Raised to Reposition
What do you do when the church campus doesn’t function like the Kingdom of God? Are we left with 2 options - raised to stay vs leave - or is there a 3rd option…Raised to Reposition?
Let me begin by speaking to my admiration of those who launched the #raisedtostay movement and those who spread its message. They have what seems to be a genuine desire to encourage people to give church as many chances as necessary and to not give up on God. That seems commendable to me.
However, I don’t believe we have to submit to the dichotomy of leaving vs staying. The anthem of the Church is not the 1981 song from Clash, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” This is a decision core to who we are as spiritual beings.
Does the Bible call us to an organizational system registered with the State and listed as a 501(c)3 with the IRS? Does the Bible call us to a property owned by those same organizations? While some in previous posts of mine have attempted to engage in a biblical interpretive dance to make the Bible mandate these paradigms, the biblical call remains to gather with followers of Jesus on a regular basis.
That gathering, wherever and whenever it happens, is the gathered church. That gathering, when it disperses, is the scattered church. We are not told anything about the frequency of those gatherings but we are told not to go long without gathering with the church.
Reducing the decision of faith to the dichotomy of leaving vs staying means exposing people to the potential of renewed emotional and spiritual abuse by toxic people who are neither discipled nor disciplined. The American public is tired of what they are seeing on many Christian campuses. According to articles posted in the past few months by Fox News, The New York Times, AOL, etc., women, who have been the most reliable and faithful in church attendance, are leaving the church in unprecedented numbers with their kids in tow.
Monday I spoke to members of our football team. They played a Christian school on Friday night. Two students in different classes shared the same comment - “Those Christian school kids are always looking to fight.” Unfortunately, that is a sentiment shared by many of our football and soccer players and parents and they want nothing to do with returning to campus.
“Just come back!” “Give us another chance!” & “Come check out our new program or sermon series!” These are not messages resonating with those who actually care enough about Jesus and long for spiritual community.
So what do we do?
I was #raisedtoreposition. The system is not as significant as the Savior. The campus location is not as significant as community. Recognition by the State or IRS is not as significant as participation in the life of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. So, I reposition myself with the hope of giving people a bridge to Christ and community that they can cross.
When a growing number tell us that they are not #raisedtostay nor are they #raisedtoreturn is it possible that God would call more and more to be #raisedtoreposition ? The people you know are longing for authentic community. The people you know are longing for a spiritual life that is real, meaningful and authentic.
I pray God calls more and more followers of Jesus to reposition themselves by launching new contexts for the Kingdom of God to be birthed in local communities. You don’t have to be a pastor, elder or deacon. You simply have to love people, listen to the stories they tell and spend time at a table together. To that end, I give my life.