Electric Ethos

VIBE – Values you can feel

As long as I can remember the churches that I have been a part of have been trying their best to develop their vision, mission, values and strategy, attempting to communicate them to their respective congregations. For the most part this is generally a good idea. [It is good to state the vision, make it plain and communicate within a church body.  However, in my experience the whole idea breaks down for four reasons I would like to illustrate.]

The first is the American, if not worldwide fascination with fad.  For some reason when a so called “new philosophy” reaches the marketplace, many churches rush to fit the vision of the Church in a new set of words, theme, pictures or media format. In my opinion this creates “congregational whiplash.”  I have watched this from the front row and it becomes tiresome and hard to keep up with. The second reason this idea breaks down is the hurry or rush that a Pastor and his team get into as they try to get the vision out. Presenting the vision should never be dictated by the “sweeps week”, the “fall kickoff” or when Easter Sunday happens.  I understand that there are logical dates and times of year to present vision to the people, but if the vision is not ready to be presented then I suggest that church leaders wait until the presentation of vision is clear and ready, instead of rushing it.

The third struggle is from pastoral change.  I serve as the associate pastor in a church that has had six senior pastors in a twelve year span and each pastor has had a separate vision and strategy. When a pastor moves on and a new pastor takes over, the people of the church are often split over where their loyalties lie. Church attendees often ask themselves, “How do I give up on the vision presented by the former pastor I love?” The fourth reason for the breakdown is pride on the part of an incoming Pastor.  At times a new pastor wants to remove any connection to the past, seeing these connections to the past as a challenge to his new direction for the church.

The whole idea of this seems so “business model” to me and churches that come across as businesses seem to miss the mark in a postmodern context at least as I see it. I believe that postmoderns see through what I would call the “robotization” of vision.  Robotization happens when vision seems forced, unnatural, rigid, copied or cliché. My thought is that postmoderns need to connect with people who have a VIBE about them more than a church that clearly states what they are all about. What do I mean by VIBE? A VIBE is less about what is written on a wall or program and more about what you feel in connection to an environment, group of people or an individual. The VIBE of a person includes the values you can feel as you meet them, interact with them and get to know them deeply. If the VIBE is off then the mission misses the mark. I would suggest that the VIBE of a church, group or person should look like this…

            The first part of the VIBE that I believe will connect with postmoderns is “Value Others.”  The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) joins with the often compassionate heart of the postmodern.  A good way for postmoderns to see if a person or church values others is to see if a church or believer is truly reaching out to their neighbor locally and worldwide, meeting the needs for food, water, shelter and medicine. If your dollars and time don’t go to meet the needs of the poor and the least of these (Matthew 25) then you probably don’t really value the people you connect with on a daily basis. I believe that a postmodern would say “global care is equivalent to local care” It seems that postmoderns care about their “villages” in the heart of the city while at the same time caring for the under-resourced around the world.

Here’s the rub, it appears, at least on the surface that the Christian Church is against certain groups of people and certain lifestyles, so how can the church even say it values others? For a non-believing postmodern, this is so far from the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) that it makes the church look petty and even vicious at times. So what is the answer?  The answer seems to be for the church to truly value others by loving people we don’t agree with, loving those who live in our villages whose lifestyles are different than what we believe is acceptable and by meeting the needs of the needy in our backyard and across the world. A postmodern would appreciate love that is based in actions above words (I John 3:18). “Fake love”[1] is an easy mark to spot in a world that values authenticity.

            The second part of the VIBE is to “Inspire Worship.” This one sounds like the banner on the wall at the vision Sunday of a local church, but hear me out on this.  I am not talking about having a great band that will get the people going and excited enough to say “that was a good one.” I am also not talking about a percentage of participation when it comes to singing along with the worship leader. Additionally, I am not talking about the rote statement that people are throwing around that goes something like this, “Worship is a lifestyle.” In the way I am about to speak about it, inspiring worship has nothing to do with the Sunday service or a special musical worship gathering performed by the worship arts team at the local church. Inspiring worship has everything to do with living with such honesty and humility about where you’ve been, where you are and where you are going that Jesus gets all the credit. King David says the following in Psalm 40:1-3

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
            he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
            Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

            In David’s life and writing we find the example for inspiring worship. David’s life was on display and David was honest about his past and the muddy pit. David was humble about his present and the Lord gave David a firm place to stand. David’s life is changed and “Many see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.” As a result of David’s honesty and humility people are able to see the truth of his transformation and as a result people watching his life take their first honest look at the Lord. That is what it means to inspire worship, living in such a way that people take their first honest look at Jesus. The first honest look at Jesus is the first step toward worshiping Jesus.  If postmoderns never have a valued friendship with an honest and humble believer that shares the truth about what was and is, they may never get that first honest look at the Rock that our lives are built upon. When we allow Jesus to get the credit for our life change that inspires worship. The first honest look at Jesus is the first step toward real inspired worship. Remember, when Jesus is lifted up he draws all men to himself. (John 12)

            The third element of VIBE is Biblical Application.  Let me start with what I am not referring to.  I am not commenting on a preacher’s ability to preach messages with application points at the end even though this is a good thing. I am not speaking about applying the scriptures in the context of a weekly gathering for propriety in worship, although this too, is valuable. I am also not referring to a list of moral codes the church places over culture and says, “Live up to this…” What I am referring to here when I speak of biblical application is consistent Christ like character lived out in the context of community. The Apostle Paul spoke of this when he penned the letter to the Thessalonians saying, ^“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” (I Thessalonians 4:11-12) Paul tells his readers to live quietly, mind their own business and learn a useful skill, “so that” the believers who applied his words would win the respect of the people who are far from the Father. Let me say it like this, it appears that winning the respect of non-believers is directly connected to the believer’s consistent quiet walk of faith in the public arena. In another New Testament book James, the half-brother of Jesus tells his readers not to fool themselves by only listening to the public reading of the word.  He goes on to challenge the readers to “do what it says.” (James 1:22)  Later, James adds that there is a blessing attached to this kind of biblical application (James 1:25). “In the transition to the missional life…my best practice must be me.”[2]

            The final piece of the VIBE is for believers to Enjoy Life. Jesus Christ is the hope of the world and it gets rather tiring to see so called believers involved in “quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.” (II Corinthians 12) If any group of people should enjoy life it should be the followers of Jesus. Paul tells the Philippians “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” (Philippians 2:1-2) Paul also tells the church at Galatia that, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) People whose lives are marked by these qualities must have learned how to enjoy life even when things aren’t going so well. I believe that the early church from the book of Acts becomes our model for enjoying life.

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47 NIV)

            In the Acts 2 passage above, I believe there is a simple template for enjoying life that the early church displays.  This template has four parts and can easily be placed into use in the postmodern context. The four parts of the template are food, fun, friends and faith. It’s a picture of believers enjoying life, eating together in their home and in public with believers and non-believers alike. (Believers, who enjoy life, have fun and their lives are marked by glad and sincere hearts.) Christ followers who enjoy life also, have friendships that are on display in public and private settings, and these friendships with believers and non-believers are filled with favor and open the door for Jesus to welcome new people to the Mission.

            I understand that the VIBE itself can look “business model” and seem structured and rigid. The struggle for the Body of Jesus Christ in the postmodern context will be to maintain simple structures and be organic at its core. We have to remember that the “home office” of the church is not 125 NE 185^th in Shoreline, WA, it is Heaven and Jesus came to show His followers how to live heaven on earth. (Matthew 6) The VIBE is less about an overarching vision for an assembly or gathering and more about living the principles of Jesus Christ, so that people who are far from God’s heart get a taste of His goodness at work in the grocery store, at the salon, in the neighborhood and everywhere the people of God engage culture.

[2] Creps, Earl. Off-Road Disciples: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders. San Francisco, Jossey Bass, 2006. pg.14

Culture is Not the Enemy[1]

We often forget that the church itself is a culture and a product of church culture over the centuries. So if culture is the enemy then we have become our own worst enemy. Pastors are often afraid of political fallout when it comes to change in the church culture and then there is the group inside the church that is fighting for all its worth to protect an idea or philosophy of culture. Often, they consider their idea to be sacred only to find out that under the surface they are fighting or holding onto ideas that are less than 50 years old. “The combination of cultures (speaking of the Church) that resist change and managers (Pastors and people) who have not been taught how to create (Positive) change is lethal.”[2] Pastors will need to lead with passion and conviction if the Church is to impact the postmodern community today.

While the church itself is a culture, the best thing that Christ followers can do is to live in the culture and culture is made up of people. Culture is always social and connected to human achievement[3] both present and past. So, if we want to connect with people we have to relate well with them and to their achievements, and if we want to do this we cannot treat people or their achievements like they are the enemy. I understand that most people feel at least a small amount of tension between Christ and culture. However I believe that Jesus Christ is the Transformer of Culture[4] and we need to be on the inside of culture loving people where they are. When we love people where they are and love them for who they are it gives room for Christ to transform them at His pace from the inside, from places no man or woman can see.

            So, where did Jesus gather His closest followers from? Jesus, “[…] chose His apprentices from the culture[…]The apprentices He chose were people who lived in the culture. And how does Jesus change culture? “Jesus changes the culture without participating in the sins of the culture.”[5] One of Jesus’ main tools in His cultural “relational intelligence tool belt” was powerful true to life stories that bonded with the people of His day. Rephrased, Jesus spoke the “heart language”[6] of the people He was reaching out to.

            Hudson Taylor[7] lived as an example of a heart language communicating as the founder of China Inland Mission in the 1800’s.  Taylor learned the language of the Chinese people, changed his dress, grew his hair out long and challenged his entire missionary team to do the same. Missionaries who traveled to China before Taylor were looked at as white savages who would corrupt the Chinese culture; these missionaries often lost their lives because they tried to change China from the outside in. I think that the Church today can learn from Taylor’s example of living out the mission of Jesus in the framework of culture. Many churches miss Taylor’s example but the churches that connect with the idea that culture is not the enemy have a VIBE about them. And this VIBE is a sign of a relationally intelligent church that has addressed many of its internal and external blind spots.

[2] Kotter, James P. Leading Change. Boston, Harvard Buisness School Press, 1996. pg 29

[3] Niebuhr, H. Richard. Christ and Culture. New York: Harper One, 2001 pg 28,29

[4] Ibid., Chapter 5

[5] Davis, Wes. Jesus Apprentice: What it Means to Follow Jesus. Silverdale WA Independent, 2005. pg 72

[6] Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism, Making Disciples of Oral Learners, Bangalore India, 2004

[7] Benge, Janet & Jeff, Hudson Taylor, Christian Heroes. YWAM Publishing, Seattle, 1998

Postmodern Possibility

A few weeks ago a friend of mine asked me, “What are we going to do about this postmodern problem?”  Then a few days later another friend said that, “Postmodernity is coming soon.” Both statements, made by people I love, miss the mark and show how blind spots slow the church from taking a seat at the table of cultural understanding. To my first friend I responded by rephrasing his statement and asked, “What are we going to do with all this postmodern potential?” With my second friend I laughed and changed the subject.  So what is “postmodernism?”  I think Ed Stetzer hits it on the nail when he writes, “…postmodernism is an art form, a literary category, an academic discipline, […] a cultural force”[1] and even more. The question is how will the church respond?

look for possibilities and not problems in the culture

            I believe that in every age, in every place on the planet, there is at least some small part of the culture that offers an opportunity to introduce the Kingdom of God, and postmodernism is no different. Postmodernism, “[…] can be an ally in our ancient heritage.”[2] The “mystery”[3] that is part of the Christian Faith can also connect with the heart and mind of the postmodern person. “Postmodern society tends to be communal”[4] and community is core to the Christian Faith and can be seen in the three members of the Trinity. Postmodernity also places high value on the expressions of art[5] and our God is an Artistic Creator at heart (Genesis 1).  So a challenge for the church is to be mindful of its blind spots and the postmodern potential at the same time and act responsibly with creative solutions.

This last week, the city of Seattle tied for 1^st place to be one of the “Next Hot Youth Magnet Cities”[6] in the Wall Street Journal. The other top city was Washington, D.C. According to the article “In their eyes, none could match Seattle’s combination of a diverse high-tech sector, cultural life, access to rugged natural terrain and a strong university presence.” Without saying it directly the WSJ was telling the world that Seattle is a postmodern Mecca. For me this is good news because it gives the church community of Seattle a wake up call about who we have become. It is time for the church in our city to come out of “Plato’s cave”[7] and see the light, sun and shadows, connecting with the postmodern world.

The Church

            At times we create relational distance by speaking through our words and actions something that is untrue about the church. This type of misinformation creates blind spots for the culture that the church is reaching to.  The Church is not a building that hosts a gathering of closed minded people on Sunday mornings.  The Church is not a political organization that advocates policy for its own benefit. The Church is not a social club for people to drive to from their surrounding communities to get their spiritual fix.  As I understand it, the church is people living out the Kingdom of Heaven, here on earth.  My good friend Wes Davis has told me time and again that “The Church is people living on the mission with Jesus.” Church means “The Called out Ones,” the question is “what has the church been called out from?”  Some believe that this means that the church has been called out from culture, and would go on to say we should come out and be separate (II Corinthians 6).  But I believe that the church has been called out from a life of sin and then Jesus becomes our example of living life in the context of culture. Jesus puts on human flesh and lives among the people (John 1) Jesus comes to earth and lives in all the accouterments of His day. For thirty years He grows in wisdom, stature, favor with God and men (Luke 2:52) in the context of Roman culture in a Jewish carpenter’s house.

            The church is not only about the gathering on Sunday, but also about the scattering[8] during the rest of the week. Many of the miracles in the New Testament happen on the way, or along the road. I think we do a disservice to the church to continue propagating the myth that the church is a building on a street corner. My pastor Bob Stone has said both privately and publicly on many occasions, “We should no longer say ‘I am going to church’ because if we can go to church than we can also leave the church. It would be so much better if we could just be the church.” And if we follow Jesus’ lead we find that culture is not the enemy.

[2] Smith, James, K.A. Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism, Grand Rapids, Baker Academic, 2006, pg 23

[3] Grenz, Stanley. J. A Primer on Postmodernism. Grand Rapids: Eerdman‟s, 1996. pg 170

[4] Ibid., pg.8

[5] Ibid., pg. 24

[6] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703787204574442912720525316.html

[7] Smith, James, K.A. Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism, Grand Rapids, Baker Academic, 2006, 16

[8] Online Resource  http://www.eagleflight.org/cyberSermons/outreach/makingmost.html

The Relationally Intelligent Church

            The world is changing daily and the church must respond to these changes within the context of ongoing grace filled relationships. The struggle for the church is that it is seen as an organization that operates on selective grace. From an outsider’s viewpoint, there is grace for those who follow the church’s code and judgment for those whose worldview is different than those within the church. These realities create distance, and that distance grows as the church pushes culture away, and as the church continues to push away, culture changes all the more. The more culture changes the harder it becomes for the church to identify with, connect with and relate to the surrounding community. It is now time for the church to become more relationally intelligent and look for new ways to connect with culture, more specifically, postmodern culture.

Shoreline Community Church

“Relational intelligence is the ability to learn, understand and comprehend knowledge as it relates to interpersonal dynamics.”[1] Said differently, relational intelligence is having the aptitude to understand yourself while understanding others (your friends, co-workers or an audience) and having the ability to move forward relationally, keeping in mind what is best for others. I believe that the church can grow in the area of relational intelligence and the key is to remember what is best for others. Let me say it this way, the best thing for the church to do relationally is to remember what is best for others and then to live like the church believes people matter. 

The prolonged inability of the church to connect with culture has created a number of blind spots that we need to shed light on for a moment. Before I list these blind spots I call “The seven deadly sins of the church in the postmodern transition” let me tell you that this list comes from a series of interviews I did with missional thinkers connected to the Assemblies of God in the Seattle area.[2]  The first blind spot or deadly sin is insider language that is divisive and only stretches the gap between church and culture.  The second is unspoken expectations that cause spiritual seekers to feel like failures when they don’t live up to an invisible code.  The third blind spot is a welcoming exterior and an unwelcoming interior. A fourth blind spot is reliance on the pastor’s message to make people feel spiritual. A fifth blind spot is a lack of personal contact with people outside of the Christian “bubble.”[3]  The sixth blind spot is a lack of cultural awareness about the “glocal community”[4](global and local)  The final blind spot for our list, although not the last “deadly sin” for the church would be the poor use of newer means of communication within the local church. Understanding these blind spots will help the church to be more constructive on the mission.

Jesus is the model for the mission today and His life in the Gospels, gives us an illustration of how to relate intelligently with culture. A few examples of Jesus’ “Relational Intelligence” would be the “unspiritual” miracle at the Wedding at Cana (John 2), His compassion at the Feeding of the 5000 (Matthew 14), and His heart for children (Mark 9 & 10).  I believe that the church can and must relate intelligently within the context of the current postmodern transition.[5] Understanding the blind spots of the church is essential to reducing inappropriate and unproductive interactions with culture. Steven B. Sample, the President of USC would challenge the church to “Think Gray”[6] as a way of connecting with culture. This idea probably scares the common church attendee, but I would say that thinking gray does not mean that we believe gray. Thinking gray is about a creative approach to reaching a creative culture. Sample goes on to say that, “The key is to break free […] from conventional thinking so as to bring your natural creativity […] to the fore.” I would add that a relationally intelligent church is creative and unforced creativity is a major key in capturing the hearts and minds of postmodern culture.

[2] Bill Berger, All Saints Seattle September 2009. Don Ross, Creekside Church, Mount Lake Terrace, September 2009. Craig Mathison, Lead Netweaver @ TEVO, September 2009. Bob Stone, Shoreline Community Church, September 2009. Josh Siegel, Shoreline Community Church, Shoreline, October 2009.  Jana Detrick, Shoreline Community Church, October 2009.

[3] Davis, Wes. Jesus Apprentice: What it Means to Follow Jesus. Silverdale WA Independent, 2005. pg 74

[4] Stetzer, Ed and Putman, David. Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community, Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2006. pg 5 

[5] Ibid., pg 7 

[6] Sample, Steven B. The Contrairians Guide to Leadership, San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2002 pg 7

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