In Search of the Indeginous Church of North America!

Over the last couple of years I have begun to start putting together books and articles that I am wanting to use as references in my Thesis. I have picked the theological subset of Ecclesiology and I have come up with my title for my thesis.

"The Post-Modern Captivity of the Church; Steps towards developing a Post Modern Ecclesiology"

I am wrestling with comparing our current context to the context of Israel in Captivity in Babylon. I deal with the question of religious practice versus religious living and the struggle to move from Temple worship to synagogue worship.

Temple Worship was a place where people came to receive religious services and to practice various cult functions. The Temple had a professional priesthood, and the attenders were considered to be consumers--rather than participants!

The Temple was only relevant as long as the culture made room for the religious practices/ ceremonies/ rituals to move between sacred and secular relevance. When the Temple was No longer at the center of culture and society the Temple was No Longer Relevant!

The Synagogue was not developed first in Babylon, but according to early Judaism they had synagogues as early as their time spent in Egypt. The synagogue was a place that was considered to be similar to a modern day cultural center.

I believe that the Modern Church saw and sees itself and practice as though they were performing Temple Worship! During the Modern period 40's - early 60's the church had enjoyed being at the center of society and culture. the mid 60's to early 70's the church begin slipping into a cultural subset whereas before the church was the culture! By the 80's the church was attempting to throw around whatever weight they once had... MONEY, A NATIONAL VOICE, and a SOCIAL NETWORK called Evangelicalism and the Moral Right! The church used all of its resources and influence to try to sway the political spectrum only to wake up in the new millennium realizing that they lost their money, their power, their influence, and their constituents!

This is where we find ourselves in 2009! Where do we go from here?
How do we who are in the church and love the church help transform the church to reach this new captivity that we find ourselves in?

In Israel's Captivity in Babylon they transformed Their cultural identity from the center being the temple to the center being the Synagogue! How do we transform and where do we transform to?

My Questions pose another question! Is there an indigenous church in North America? if So, What does it look like?

I believe that the church that we see in North America is nothing more than a failed attempt to franchise denominational structures that only worked during the time of colonization and imperialism! Each denomination was firmly rooted in a nation and a King, to be colonized by that nation one became Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Orthodox, etc... We even see some of this in the early missions movements where to be come a christian one became civilized and began to look like the west and their cities and culture became quasi white western replicas!

Finding the indigenous church is also about finding myself and where we together are at! Are we just another proprietor selling religious services to consumers! Or are we actually living Christ through alternative counter culture communities of faith!

The Non-Negotiables:
1) Scripture- how it is used, interpreted, and taught
2) "Sacraments/ ordinances" of the church; Communion, Water Baptism, confirmation
3) The Doctrines of the early church approved by the Nicean council and the Apostles
Creed
4) The priest hood of all Believers or in My Modern translation-- All Believers are
participants in the great commission

The Negotiables:
1) How we live out the above
2) colloquial uses of labels/titles, subset/cultural languages, worship styles,
3) architecture
4) Ministry style(s)
5) Organizational Structures/ Administration

These are not exhaustive lists, just a simple beginning to get us thinking!

My question for you and me... Are we part of the Temple or the Synagogue? What would you call what you are apart of now?

Here is the biggest question I am wrestling with in my own mind!

By Pastoring a church who has a 501C3 and is a Non profit corporation and receives a religious Tex exemption-- Can I really argue that I am apart of an indigenous church? or am I apart of a State Authorized Church?

In Germany and parts of Europe many churches both mainline and others have been choosing to give up their religious exemption status due to those churches feeling like they are not being counter culture but are conforming to culture!

Should adherents give money to the church and receive tax shelter/breaks/benefits?

Should the structure of the church really match the image of a corporation where the members are shareholders? Where the church moves from ministry minded to Business Minded?

Part of my thoughts on this subject is about seeing the Post Modern church as cultural centers where we begin to re-culture the culture of the church and get them ready for the return of Christ!

I hope this has given you a glimpse of my struggle for relevance and I Hope this has begin to cause you to start struggling for greater relevance and significance in your life and in others!

May God's face shine brightly upon you, may his anointing greatly increase in your life, May his blessing be abundantly on you head!

When good just isn't good enough!

How many times have you try to do your best at something and you just didn't measure up? Was it really becuase you just could not do it welll, or was it because you could not do it well according to somebody else's opinion?

In the last year I have come to a place in my life where I have realized that my good just isn't good enough! I have realized that most of my effort has been just that--my effort. I have started to begin to stop and ask, "where is God in all of this?" and if I cannot see him, feel him, or find him in what I am doing I ask another question, "Am I doing what God really wants me to be doing?" Often Times when I begin to do something that takes all my strength, talents, wisdom-- it is usually when God does not really care about what I am doing and I am just wasting energy.

The new question that I have begun to ask is, "God, what do you want me to do today?" When I ask that question I tend to find myself moving from the drivers seat to the passengers seat and I realize I am just along for the ride instead of having to be the ride!

Recognizing that our good isn't good enough is only one of the first steps towards fully walking with and trusting God. When you can trust him to drive your finances, relationships, jobs, and yes even hobbies and vacations... the results are far better than anything we could attempt to do on our own.

I feel that in the last year I have learned how to move from the driver's seat to the passenagers seat. However, Now I am a little scared as to where God is drving me to. I am now learning to trust God when you sense he is taking you to a new destination. I just don't know where?