GlocalNet

My very good friend, smart man, good writer, and challenged Anglican, Mark Galli, Senior Editor for Christianity Today just did an editorial on organic church.  You can read it - here’s the link:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/januaryweb-only/11-41.0.html

I don’t know that Neil Cole, Alan Hirsch, and especially Frank Viola (of whom I respect but disagree with on various points) would consider me a “champion” of organic church.  We share many of the same principles, theology, ideas, views.  I’m a mega-church (albeit a little one for Texas!) - many in the “organic” movement don’t care for the likes of mega-churches, but I’m from Texas - everything is bigger here!

I also believe that the focus is on engaging the society through disciples, not trying to reformat the church as a whole which is a waste of time.  Just doing church and doing life together can often be a substitute for obeying Jesus.  What is worth time, is planting new churches with a different DNA, of which we do a lot, and as a result we are seeing a lot of cool stuff.  Missional communities, simple church, house church, to me are not the answer - only part of the expression of the broader and larger church. I love it all, house, missional communities, simple, mega, complex, yo-mama hippin’ hoppin’ - it’s all fine with me those are merely labels and expressions outwardly.  What matters is what’s deep down inside and that’s the life of Christ. 

YES, the organic church movement will die as denominations are dying.  History bears that out. 

WRONG, I don’t believe it’s even a movement, yet.  I believe it’s an idea that many are drawn to and giving expression to in local churches.  Books, conferences, seminars, marketing, or hype do not a movement make.  Movements are a thing of the Holy Spirit - read my book The Multiplying Church - you can’t make them happen.  They’re out of control exploding - that ain’t happenin. Good stuff is happening, it’s just not a movement as defined by the rest of the world. 

NO MARK - I WILL NOT WORRY IF A MOVEMENT LIVES OR DIE.  I believe in the sovereignty of God!  Movements are a thing of the Spirit.  I want in on God’s movements - not those we can create on our own.

JESUS IS MY MOVEMENT.  I’M NOT GIVING MY LIFE TO A MOVEMENT - ONLY JESUS.  I had a blast in the word this morning reading, praying, journaling interacting with the Holy Spirit - I’m juiced about Jesus - not the church.  I care about the church, work at the church, start churches, help churches engage the world in the hell holes (I’ll be in one in a week).  I do love NorthWood Church (northwoodchurch.org) because that’s my faith family.  The church is the expression of disciples obeying God.  All I care about is, do I hear the voice of God and then obey him.  If I love Jesus with all my being, and then obey whatever he says, I don’t have to carry the burden of a movement, acceptance by certain people, or people buying my books (though I like that!).  I do have a new one being released though – Real-time Connections - Linking your job with God’s global work - its stories of everyday people fulfilling the Great Commission with their jobs - Eboo Patel, a real live Muslim from Chicago actually wrote the Foreword.

WAIT A MINUTE.  Mark, the friends you mentioned, that you went to seminary with, crashed, not only because they were Anglicans, but also because Jesus was not the focus, the ministry was.  I tell our young church planters, the greatest compliment you can be paid is not that you are an expert at starting a church or growing it or planting multiple churches or doing “famous” things for God, but that people would say “there goes a man or woman of God.” 

COME ON NOW!  To chunk the concept of transformation?  Come on now - what about Colossians and reconciliation of all things.  Will the world be transformed when Jesus comes back?  Will the church be perfect?  I don’t think so.  But to be content just to be organized, maintained, well-funded, institutionalized - wow - that’s what I want to give my life to - NOT!!!!  I’m reformed enough (though not enough for my reformed friends) that I know God is in control and it’s about my obedience - not my legacy.  Generations, movements, church styles, don’t turn things around, only Jesus does that. 
WHAT?  When the organic church movement dies - then what - having given my years to the church?  No big deal - dude I’m going to be partying in heaven with Jesus.  What’s the problem!!!!  Nay, I’m not going to be bitter - you’ve been around Anglicans too much!  What of the Old Testament prophets?  It’s ok - obedience is what matters of the heart that you spoke of. 

NOW MARK, I would say this - obedience does change the world.  Abraham’s response to that little word “go” did something we still aren’t over.  Need I quote Hebrews 11 - and many of those never got what they were after - but because they were focused on Christ it was OK!

FINALLY - MY MOVEMENT HAS NOT YET BEGUN!  I believe the focus is on the disciple and the society - not the preacher and the church.  If I make disciples, help them engage the society - not focus on the church - I’ll get churches.  If I focus on the preacher, then the church - I’ll get a religious institution. When I do that I limit the expansion and virility of the church to a building and Sunday event. 
This is one thing I DON"T like about the organic church, it’s much like the institutional and western church - when it engages the world, it starts with religious engagement, focuses on how to do church, and puts a western/white face to it - they still show up telling the rest of the world how to do church.  That day is over - any one can get a crowd overseas - we need to be the students of what God is teaching the global church.

Here’s my vision - that the whole body of Christ would get up on her feet because we are making disciples, and they are using their jobs/vocations/etc., to serve humanity in the name of Jesus.  Telling how he has changed them and how he is changing the world!!!!  The world is connected.  We are living in the 21st century now but we do ministry, global work, theology as if it were the beginning of the reformation.  I assure you Calvin, Luther, Zwingli, and the rest would want to see more than what we are seeing today.  Their goal was not to capture and hold it hostage in the 15th century, neither was Carey’s goal to hold the church hostage in the 18th century, but to begin something and release it.  My movement is their movement - it’s about Jesus.  IN THE 21ST CENTURY WE ARE ALL GLOBAL IMMIGRANTS!!!!!!  -

Here’s the good news, Jesus is coming back!  We’ve been called to prepare the bride of Christ, one day - there is going to be this movement coming from the least expected corner of the world from the least expected people in the world and God is going to show himself strong - and a movement is going to happen and a Great Global Awakening is going to take place - I want to be a part of that movement - I don’t know if I’ll live to see it - I only hope I recognize it.

I LOVE YOU MARK - GO CHANGE THE WORLD!!!!!  JESUS IS IN YOU BABY!!!!!!