Easter 5 - Thursday - A Fresh Approach From the Top Down

Text: Matthew 6:25-34 (see below)

Today, my blog achieves the summit of 10,000 pageviews – really outstanding since I began writing only at the end of last November. This week, I had first new hits from Australia, Greece and South Korea. While the John 13:34 Blog has not cracked the African continent, I am hopeful for the future. Again, my thanks to all of you, my readers, for your willingness to engage this site.

Yesterday, I shared some ideas about issues the Christian Church must address as we journey further into the 21^st century. One of my suggestions was to look at institutional structures that are no longer effective, and are, in effect, complicating and blocking the mission of God. There are many fine blogs on the internet which have articulated these concerns better than I can.

For example, blogger Gary Gilbertson writes for a blog entitled: Episcopal Journey of Hope. It is a very interesting collection of writings and reflections about the current state of the Episcopal Church. Another appealing blog is maintained by the Reverend Elizabeth Kaeton who serves in the Diocese of Delaware. Kaeton has some very insightful things to say about the current state of our Church. See more here.

What follows below is from Gary Gilbertson’s recent musings about leadership in the Episcopal Church. I believe he is on to something – so I ask that you read his thoughts with respect and kind reflection.

"Fewer and fewer of us are present on Easter Day to respond, "The Lord is risen indeed.  Alleluia."  The Episcopal Church continues its five decade decline with an almost 3% loss in the last reporting year.  We celebrate the Resurrection with joy while viewing with sadness that our traditional approaches to ministry, worship, Sunday school, evangelism, and mission are no longer effective.  Skilled gurus tell us how to turn churches around (Barna), enable the emerging church (Kimball/Moyhaug), or tough it out (Nixon).  Perhaps a fresh approach from the top down would be in order:
"WHAT IF there was a bishop or two who declared a moratorium on his/her professional travel outside the diocese for one year.  That's right.  No House of Bishops gatherings, no national committees, no workshops, and no commissions -- you get the idea.  Stay home except for personal trips on their own days and dollars.  And just imagine those bishops committing 2/3rds of their work time to actual labor in congregations.  They would lead a Christian "formation" event or teach a course for the Parish.  They would conduct leadership training for the Vestry and evaluate the vocational/professional skills of the ordained with an eye to guiding clergy change if needed.  They might do "hospice" work so that a parish could die with dignity.  And,

"WHAT IF a bishop or two revoked their assessment formula that mandates "giving" by congregations to the diocese and instead championed a voluntary tithe as a guideline.  We all know, even if some won't admit it, that the primary work of a judicatory is growing and maintaining healthy local congregations.  More resources at the local level and dioceses streamlining their efforts to be about their principle work could only be a good thing.  And,

"WHAT IF a bishop or two committed to a minimum average Sunday attendance (ASA) of 20,000 before a diocese could have an Episcopal election.  According to the data, there are nine national churches within the Anglican Communion which have one million or more adherents and the average size of a diocese in these nine is 121,000.  Nigeria averages 225,000 members per diocese and Australia averages 170,000; we are at the bottom of the list with 19,000 members while the two above us are 48,000 and 83,000.  It is easy to see that we are top heavy with bishops and dioceses and this can only drain resources from local congregations and mission fields.

"God compromised with Abraham that if only 10 righteous people could be found, Sodom would be spared.  God WHAT IF a bishop or two could be found who would do these three things; would you spare our Episcopal Church?  Maybe then more of us can respond, "The Lord is risen indeed.  Alleluia."

Well said, Gary.

What do you think? Click on the comment link below and leave a post for all to view. Tomorrow, perhaps some reflections about the need for change amongst parish clergy. I hope you will return.

Love One Another – Brian

Five Reasons Why Western Christianity Is In Trouble While Christianity Flourishes In Much Of The World

Bill Easum

One doesn’t have to good look closely at Western Christianity to tell it is in dire jeopardy. With over 85% of our churches simultaneously declining and aging within 25 years the number Christians in the West will drop by 50%. However, that’s not the real picture. Go many parts of the world and Christianity is exploding with new converts- Korea, China, Fiji, south Africa, India, Nigeria, Indonesia,  Philippines, Latin America.  Just consider Latin America. In 1900, there were only 50,000 Protestants in Latin America. In the 1980s, they had grown to 50,000,000, and by the year 2000, they reached 137,000,000.  The same thing is happening of other parts of the world.  God is fulfilling the Great Commission throughout the world – just not here. Ever wonder why? Let me list the reasons I see:

1. Western Christians do not live and breathe salvation.  We are content to sit and soak and leave the salvation of our networks to the church staff and even then most church staffs are in to maintain not transformation.  Just ask your congregation “When was the last time you had a conversation with a lost person about Jesus?” and see the reaction.
2. Western Christians have become too sophisticated to truly believe in miracles and if you don’t believe in miracles you can’t believe in Jesus because he IS a miracle. We are too smart to truly believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that he now sits at the right hand of God. So if that isn’t believable nothing else is in the story from that day forward.
3. Western Christians have become too affluent to risk all for Jesus.  When you are poor it is easy to be sold out for Jesus. But when you have 90% of the world’s riches its hard.
4. Western Christians are saddled with pastors who focus more on their next promotion than on how to reach the least, last, and lost. I know. I’ve gone to meddling now, but you know its true with many of us. Pastor, which do you think about the most – an increase in salary or new converts?
5. Western Christianity has misunderstand what is meant by the word “church.” Most of us think “building” when we say the word “church.” Or we think of an institution to which we belong.  We talk about “going the church” when in reality we ARE the church everywhere we go.  And because we confuse church with buildings and institutions we fail to see the importance of how we live our lives after we leave the building.  We don’t see a disconnect in how we live and what we say we believe.

I know there are may other reasons why Western Christianity is dying while Christianity is exploding over much of the world. But these are the ones that stand out the most for me as I look into the mirror and see too much of them in my life. How about you?

Source: www.billeasum.com

Matthew 6:25-34

Jesus said: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’