I'm a guy that loves the church. I can relate to Paul the Apostle on only one level, his passion for the church. I love the statement where he talks about "my deep concern for all the churches" (2 Cor. 11:28)
Because of my passion for the local church, I am always studying and praying about this subject. I am always pursuing how to make the church more reflective of the radical, world-shaking army that it started out as. Because I believe, as it has been so often said, that the church is the hope of the world.
While I am thankful and grateful for where the para-church ministries have stepped up and filled the gap left by a sometimes anemic church, I am convinced, more then ever, that what God is going to do, He is going to do through the church.
This passion for God's church has kept me scanning the horizon of the landscape of the church, mainly in America, to see where the church is headed. To see the trends and behaviors of our leaders and to pray that it is taking us in the right direction.
And I have seen both the beautiful and the disturbing.
Currently though, I am a little scared about where the church is heading. Overall, so much of the church seems off course when it comes to reflecting the passions of the early church.
And the thing that scares me most right now is our breathless pursuit of "innovation".
Everyone wants to be an "innvovator" now. To come up with the newest, latest and greatest thing. It seems the newest little innovative fad so easily catches fire among pastors today. Many of whom seem to have a lust in their heart for anything claiming to be "innovative".
And most of it is seemingly harmless. From the faddish use of Twitter in services, to McChurches with their multi-site campuses, to the re-occurring inflated budgetary line item for smoke and lights. The truth is, for those hungry for "innovation", there is plenty of to keep those addicted, high for life.
But here's the rub for me...many of these churches are innovatingly BORING!
Yes, they may have as much smoke and lights as the latest U2 concert, and the worship leader may have more hair products in their hair then the latest Toni and Guy model, and yes, you can send a TWEET about how good the last point in the sermon was...but...and lets ask this objectively...
HAS ALL THIS INNOVATION BROUGHT US CLOSER TO GOD?
Is there more of God's power and presence in our churches, marking us as HIS, because of our "Innovative" steps?
I've been visiting a lot of churches lately, as my family and I look for a home church here in Atlanta. And while we have been to a few good ones, and seem to have found our new home church, I am shocked at the lack of substance in most churches.
I feel like the lady in the old commercial: WHERE'S THE BEEF?
And these aren't OLD SCHOOL churches. These churches have great communicators, the latest IKEA furniture, starbucks coffee and all the ammenities of an "innovative" church...
BUT THEY SEEM TO BE SORELY LACKING THE PRESENCE OF GOD!
Let me ask you a question...for all of our pursuing "innovation"...where has it gotten us?
I believe, in our pursuit of INNOVATION, we've missed the greater pursuit of IMPARTATION!
Of our call to be FILLED WITH GOD!
Of our call to be a "dwelling place for God".
Here's some great questions to ask:
Where is God's presence in our midst?
Where is the power of God on display?
Where are the tears of the repentant as they come into an encounter with the living Christ?
Now, many churches are experiencing a genuine move of God in their midst, seeing lives changed by Jesus. And where thats happening, I am totally stoked!
But, for a vast majority of our churches, it seems we've lost sight of the point of gathering!
As we leaders count the visitors so diligently each week, do we ever ask "Did Jesus visit us today?" After all, didn't He say "Where two or more are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them." Isn't the presence of the living God what sets us apart?
Now, before you castigate me as just another charismatic looking for an "everybody fall down service", that's not what I am talking about at all. In fact, that's the LAST THING I think we need. I am so tired of people falling down and getting up the same! I almost shutter when I see such a service now.
What I am talking about is this:
Where is the unbeliever who comes into our churches and says: "surely God is among you"?
Instead, I think they often get CREATIVITY, or they get a SCRIPTED MINUTE-BY-MINUTE service, or they get an opportunity to GIVE and SERVE, or they get the permission to TEXT in service...but...WHAT HAS THAT GOTTEN US?
Where is the encounter of the fear of the Lord as the backslider, the luke warm and the hypocrite come into His presence?
I don't think we can INNOVATE what needs to be IMPARTED!
And this INNOVATION without IMPARTATION has born such weak fruit!
Recently, I've meet a few so-called Christians who use curse words as they talk! With no regret or apology, they just use words the bible says we shouldn't. They confess Christ and curse with the same mouth!
ISN'T THAT THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS A CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE LIKE?
And don't get me started on the new wave of Christian beer drinkers! (Yeah, that will be the line that gets this blog the backlash! Don't mess with a Christians drinking habits!)
My point is, as we scan the pages of the latest Fast Company or INC magazine or the latest blogs in search of the newest "innovation" for our services, in the name of reaching more people for Jesus...
I think we need to make sure we haven't missed the CRITICAL trying to have the CREATIVE!
I believe that what those outside the family of God are most in need of is a church filled with God's presence!
A church with an impartation of the Spirit of God!
A church ALIVE with the LIVING CHRIST!
And I am just trying to take my cues from Jesus!
Notice what Jesus tells the church in Acts 1 that they need...IMPARTATION!
He says that, even though He already told them to GO into all the world, the success of that mission depended on them having something they didn't have yet...an IMPARTATION!
Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me..."
Before they could GO, they needed to be FILLED!
They needed an impartation!
It was so critical, that they couldn't GO, until the power CAME!
I am challenged, as a man who loves the local church, and whose heart is broken for my generation to meet Jesus... to pursue more then just INNOVATION, but to pursue that which Jesus said we needed most:
IMPARTATION!