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By
Todd Hunter | posted January 14, 1999
The
title to this brief article may be more a hope than a statement
of fact, but as a visionary, I feed off the hope of a preferable
future. In my daily walk with Jesus, I often cling to the
prayer of Paul found in Romans 15:13 – May the God
of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy
Spirit.
| This hope
is important to Christian leaders today because many,
if not most, commentators (religious or otherwise) see
the Church being pushed to the margins of our society.
Perceived (and real) hypocrisy, the increasing real ‘reality’
of relativism and a sometimes harsh and defensive
response from the Church in reaction to social/philosophical
shifts are just a few of the reasons these pundits may
be right. |
In an evangelistic
sense, I am not overly alarmed. God has always raised up an
effective apologetic for his sovereign plan to save the world
through Jesus. The Holy Spirit communicated powerfully through
his servants in pre-modern and modern times. I believe he
will do so in postmodern/post-Christian times as well. Actually,
rather than alarmed, I feel a great sense of expectancy to
see what God will do to speak to both social critics and the
Church. Christianity may be under fire, but opponents, pundits
and the loyal opposition ought to all beware of writing God
or the church off too soon. The future is securely in his
hands!
I must, for my
own sanity and confidence (and I really do), believe God has
a plan for the Church in the transitional period we live in.
His Word assures us that everyone will one day witness God’s
saving work on behalf of his creation. In fact, his loving
grace is so irresistible, Isaiah compares it to "rushing
torrents of water."
Is. 59:19 –
... men will fear the name of the Lord, and from the
rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he
will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the
Lord drives along.
When God plans
and then determines to do good, no philosophical or societal
resistance matters. When he finally decides to act —
Everyone…Look Out!
Rom. 8:31,
35, 37-39 What, then, shall we say in response to this?
If God is for us, who can be against us? Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship
or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death
nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present
nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
As a passionate
participant in (and observer of) the Church, I see God raising
up ‘missional communities’ that can influence ‘from
the margins.’ I can’t remember where I first heard
the term ‘missional communities’, or I’d give
the person credit. But the picture it paints in my mind is
a group of people who are highly intentional about truly obeying
Jesus’ commands so as to increasingly be like him. The
individuals pursuing this life-goal are in community.
They live out their new, loving, powerful kingdom reality
not as ‘Lone Ranger Christians’ (going about their
work-a-day life isolated except for an hour on Sunday), but
non-negotiably as a vital part of a group of Christ-followers.
An additional key
attitude is that this Christ-imitating community does not
‘have a mission.’ A mission ‘has them!’
They are in the grip of God’s sovereign eschatological
plan to redeem mankind! ‘Mission,’ ‘missions’
or evangelism could never become a ‘department’
in this kind of church, nor could it ever be given to a committee!
Hence, I see these emerging churches as ‘missional-communities.’
The two cannot be separated.
This is not new.
It is a renewal. However unevenly, for 2000
years the Church, when it is at its best, has existed as a
missional community. This is Christian life that marries conformity
to Christ’s clear teachings (discipleship) to Christ’s
mission (evangelism).
The Christ-followers
I envision in these missional communities would not be content
if they yielded to ‘consumer Christianity.’ No,
they are bond-slaves in the Lamb’s war. They want to
be a part of winning for him the rewards of his sufferings.
Nor can I
envision them settling for ‘bumper sticker’
faith. No, these are serious apprentices of their master,
Jesus. Becoming like him, they become ever increasingly
the light of the world and the salt of the earth. As Ambassadors
of God’s kingdom, I foresee them obeying his commands,
doing as he does, and speaking as he speaks.
Can you see how such a Church would break the power of
the charges of hypocrisy – both the straw-man versions
and the real ones? Can you see how this is a great side-door
apologetic that disarms the reactions/rejections of a
purely linear, cognitive or argumentative approach? People
like this would never think of harming others as they
fought for a place at the table of society. Rather than
eating the pitiful crumbs of such a pay-off, they’d
much rather feast on the provision of the kingdom –
righteousness, peace, joy and power – even if it
must be eaten from the margins. |
Look out world,
the Church thrived best when it was least inclined to accommodate
culture. I am not afraid of being on society’s margins.
What we should appropriately fear is how the Church will respond
on the margins. Will she be defensive? Combative? Reactionary?
I have confidence that the young leaders I know will rediscover
a pre-Constantine form of Christian life.
The missional churches
of the future will thrive, then, under God’s commands
and through his power. God will give them love for society,
a gentle love that winsomely leads others to Christ in a way
that is appropriately responsive to the shifts in human experience
that we see all around us.
Thank God that
our history in the Vineyard makes it relatively easy for us
to experience God’s leading and then to hear his voice
and risk. It keeps us from being too rigid to respond to his
Spirit or to change approaches as he dictates. This faith
part of our genetic code, our highly participative and experimental
worship (letting the Holy Spirit be the administrator/leader
of the church), our belief in the nearness of God’s kingdom
(and its attendant power, rule and reign), our comparatively
young leaders and our focus on healing – all these existing
under the Authority of Scripture – leads me to believe
that by God’s grace, the Vineyard can thrive in the realities
of the new millennium.
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