From: stevek
Date: Mon Nov  3 17:44:47 MST 2003
Subject: 2 Samuel 10

I had planned to share some more of my thoughts on my trek through 2 Samuel, and having read Eric's musings on the emerging church find that those form a good take-off point for my own thoughts. This week I was in chapter 10. It spoke to me of the church and what it's role should be. To get there I'll walk through a couple of Eric's points. First, he made the point that the Four Spiritual Laws 'are still big', but that Newton has been somewhat left behind on college campus thinking these days. If there's a connection intended, I'd suggest that, outside of privately funded (read: "religious") schools, academia never was much for spirituality, at least that which is found in the pages of the Gospel. Give 'em hindu, buddah, or an orb from which they receive an harmonic convergence and all's good. But the "I'm the Way" approach doesn't leave wiggle room for the proud mind of man/humility's not our strong suit. So, all's ok on campus for spiritual seeking, but leave the restrictive claims of the God-Man out of the discussion - He's the conversation stopper. "Your thoughts are not My thoughts." How true. And that's good. Next were Eric's comments on the mega-church. I'm not so sure that they're 'not long for this world.' They seem to be offering what the religious consumer of the day is demanding. Those items include a form of worship which is pop-culture in acceptable clothing (confession - I like to play and sing 'yah God' worship music/in fact I inflict it on Teen Challenge every Tuesday, in case there are other closet pop-worshippers at the Village who'd like to attend.) The alternative pop-culture offering is what is mass produced over the media, most of which I'd not be comfortable sharing with Jesus over the course of an evening. If, in fact we believe that He's 'in us, and we're in Him' why do we feel any comfort in compartmentalizing those moments we spend (not invest) in front of tube trash? Better to invest it in the Word, prayer, music that speaks of Him, or simply taking a walk with your lady and enjoying His creation. So I'm not so sure that alternative pop-cultural experience offered in the mega church isn't a good thing. Another thing that mega-churches offer is resources to do the missionary stuff that the Church is sent to do. I'm familiar with two churches which this weekend are sending groups into Mexico to build houses for indigent families, churches who are collecting Christmas packages for poor children in 3rd and 4th world countries, churches who are able to open their doors on a daily basis to the real life physical, as well as spiritual needs of those in our community who are without shelter, food or clothing. Mustering resources of a large body enables those types of missions programs to blossom. However, in each large church I have attended I have found the core to them is the cell group activity. Those smaller gatherings are where the intra-church ministry occurs, and where those who choose to plug in are able to do so. That's where the spiritual needs of the hurting in our midst are met - just as in the 1st century days of the Church. Home groups to offer healing places. 2 Samuel 10 is a picture of that. In verse 5, David reaches out to the humiliated among his bretheren and offers support, comfort and encouragement. In verse 10 there appears what to me is the task of the Church - when the enemy is too strong for you, I'll turn and support you; when the enemy is too strong for me, come to my aid. That's what happens when brothers and sisters develop a spiritual bond through Christ in which they are not afraid to expose their wounds. In the mega church corporate setting, it cannot happen. There would be too many in that place who would not understand, and aren't we good at eating our own when they're down? But in the cell group setting, once relationship has developed, the body can share in one another's sufferings. I'm not sure that that experience is restricted by the corporate size of a body, but more by the opportunity offered from within that body to establish spiritual relationships which are safe places to get naked (something else I shared at Teen Challenge/you missed it!) The point? Let's take from 2 Samuel 10 the challenge to grow a spiritual community at the Village in which we as a body do not flee from the wounds of our brothers and sisters, but instead stand ready to lift them up in their needs, realizing that we, too will soon find ourselves in that same place of spiritual need. I sense that the body is well on the way towards realizing that goal.

Edit this blog
Write a response Email the author

---

Write a blog