Relational Christianity.
A friend recently said something so simple, it was easy to miss the massive (global, even cosmic) ramifications and profundity of it. He said, "with the models of "successful" churches we have, we haven't got a lot of time for people, but THE LORD JESUS always had lots of time for broken people."
Our relational God from whom all relationships come, came to us (in our mess) and gave himself, relationally, sacrificially and ultimately on a cross. Today he lives; to intercede for us, to listen to us, rescue us, teach us, heal us, help us, to be with us... (In mission (Matt 28:20), In fear (Deut 31:6) and forever (Hebrews 13:5-6)
incidentally - Note how massively relational the whole of Hebrews 13 is.
“Never will
I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”
Our supreme treasure is Christ himself, and what makes heaven - heaven, is that Christ will be there and we with Him. Having reconciled us relationally with God, he himself has given us his ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18) - to take what he has done for us to the ends of the earth. Sadly though, sometimes we elevate other things higher than him, higher than relationship, and get in the way of what he desires to do through us.
A UNIQUE AND OPPORTUNE TIME TO BEFRIEND OTHERS…WHEREVER GOD HAS PUT US: Covid brought a catastrophic global shake-up with both universal fallout and opportunities for localised care.
- We live in what is sometimes referred to as the "Global Village", whereby the interconnection between us all is greater than ever before. I can communicate and video chat with my friends in Asia, with more microsecond immediacy than with my next-door neighbour. Yet despite the monster leaps of modern history in the realms of technology, globalisation/commerce/industry, and retail... I cannot remember anything in modern history that has impacted the globe as much as covid19. How often does all of humanity come to the same place at the same time, and universally fear the reality, inevitability, and inescapability of death? UEFA will tell you that the world will be united by football, but you won't need to travel to the end of your road before discovering those who have nothing to do with it. The Olympic committee will tell you that the whole world is united by sport, and yet there are many poorer, sociologically disrupted countries for whom sport is a relegated ambition and luxury... the Olympic dream seems a total irrelevance if water, food or keeping your family safe (one day at a time) is your immediate concern.
- 9/11 was devastating on many levels - it impacted many countries,
but certainly some countries more than others, and some were even
oblivious to it in daily life. What we refer to as the 2nd
"world" war even at its pinnacle had significant parts of the
world neutrally uninvolved or unaligned (Spain, Ireland, Sweden,
Switzerland, Turkey, Portugal.)
· LOCALISED CARE:
Yet despite the global pandemic, there has been a huge variety in responses and measures taken to deal with this omnipresent actuality. Contextually there has been a response to look after each locality in a way which each sees fit. Sometimes it reminds me of the fragmentation and dysfunctionality of Judges 21:25. The problem...was not so much that there were no rulers at all, but everyone wanted to rule their own patch and life their way, what was absent was the priority of listening to GOD's loving rule. The issue was one of effectiveness in ruling through submission to God. In our world, many are doing what is seen as right in their own eyes.
Some continue to operate without masks (or at least wear them
inappropriately or as a "good luck" charm). Some have continued mass
gatherings in the name of independence, defiance or even piety. Some countries still
dream of an effective and affordable vaccine roll-out, at the same time as
falling out with those who offer it. The rates of each countries recovery seem
to be as variable as their effectiveness in reporting, monitoring, and
directing their citizens. It seems that even with the best of systems in
place... with the probabilities of variants and mutations, we are still living
in the land of relative unknowns where not one person in humanity has a
complete answer. There is no total universal solution devised by humanity in a
fallen world, and there never will be. God has however placed you in this
place at this time to be his relational ambassador - His relational embassy
representative in the crisis.
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. "
2 COR 5:18-21
GOD has a global plan. The Bible reveals to us that there is both a universal problem and a universal solution. The pandemic of endemic SIN leaves no one uninfected (Romans 3:10-12, Psalm14:1-3, Isaiah 53:1-3). Our problem is the same, but there is a single solution, not manmade but a heaven sent relational one in the person, work, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. At ultimate expense, our home insurance policies can cover every eventuality in life except an "act of God"... but the great act of God goes much further, even to giving a solution for death itself. In that place of ultimate expense... namely the giving of His Son to be rejected on a cross, he offers all who will accept his act of sacrifice, grace and forgiveness, the assurance and reaility of eternal life. God's solution is a total one, universal and eternal (Acts 4:12) for any who will believe.
· God's global plan has not been stopped by covid-19, in fact it seems to have accelerated it (from where we sit).
· During the last few months, we have had the privilege of watching the church unusually, extraordinarily, and supernaturally grow as people have come to accept Christ as the ultimate solution to life and death. Equip4Good exists to prioritise this wonderful truth, and God's global mission as expressed through many diverse local contexts.
4 features of growing churches in covid
1) Relationally not programmatically driven new community.
- Love is the ultimate apologetic of the gospel (John 13:35). Specifically that the world has a window on the countercultural new community and knows that God lives here. This season above all has tested love in the church, and exposed what we love most, especially when it is not people. Some churches have done nothing other than tried to replicate a bulging program online. Of course, this inflexible approach has largely been an impossibility and failed... in some cases catastrophically. The relational dimensions and transparency / intimacy have been severely impacted. Those church leaders who've chosen to "play it safe" with only pre-recorded material - (for fear of looking bad or production failure) have only further exposed their inclination to declaration and control (not relationship, fellowship, life on life discipleship or transparency). Defining church success through what programs can be maintained has no biblical basis, yet many of us have been guilty of admiring the program full church. Is it possible that some full programs are simply a polished veneer that mask an unbiblical new community? One of the things we (e4G) are doing more and more is helping Pastors and Elders reclaim the missional priority in the church program. Of course, this is easier in a church plant than a large "hub" church, but a missional priority and trajectory still needs to be set and evaluated.
- We emphasise the great irony of full programs if folks have not found this out painfully for themselves already. A busy church with a full diary leaves no time for true relationship in church yet alone those outside of church. When everyone is industrious, there is no appropriate opportunity for the “drop in” or broken person. When there is no prioritised energy or capacity for non-church friends, and even maybe no quality time for the family at home, we have gone as far away from new testament teaching priorities as we could be. When searching for new leaders and those to be included on a training / mentorship dynamic, do not prioritise the polished professional who would improve the program but only has time for themselves (a particular temptation for "awkward sized" churches). Look out for the person that people trust in a crisis, the approachable understated one, who sticks by closer than a brother... they will help lead people to Christ.
- Covid has brought many church programs to an imosed halt, but far from being a disaster this may just well be the time God uses to relign his people to be outward bound not self serving.
- Some churches have overflowed with love (Thessalonians 3:12) during covid. I think of the young people taking food, clothes, heating and medication to the elderly. I think of those reaching out to the street kids and homeless when they are on no-one else’s list. I think of those made unemployed, giving their limited savings to help others and being consistant in mission giving. I think of the pastor who sits outside a window in freezing winter for long cold hours, to comfort the bereaved and fearful. Is it any wonder that in all these situations there was a positive outcome and gospel advance for the local church? These situations are concurrent with streams of people coming to Christ.
· 2) Flexible not unchangeable.
Adaptability in church life and gospel ministry is important because seasons (of life, the life of local communities and church life) change. This is before we start seriously talking about cross-cultural communication and mission. The Holy Spirit himself leads us to places we don't expect (John 3:8), and this is when we are being totally obedient (Matt 4:1).
Why then do some church leadership teams act so protectionist and see their only role as to preserve church as if sponsored by Ronseal? Is the church a museum to preserve the past or a lifeboat to reach out to those who need rescuing? We should always be on red alert for the lost. Big churches can still have this priority and be malleable to God’s mission priorities. Why don’t all churches think this way then?
In part I think for some, it is an enlarged view of self-importance, and inflated sense of the now in history / the blinkered self-perspective. Through habbitual introspection, they've missed the fact that they are but a small part in God's global and eternal mission (and their locality is not the only one which matters to God). They’ve also forgotten that everything we have built on this planet as church leaders will be wrapped up and dispensed with. There will be a glorious day after which no church program will continue to operate, and our relationship with him and all who love Him will be the only things preserved (John 9:4). So, the basic and perpetual question will not stop before eternity ...are we ready to go where he sends and make the most of "every opportunity"? Or instead of saying "here I am send me" do we say "here we are stuck... fit in with us." The consequences of our answer are massive either way.
3) Accessible and approachable leadership
If the king of Kings has time for people, then no
church leader or under shepherd should ever give the impression that they are
too important or busy for people. Yes, You heard me right. I know the real pressures
of large church dynamics, and I know the reality of much needed boundaries to
protect my family life so that the chaos of others does not rule our life, and He is the messiah (not me)... but our availability needs to be diarised and warmly communicated. In the added pressures of leading church through lockdown, some church families have learned to be more compassionate and relational with leaders under pressure, thank God for this vital, strategic and refreshing ministry of encouragement. When team
ministries work well, this helps dramatically, but team ministry doesn't excuse us to be always unavailable or detached (aloof) just becuase others are doing the caring. If genuine "people fatigue" is an issue for a leader (and it can be at various times for many) , radical steps of refreshment are needed to regain fruitfulness from this unhealthy state.
I am struck by the growing churches I observe all having an approachable and down to earth leader, setting the tone of approachability which many follow. By that I mean my good friend (church planter with a not so small urban church) who still finds time to set up a new practical ministry with his wife to help and listen to mums of disabled children in covid. I think of the experienced and respected pastor of a large church creating jobs for the unemployed when his own income is the most insecure it has ever been. I think of the guy who hunts down a carpet for a transition house in the middle of bad weather and leading lockdown church. There are models of ministry, and people who say this should not be the job of a pastor... a view of detached CEO with "more important" considerations. I find no basis for this undershepherd model in scripture, and nothing in the bible is more important to God than people, and servant hearted leaders. What we communicate about our desire for accessibility is majorly important in words and actions, both inside and outside the church. It will not always be possible to be a normal, accessible, amiable friend to everyone as a pastor or church leader, but it certainly should never stop us trying. a) Because it honours Jesus, b) Because it models him to others and c) I find it difficult ...no... impossible to do the work of an evangelist without being amongst people. (2 Tim 4:5)
4) Urgency
If this season hasn't been a wakeup call to the church and the mission of God ... I don't know what will be. Eternity is coming soon for us all, and we are only one breath away from not being able to add anything to our lives. If he took you today -have you spent all you are on his priorities? This thinking has driven some churches to get even more out of their comfort zone in covid, and there have been frequent musical fist pumps, and loud melodious outbursts from heaven because of it. (Luke 15:7)
In a post covid world - will some churches return and reset to "normality" (version 2.0 with mask update) trying to resume things just as they were? Undoubtedly so. Many have extended budgets to "take this opportunity to improve facilities on church premises during lockdown". Whilst I desperately want to think this has been driven by missional ambition to reach the local community, (and I pray and hope it has) ... I have been also monitoring churches around the world that have significantly grown in number whilst their mission funding has dramatically decreased. Could it be that in the grief of losing our "normality" we simply overinvested in trying to create some earthly comfort and security? Almost a third of the world are yet to hear of Christ. Many, many more don’t know the joy of a local new testament community which faithfully explains and applies the bible as living truth. Some pioneers have sacrificed comfort and gone to live in lands where the NHS would be a dream, all because they love Christ, love the lost, and responded "Yes" to the call of God. We do not honour them or Christ by overinvesting in ourselves.
And what about your street and mine ? How long have our
friends got? What will we do to make the most of this opportunity if they
survive covid? Are you available or just interested in getting your life back
to how it was?
Conclusions
We need to recognise that this is an unparalleled time of missional opportunity, to communicate the gospel of truth through compassionate friendship and missionally geared local churches. Wherever we are, people are hurting, thinking, asking, searching for certainty in an uncertain world. This is an unparrallelled time of opportunity for cross cultural communication of the living and universal hope only found in Christ Jesus. Humbly ask God to lift your eyes out of confinement and lockdown...to see the opportunities of the bigger picture, to enlarge your heart and prayers for all peoples in all places and ask how this might be served from where you are, and where he could take you.
Thank God for this wake-up call to shake us out of apathy. God is gracious and we have been given a time to reflect, evaluate our lives / churches, and simply get back to basics. Humbly now we need to each respond where we are, and ask Him to prioritise what he desires in our lives. The task is simple… prioritise the mission of GOD, not yourself. It is us who overcomplicate it not Him. Don't forget his overwhelming grace towards you. Don't be selfish with grace (Jonah 4) Pray that when we look back at these times, decisions were taken, trajectories were started, that resulted in the refining of the church, more fit for purpose to reach friends on our road and untold multitudes throughout the globe.
Much more can be said, the issue is too big for us but not The Lord of of the Harvest. We will talk more at a later time....
- on the role of missional and evangelsitic small groups / "home groups" in churches (from which church plants often can emerge) ,
- the importance of a missional mindset to pastoral care in the lcoal church, and encourageing friends / the church out of parochial thinking post covid.
- this is a unique time of opportunity for churches to be empathetic missional gospel partners accross the globe. Maybe we can have an encourageing online discussion about this between countries and each can share a good thing God has taught your church / enabled your church during covid.
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