If we slowed down any more, we might start going backwards!
For too long, the joke has been on the Church. We tend to move slow. But that hasn’t always been the case. The early church spread like wildfire, and at key points in history the Church has found its feet and has run the good race. The Church has done its best work when ordinary people returned to the foundation of her faith – Jesus. He is the one who sets the Church on the right course and puts fire in our bones. There is no doubt that we are at one of those key points in history. Social change is all around and the Church needs to lace up her running shoes and get in the race. We don’t need a new silver bullet program or magical theological construct to get running, we need to return to Jesus of the Bible.
How could we join God in the work He is doing?
What if we started to regularly plant churches again? The ELCIC would find new life and enthusiasm if it put its focus on starting new churches in new communities. For too long the church has been working out ways to safely close older churches; we need to shift our focus. The Church is the hope of the world because of Jesus – let’s share the love.
What if churches took more people on short-term missions? Most people in the Church today have never served in cross-cultural situations. It is a profound experience! When short-term missionaries return to their everyday context, they return transformed and serve their church and community with a new outlook. These people become agents of renewal and we need them!
What if we spread out the race more evenly amongst the people? This sprint doesn’t belong to the Pastor or Bishop, it’s the race of ordinary people like you and me. What if people formed grassroots movements to get the Church going again. What if ordinary people started to point to Jesus as the author, perfecter, and goal of our race?
Let’s put the wheels back on the car and put the pedal down!
The cartoon is from this funny blog.
PT
What if...? 