Real Church by Larry Crabb

Larry Crabb doesn't much like going to church anymore. And he's not alone. That's actually the title of the Introduction to the book Real Church: Does It Exist? Can I Find It? by Larry Crabb.

Depending on your own perspective, I can imagine people calling the book anything from a rant to a compelling, transparent look at both the church and the person. My perspective is much like the authors. I don't much like going to church anymore either. I definitely wouldn't call this a rant.

The author is transparent and honest and represents both sides of some of his own arguments. Just reviewing the chapter titles will show you where the author's thoughts travel.
Chapter 1: Why Have We Lost Interest in Church?
Chapter 2: Why Do So Many People Still Attend Church and Like It?
Chapter 3: So What Is It that Makes a Gathering a Church?
Chapter 4: So What Is It that Causes a Gathering to Cease Being a Church?

And those were just the chapters of the introduction. The author goes on to examine the question, "Why should I go to church?" The next five chapters examine three answers to that question that just don't work:

1. "It will make my life better;"
2. "It will show me how to change my world;"
3. "It will offer salvation and help for righteous living."

Before reaching the end of the book, the author calls many current church practices into question. His reasoning strikes me as biblically sound. Many of us could use asking God to take us throught the same evaluation the author describes.

For me the most compelling part of the book was in Chapter 20. The third section is titled "Marks of the Church I Want to Be Part Of" and chapter 20 is Mark #3: Finds Contentment in Wanting What Jesus Wants.

Listen to Jesus: "May they [His followers] be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me" (John 17:23, emphasis mine). Francis Schaeffer called it God's "final apologetic." What he meant, I think, was this: how we get along with one another is the most persuasive evidence the Holy Spirit has to work with as He draws people to Jesus (emphasis in the original).

Jesus calls his church to unity. Why wouldn't we expect difficulty, even satanic attack, at that very point. Maybe that's why church seems to be such a performance any more with so little community (at least in my own personal experience).

If you're having trouble with church, I recommend the book. I believe the author managed to engage in constructive examination and pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus. Now if more church elders and staff people would read it too.

Tribes Group Blog - Day 19

What a treat to participate in a group blog project about Tribes by Seth Godin started by ChurchCrunch! Today, we're discussing pages 91-96.

Leaders Go First

Seth begins today's reading with an interesting post on how leaders resist the status quo. Leaders become leaders in the Tribes world because they go first. They disregard the status quo in exchange for an idea that is bigger and better than the status quo. The idea may not succeed; many don't. But in every case, someone had to go first. Someone had to stop being "everyone" and step out. Quoting the book, "'Everyone says it's impossible.' Guess what? Everyone works in a balloon factory and everyone is wrong." The chapter ends with the comment that "Over and over, everyone is wrong - unless you believe that innovation can change things, that heretics can break the rules, and that remarkable products and services spread. If you believe that, then you're not everyone. Then you're right."

We all can be everyone to someone. As a boomer, I find myself telling my kids sometimes that they can't do something. I really don't like it when I notice that, but I'm also afraid that I don't notice it as often as it happens. Too many times, I'm everyone to my barbarian kids. Do you notice that about yourself? Do you see that in your relationships with your peers, or coworkers or children? To what degree or to whom are you an everyone?
But, wait. Seth's not done. There's a great deal more. The two examples he uses are the music industry and Microsoft. Both are in a state of decline, however I'd venture to say that more people would agree that the record industry is in decline than would agree the same about Microsoft.

Watching The Music Business Die

Seth goes on to write an accurate and scathing rebuke of the music industry. As usual, his perceptive eye marks the decline of the industry and he provides some accurate criticism and an encouraging challenge to start trying to build a career self-publishing. The music industry was built for another time and it's economic model worked so well, that huge systems were created and many people made a lot of money operating the system. In fact, I wonder if the church hasn't made so much money working the system that we (I'm one of the church) missed the opportunity to take the lead and take advantage of the very process Seth describes. Is it possible that we (the church) made too much money and we missed the chance to really be the change in the music industry?

I've often wondered what would happen if the church gave away Christian music. What if we just gave it away. Wasn't it Keith Green who said something to the effect of, "If we call it music ministry, then why are we charging for it?" What if we created a site where people could download music for free? If the consumer states that they're a believer, they're sent to a donation page. If they state that they're not a believer, they're sent to a page where we explain that we give it away because someone paid for it. The advertising would be of an outreach nature and artists would be paid per download. No record companies, no distribution deals, just music with a Christian message. What do you think?

Don't Panic When The New Business Model Isn't as "Clean" as the Old One

The final entry is a conviction to me. Why don't I step in and do something? Am I God's heretic for this? If not, where is the leader or heretic for this idea? Actually the idea is probably not original with me. Even Seth mentions that "This isn't about having a great idea (it almost never is). The great ideas are out there, for free on your neighborhood blog. Nope, this is about taking the initiative and making things happen."

Is there a heretic Christian reading this blog who's in or around the music industry? My distance from the industry itself is a challenge, but I would quickly join with anyone else in beginning this venture. Is anyone willing to take some action and be a part of the change that's taking place in the music industry? It doesn't have to be the idea presented above; that's just the conversation starter. Open up the discussion with your thoughts and let's change something!

Men's Ministry or Men Of Ministry

Much is written today and there are many good people working to help churches build strong, vibrant men's ministries. But what's the purpose of a men's ministry? What's the purpose of the particular men's ministry you're involved in? Do you know?

Sometimes I think the purpose of many church and para-church men's ministries is to give some men an opportunity to minister to men. Then the ministry is measured by the number of men "receiving" ministry - showing up at the breakfasts, or attending the classes. Please understand that I know many churches that do not take this specific approach. If you're fortunate enough to be in one of those churches, that's great. Many other churches however are dissatisfied at the lack of involvement, passion and growth of the men in their congregation. They're always trying to get more men "involved" or "growing" or "participating." Is that a problem your church faces? If so, this is one possible solution.

Since when did men need to be ministered to as a rule? I realize we all appreciate some help when we need it, but Proverbs 27:17 says that "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." In my mind, that means at least half of us are ministering to someone, now and the other half will be soon. Robert Lewis, in Men's Fraternity, calls us "action figures." We're to be initiators, as Larry Crab said in The Silence Of Adam, not passive, but active, stepping into chaos, and bringing order. In Wide Awake, Erwin McManus suggested that when we're passive; when we're unconnected with the world around us; when we're not ministering, we fail to honor our call. We shortchange the world because we fail to fulfill the work God prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). We are made for a purpose; to make a difference within our sphere of influence. As John Ortberg stated in God Is Closer Than You Think, we're made to bring "up there down here." Sure we could use some help. We're not supposed to go it alone. But if the purpose of the men's ministry is to try to grow us through involvement and attendance, we'll come up short.

We're not to be full-time students. We are not to experience a relationship with Christ from a classroom, or vicariously through our church staff and men's ministry leaders? No one ever made a difference sitting in a church service always being a hearer. We are called to not only be hearers, but also effectual doers. We need to stop being taught and begin to actively learn. We need to learn on purpose and for a purpose. The ministry we need must make us ministers.

So, how can you become a minister? Maybe you're one now. If so, great. Pray for the rest of us. As for the rest of us, if you hear a still, small voice in you telling you it's time to get up and get going, do it! Listen to God. Ask God today to make you a minister. Ask Him to show you where and how to make the world a better place, one person at a time. Then, whatever you think he's telling you to do, DO IT! Will you mess up, probably. But you're messing up not doing anything anyway. Ask God to direct you, pray for the people around you and watch what God does. He's almighty. He'll direct you if you're sincere in your desire to follow Him. Ask a couple of men to keep an eye on you so you don't get too far off base, but go for it. Before you know it, you'll be in real men's ministry.