What should be a christians mentality towards unbeliever friends in and arround his\her enviornment? (4)

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Discussion Forum : General Topics : What should be a christians mentality towards unbeliever friends in and arround his\her enviornment?

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Compton
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Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 2732

Re:

Quote:

What do you guys think have factored this result?

I have a personal grievance against a common mentality in evangelical churches that says we should focus more on the world's market feedback from church then on the Christian's real needs. There is almost an unwritten understanding that once the sinner becomes a Christian it's time for him or her to stop looking after their own spiritual life and to begin ministering or laboring.

Perhaps in some way this worrying about what the world thinks all the time is understandable. I think it is a marketing sensibility we unconsciously pick up from living in a free-market consumer society. Rick Warren's courting of intellectuals, celebrities, politicians, and other notables from the secular world is perhaps a clear example of this modern preoccupation with brand-building and public image. The Emergent and Seeker Sensitive church's agnostic commisseration and commraderie with the world, often against the conservative church, is another example.

Yet this catoring dynamic is not limited to those movements. The seeds of slavishness to public acceptance is closer then we think.

More then once in my Christian walk I have seen the following life cycle of a church: A young energetic fellowship begins in a house and then moves into a high school or some other rented location for a few years. During this time they are a community, even a communion of the saints, because they have no public building or image to tend to. Then eventually they do save enough money for their own building and for a whole year there is a high level of excitement as the congregation is joined together in a common mission by their building project. Morale is so high at this point that they are sure God is going to do wonderful things in their midst.

Then they move into the building. It has new carpet and fresh painted walls, a large stage with a state of the art sound system, a visitor center in the lobby with brochures, and a lighted marquee sign out by the street to let the world know they are open for business. Almost instantly this close-knit family of believers becomes more concerned about visitors then one another. More resources are put into promotional 'outreach' such as barbeque dinners or paintball tournaments to get visitors in. The pastor advises the musicians to play songs that vistitors would know.

Eventually the ethos of the church changes from a communion of saints into a co-op of the saints.

I used to think this common scenareo took place only in America, but now I see it takes place anywhere Christians are free to worship in public. Vigilance must ever be the price of freedom. Otherwise there is pressure from ambitious congregations, trendy methods, and personal insecurity, and eventually the pastor becomes the pastorprenuer and his people become his 'overhead' and a big headache. At that point all that keeps his morale high is numeric growth because all the other metrics for a healthy church were lost.

Recognizing this dynamic is key to walking away from it. This is not a call to bitterness or to express bruised feelings because no one person is at fault for this whole school of thought. However, even a school of dumb fish know when to wake up and swim against the current when they want to get back to where they were first born.;-)

Blessings,

MC

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Mike Compton

2007/12/7 9:01

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roadsign
Member

Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777

Re: muitiple personalities

Responding to earier discussion:

Quote:

having multiple personalities.

This reminds me: When my children were young I enjoyed reading the Mr. Men and Little Miss books. In one of the stories a wizard would go around changing his identities in order to expose Mr. Uppitys (or whatever his name was) attitudes towards various kinds of people - like when he refused to help out a fat old lady who needed a hand with her heavy basket of laundry. In the end this wizard exposed his own identity, including the fact that he knew all about Mr. Uppitys despicable attitudes towards the strangers he had passed that day people he had snubbed.

Really, there is a risk in disclosing identities. It frames certain preconceptions in peoples minds about you. And it DOES affect how they respond to you. It happens here on SI too. Ive been convicted of my own pre-judgments more than once, and Ive been on the receiving end from time to time. Hey, we cant avoid it. But thankfully, there is a way out: admitting our struggle with this. Ex:

Quote:

Sorry I have to ask, but the cynic in me just won't die

I have often considered turning into a wizard - and coming on in various identities - just to see how people might react. Thankfully I dont have time for that, and my conscience wont let me. But, might God not possibly frame the odd set-up???????

some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2

(Let God be God... and in the meantime, I'll be careful to wear my burkah in public.)

Diane

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Diane

2007/12/7 11:05

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