Institution -- Matt. 28
Well my class is over, and I am back to blogging through the gospels. Today I finish Matt. The book finishes, as does Jesus physical presence on earth with these words "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
What he doesn't say is go and form institution, where you invite people to services, where you eventually can purchase your buildings, and pay staff to do the work, and people can come to you.
It seems like the things that are important in the american church weren't part of God's call on our lives. Not that those things are wrong in themselves, unless they disrail us from mission.
When we plant a church why is the first project we undertake planning services. What would it look like if your church didn't have a formal service? Are services the most important part of what it means to be a church? Matt. 28 mentions what is important to Jesus. Go into the world, and make relationship where you can disciple people and bring them to Jesus, baptize them, and teach them so that they might to the same. And you are not alone. God's Spirit will be with you and help you.
What he doesn't say is go and form institution, where you invite people to services, where you eventually can purchase your buildings, and pay staff to do the work, and people can come to you.
It seems like the things that are important in the american church weren't part of God's call on our lives. Not that those things are wrong in themselves, unless they disrail us from mission.
When we plant a church why is the first project we undertake planning services. What would it look like if your church didn't have a formal service? Are services the most important part of what it means to be a church? Matt. 28 mentions what is important to Jesus. Go into the world, and make relationship where you can disciple people and bring them to Jesus, baptize them, and teach them so that they might to the same. And you are not alone. God's Spirit will be with you and help you.
posted by Jon Knapp at
8:03 AM
2 Comments:
That seems to be so right on Jon. In my class on the church, we talk about tradition. Tradition isn't bad unless it is bad tradation. Certainly, the weekly gathering in a formal service has been a helpful tradition in church history and the spreading of the kingdom of God.
But when it becomes the totality of what it means to be the church, then something needs to change. I don't think that we ever talk about the church being like that, but in practice, it seems like that is the case.
Thoughts?
I agree, in practice we have made the service if not the only, at least the most important part of church. It seems to me that we should spend more energy on mission than the service.
But imagine what would happen if we a least spent equal effort.
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