The Largest and Fastest Growing by James Emery White

My friend, Becky, passed this blog entry written by James Emery White to me. It is profound and well said. Within the world of the Western Church we see "Bootcamps for Church-Planting" and a constant emphasis put on being fresh, relevant, genuine and authentic. These words seem to be the substitutes for creativity anymore. The number one way that new churches arrive to do a "church-plant" is no different than what a Panera Bread or a Starbuck's does. American Christendom has pointed out all the "big" churches as the way of success. And American Christians are more and more prone to expect church to be like a night out at the movies.

Here is what James Emery White has to say:

The Largest and Fastest Growing
It’s become as anticipated among some pastors and ministry leaders as the annual U.S. News and World Report ranking of schools is to college and university presidents, the Forbes 500 is to CEOs, and the AP poll is to coaches and fans.

It is Outreach magazine’s annual listing of the 100 largest churches, and the 100 fastest-growing churches. For the record, this year the largest church in the United States is Lakewood Church in Houston, led by Joel Osteen (43,500 attendants), and the fastest-growing church was Church of the Highlands in Birmingham (up 72%, or 3,418 attendants).

A member of our staff stuck his head in my office, referenced the listing, and said, “Shouldn’t we have been in it?” Having already glanced at the list with undeniable curiosity, and making a few quick mental calculations, I already knew the answer. “Yes, we would have been on the fastest-growing list – and fairly high up…but I didn’t submit any of our numbers.”

I could see it on his face. “What were you thinking? You didn’t submit our numbers?” He knew that we are currently in the fastest-growing season in the history of the church. We have gone from three services to six, with a seventh planned for the spring, and are laying the groundwork for a major building expansion on our eighty-acre campus.

I found myself stumbling for the way to respond, but then it came out: “It just didn’t feel…clean.” There. I had finally said it, though I had felt it for a long time. The listing seemed dirty, competitive, dark…yes, for me, even sinful. Let me hasten to say “for me.” The darkness is entirely mine – my own long battle with competition, my own hot and cold embrace of a kingdom mindset, my constant temptation toward schadenfreude over the demise of others, all along with a good dose of ongoing pride. I had crowed about our own numbers too many times in the past in ways that did not honor God, but only honored me, and felt palpable shame. Like a man who battles lust finally giving in and openly poring over pornography on the internet or entering into an affair, for me to submit our numbers would feel like giving in openly to one of the more important spiritual battles in my life.

And I can’t help but feel it would contribute to one of the greater battles in the wider church world's life, which is envy. We say, “It’s all for the Kingdom,” and “we’re on the same team,” but few of us are saints enough to mean it. We want our churches to grow, and at our worst, others not to grow. We want to be the biggest and fastest – which means others be smaller and slower.

Irish writer Oscar Wilde once told a fictional tale about how the devil was crossing the Libyan desert. He came upon a spot where a small number of demons were tormenting a holy hermit. The sainted man easily shook off their evil suggestions. The devil watched as his lieutenants failed to sway the hermit, then he stepped forward to give them a lesson.

“What you do is too crude,” he said. “Permit me for one moment.”

He then whispered to the holy man, “Your brother has just been made Bishop of Alexandria.” Suddenly, a look of malignant envy clouded the once-serene face of the hermit. Then the devil turned to his imps and said, “That is the sort of thing which I should recommend.”

I am not trying to indict Outreach magazine, much less those who participated. I have no doubt they are good, well-intentioned folk who are attempting to serve the Kingdom through this compilation. This is confession, not admonition. To be sure, I have sensed the way the list (and others like it) has been used by those who, it would seem, share in my darkness. There are too many who are too quick to anoint the “next thing,” gloat over those with past success who are now experiencing decline, race to find the silver bullet of success, or take pride in their own success as if God has finally arrived.

But that only adds to my disgust as I see my own struggles manifest in others.

So each year, it has almost become a personal spiritual discipline. The form arrives, I start to fill it in, and then I ask myself, “Why?” It won’t advance the cause of our mission at Mecklenburg; it won’t help us reach lost people; it may open a few more doors of opportunity in terms of speaking platforms, but God can see to that in other ways if He so desires. The only motivation that I could find was self-serving; to be noticed and then acclaimed. And that felt dirty.

For a long time I have been haunted by a single verse in the Old Testament that came from God through the prophet Jeremiah: “Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not” (Jeremiah 45:5,NIV). Great things for God, yes; great things for myself, no. And the line between the two can often become conveniently blurred.

I love the church. I love the Kingdom of God. I want to see it expand. I love that churches around the world are growing. But to single them out in a way that draws attention to them simply for their numerical growth, and nothing else, does not seem entirely healthy to me as it offers a distorted view of success. Crowns in heaven will not be based on numerical attendance, growth, acres or even decisions. For pastors and churches, it will be based on faithfulness to the vision of the church as cast by the New Testament. God may use me, or someone else, to bear much fruit. But in the end, I suspect that a bi-vocational pastor in a small town of 5,000 with an average attendance of 50 may be the greatest pastor on the planet, with the largest crown in heaven.

You may see Meck’s numbers in future lists in Outreach Magazine, or you may not. We may not submit them, and even if we do, we may not warrant inclusion. But if you do, it could mean that I have either given in to my dark side…or somehow, risen above it. But what you will know for certain is that it means very little. It will not tell you whether we are turning attenders into disciples; it will not tell you whether we are creating a new culture in our city that honors Christ; it will not tell you whether we are attracting sheep from other churches, or truly reaching the radically unchurched. It will just tell you that we got even bigger than we already are, or at an even faster clip; and probably that we have way too big of a head about it.

-James Emery White

Sources

Outreach Magazine’s “List” issue, including the 100 fastest-growing churches and the 100 largest churches, can be accessed on line at http://www.outreachmagazine.com/.

For a report on the article, including some of the findings (Outreach Magazine now charges for the article as a download), see Outreach 100: Largest and Fastest-Growing Churches in America by Lillian Kwon, The Christian Post, Saturday, September 27, 2008, at http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080927/outreach-100-largest-and-fastest-growing-churches-in-america.htm.

The story by Oscar Wilde has been adapted from Hesketh Pearson, Oscar Wilde: His Life and Wit (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1946), pp. 127-128.

Jesus: Apolitical!? part 1

The church is only the church when it exists for others.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Social services did not exist in the Roman Empire until a peculiar and odd group of people began to take responsibility for those in need. That peculiar people was the early church. That odd group had not only looked upon their own but began to care for the poor of their own "enemy".

There is a proverb that says "Your gifts will lead you to the thrones of Kings and Queens." Mother Teresa was definitely one whom was capable of bringing about the manifestations of that scripture. When brought before world leaders she addressed the issue of abortion and especially confronted America on it. She said this:
"Please don't kill the child. I want the child. Please give me the child. I am willing to accept any child who would be aborted, and to give that child to a married couple who will love the child, and be loved by the child. From our children's home in Calcutta alone, we have saved over 3,000 children from abortions. These children have brought such love and joy to their adopting parents, and have grown up so full of love and joy!"

I see so many similar stories in the Gospels that continue to deconstruct my views, my perceptions and my own plans for this life. I thank God that the Bible still does that to me. I would worry if the wonder of God's Word would cease to amaze and humble me. I would worry if it were to stop chiseling away at the walls I have built.

One story that I have recently been consumed by has been the occurrence found in Luke 14:1-14.

In order to get a good grip on this passage you must be enveloped by the first few verses. Some investigating is necessary in order to obtain a perspective that is fitting for the context of the moment this happened and what it has to say to us today in light of the political season at hand.

I took heavy notes from a teaching given by Greg Boyd and Scott Boren(The Kingdom: It's Really Upside Down) as well as some research through N.T. Wright's Luke For Everyone.

Here's what I'd like to share in the discussion of this passage with you:

We find Jesus arriving at the home of a prominent Pharisee on the Sabbath. Have you ever delved into the world of the Pharisee? Here's a slight taste: Pharisees were experts of the Law(the Torah). Not all lawyers were Pharisees but almost every Pharisee was a lawyer, teacher, rabbi or in other words, an expert of the Law. Another interesting fact, since we're debunking the apolitical theories of Jesus, is how so very politically involved the Pharisees were.

There were two schools of the Pharisees that existed in Jesus' day. Those two schools were Shammai and Hillel. Shammai were prone to armed revolt and Hillel was a "we want to live and let live" school. With great insight and research from N.T. Wright we learn this and we can also learn that the Pharisees were indeed thronging for a Separatist Nationalism. In other words, they - compared to similar actions found regularly in the Church in America today, were pushing to basically legislate morality.

They believed that if they enforced the children of Israel into a holy state that they would prepare for themselves the immediate entrance of the Kingdom of God. They themselves would enforce holiness upon their people whilst creating their own laws of enforcement and work from the inside out and then have their way and their own Kingdom without end. Political agenda to the core!

The story continues to say that Jesus was being carefully watched. If you go back a few chapters in Luke you will find that the Pharisees have concluded that this Jesus is not joining in with their efforts. Think about that. With the immense fame and popularity that was forming around Jesus there must have been some job securities at stake within the leadership roles of the religious elite. Why else would Jesus be invited to a "prominent" Pharisee's home?

The next portion of scripture tells us that a man with dropsy is right in front of Jesus upon His arrival. Dropsy is an abnormal swelling of one's body. According to some of the man-made laws of the Pharisees at this time, dropsy was the result of sexual sin. Wha???

Look at this scenario:

• Jesus being watched carefully and on the Sabbath...
• Dinner meeting with a prominent Pharisee...
• A sick(unclean) man due to sexual sin just happens to be there...

TO BE CONTINUED!

Students take a look at an 'invisible' problem - Entertainment

Students take a look at an 'invisible' problem - Entertainment

Jesus - apolitical? [intro]

apo·lit·i·cal

\ˌā-pə-ˈli-ti-kəl\

Function:

adjective

1: having no interest or involvement in political affairs ; also : having an aversion to politics or political affairs2: having no political significance

As a little boy it is quite possible that Jesus may have seen smoke rising from a neighboring village not far from his home. Upon the hill, for display purposes, of that burning place there were over 2,000 men crucified in one day by the Roman army.(you can find more in Christ and The Caesars; by Etehelbert Stauffer).

There is no question that Jesus knew what it meant to be under the rule of the oppressor. There is no doubt that Jesus grew up in the midst of poverty, greed and empire-worship. There were no famines to put the blame on for the issues of hunger that existed in Jesus' day.

Jesus did not avert these issues. They are extremely political issues and He most certainly faced them.

What did it take to be able to simply stay alive in those days? What did it take for the "children of God" to be able to live together and yet separate from and within an empire of such dominating force? What did it take for people to pursuit careers in order to feed, clothe and secure their loved ones?

Politics.

You cannot escape that. Politics have existed since the discussion over the apple in the Garden of Eden took place. To simply write Jesus off as "apolitical" for the sake of clearing out debate within church walls, and usually because of the fear of losing "potential tithers", is both historically false and theologically unsound. Christians who avoid the political uneasiness of our day cannot do so by claiming Jesus as being apolitical. It's too late to make it that simple. It's easy to make that mistake but perhaps blindly arrogant to push it.

Be honest -

• What do we American Christians know about Jewish culture 2,000 years ago?
  
• What do we really know about this incredibly strict religious system that hung over the people as they were overshadowed by the most oppressive empire?
• What do we know about the Roman Empire?

Think about it - How can a King be called apolitical?

Why did Jesus pay his taxes?
There is incredible significance in that.
[refer to the definition provided above again]

Jesus called a couple of tax-collectors[Matthew & Zaccheus] where He took one of them away from their literal work and stuck them into the Kingdom work of delivering the Gospel and with the other He put the Kingdom work right into his literal government job and restored what was corrupt and turned a sinful man into an upright governmental agent that was capable of serving a dark empire as a child of light.

That's awesome. That's the whole salt of the earth thing. Salt is a preserver. We are salt on death. We slow the decay of what sin does to the soul of those that we reach out to and for. We are salt on this earth. We are salt on the governments of corruption and with love we slow the decay that death brings and we introduce life in many places.

Jesus approached Jerusalem on a donkey which was a hard working and peaceful creature. He did not arrive on a war horse ready to lop off heads. He need not approach with instruments of war but only of peace. His presence alone invaded the politics of man with the only truthful political agenda the world will ever be able to abide in.

Read this quote from Dr. Greg Boyd:

"While Jesus never entered the fray of political debates, everything about Jesus’ life revolted against the politics and social norms of his day. It’s why he was crucified. He was involved in what we today would call “non-violent civil disobedience.” In this sense Jesus was a political revolutionary."

We serve a King that calls His kingdom-dwellers a people not of this world but a people that are in it! We are in this world. We are not called to avoid politics nor are we to use Christianity to domineer it. We are called to serve.
To give.
To hope.
To pray. [Are you prepared to pray for whomever becomes our next president?]
To change with influence, love and sacrifice.
To take drastic steps in this restoration process that our King has begun and will complete!

Kingdom-dwellers like Martin Luther King, Jr. had faced opposition from birth until death. He faced opposition at birth because he was black. He faced opposition his whole life until he was murdered because of his political expertise and his willingness to follow a "dangerous unselfishness" that turned the other cheek towards the politics of man but followed the politics of Jesus.

The politics of Jesus? You know, like:

1. Love God with all your heart...,
   
2. Love your neighbor.,
   
3. Feed the hungry,
   
4. Clothe the naked,
   
5. Quit pointing the finger at same sex marriages while the divorce rate in the evangelical church climbs higher than any other,
   
6. If the evangelical church world would like to bring the percentage of abortions down than they should stop having them.

That dangerous unselfishness is what killed Jesus as well. Even upon the cross with a crown of thorns and sign over his head written in three different languages that this is the King of the Jews, Jesus forgave His enemies. Three different languages tells you just how cosmopolitan and diverse that area was. And Jesus with a demonstrative act bore that title in great pain and suffering and allowed love to win over the politics of evil men and restored from that moment on the truth and power that has taken root and will ultimately reign in the Kingdom of no end. The political realm was given hope and truth at the crucifixion of Jesus like all things were and just as all things will be restored.

It is far too easy to call Jesus apolitical. Those who do simply have found thier own way out of taking responsibility for poverty, greed, war, and injustices. On the first day of an earthly king hearing about another King coming, the earthly king slaughtered babies out of fear and envy. It is the same in so many churched worlds today. When truth invades our self-built kingdoms that have imitated the coolness of the world over the imitation of Christ we are but given a choice to surrender to the King of Love or bow before the throne of death. We all know that Herod did indeed bow before the throne of death.

Jesus - apolitical? The Bible tells us from the moment Jesus was born(while on the run) until He died that He stared in the face of the kingdoms of this world not with a look of destruction but with a proclamation of conquering death that says indeed this Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

How can He be such a King and Lord and be apolitical?
Well, to be apolitical means to avert politics but yet He is King and Lord - so the aversion to politics is where?

The aversion is from those who fear the truth of a dangerous unselfishness.

Search our hearts, O great King. Search our hearts.