Been reading through Steve Timmis’s book, ‘Total Church.’ It’s becoming quickly dogeared, which is a good sign that it has been thought provoking. I just got to chapter 5 and came to a screeching halt. To quote Yogi Berra, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.” I’ve had this conversation, several times, with more than one person, over the course of the last year. Mr. Timmis lays out what I am talking about clearly and concisely:
Over time churches seem to acquire committees, meetings, programs, and traditions, none of which may be wrong in themselves, but which cumulatively move the church from mission to maintenance mode. Time and energy are spent making the institutions function. The energy of many churches is thus adsorbed in maintaining the legacy of a program of activities and church buildings. Roles exist that have to be filled. The life of the church is geared around maintaining its structures and programs. We need to shift into “mission mode.” People are beginning to say we need “missionary theology” rather than a “theology of mission.” Mission can no longer be looked at as one branch of theology. All theology must be missionary in its orientation. We need the same reorientation as churches. We are in a missionary situation, and all that we do must be missionary.
The reason I came screeching to a halt is we have gotten to the point where the building has become more important than being on mission. People are encouraged to sacrifice for a building? People are encouraged to tithe, for the mission of God-no, in order to pay an enormous mortgage. If our big fancy building is holding up our mission, then it’s worth re-evaluating if it is a help or a hindrance. Maybe it is time to take stock, seek the Lord’s will rather than assume it. Remember, that’s a good thing.
Now, I’m not one of those crazy house-church guys, or a scrap-everything-and-start-from-scratch proponents-but I do think we need to get back on mission: preaching the Gospel, making disciples. That will require change, in some churches a little, in others, a whole heck of a lot. It will be slow, but in order for there to be change, it needs to start and it needs to persist, with intention.
Photograph by Rudolf Kopitz, titled, ‘Heavy Burden.’
