematic theology in its ultimate growth produces Phariseeism, which persecutes true mysticism.

Beauty and the nobleness of the quest for beauty

God calls us to seek true beauty - Paul says in Philippians, "think about what is lovely, true, good, noble, beautiful" The person of God is beautiful, the presence of God is beautiful. "That I may see the beauty of your person in your sanctuary" worshipping in the beauty of your holiness - psalms 27. 

True mysticism is an attempt to experience the unknown - it contains romance and mystery. To unravel and chase, to pursue and be romantically involved yes totally committed in intimate experience with God. It is altogether life and life more abundantly.

It contains intimate worship total yieldedness, submission. It contains romance - a youthful idealism of being caught up and set ablaze with the passions of love. (song of Solomon)

The greatest desire is the strong impulse to love God

To be set alight with desire - not only good desires - great desires, yes even the greatest desire of all. The desire to love God with all desire.

Christ is the desire of our hearts. He is the desire of all nations. So the desire for beauty and freedom from sin and narrowness, the desire to love God above all things are great desires. We should recognise them for what they are - the desires born by the Holy Spirit in the man through man's contact with the Spirit of God.