Transformation
In the established church, Christians are more surprised by a transformed life than they are by the status quo.
After the initial “conversion” moment, a drastic lifestyle change occurs. After that initial immersion in the Christian lifestyle (usually lasting 6-12 months), there is very little substantive change. In the first year, the new Christian breaks many old habits and finds ways to conform to the established churches accepted sociological practices. Once the convert’s life resembles the standard significantly enough, no more transformation is expected. In some cases, it’s even thought unnecessary.
While I have no doubt that many conversion experiences are a result of the Holy Spirit’s conviction and transforming power, I feel much the Holy Spirit is given credit for is an illusion… An illusion built on social constructs one can adapt to by their own power. Once a life fits within the accepted boundary markers of the established church, there is a sense of arrival. From this point, true spiritual growth is seen as extraordinary.
I’ve heard it said that life is always moving, so if you’re staying in the same place, you’re actually backsliding. I’m not sure about that analogy completely, but the general concept merits some consideration. The longer we live and move in a social construct without true growth into the humanity of Jesus, the more likely we are to falter when taken out of the construct, even for a moment.
The social network promoting good behavior is not entirely a bad thing, but when it is the main, or in some cases the only, thing, there’s trouble. It’s amazing how sins we thought we mastered come back in a fury, and we falter. A false sense of security develops, we falsely believe the sin no longer holds any power over us. Then, BAM, we’re right back in the thick of it.
Structure Analysis
By this point, you should already know my bias against the weekly sermon. Reread core issues 1 and 3, if you need a refresher.
The current structure is information-based. And contrary to the established churches practical belief, knowing the truth isn’t enough. I heard Dallas Willard once say (paraphrased but very close), “If someone comes up and spits in your face, you either are or are not the type of person who can love someone who spits in your face. You cannot will yourself to love in that moment, if you are not already the type of person who can love in that situation.”
The church has focused so heavily on teaching, we’ve failed to equip people to actually carry out the teaching. Pastors and listeners alike feel it is enough to cognitively know the “Truth.”
Why aren’t we known for our love for one another? We know the teaching. We aren’t known for it, because we aren’t the type of people who love those who disagree with us, who love those who question our spirituality, who love those who call into question our practice of the faith. We don’t love one another, because we aren’t the kind of people who can love one another. We aren’t the type of people who can love one another, because our churches stop short of equipping us. It’s more difficult to know the truth and not be able to live it than it is to not know it at all.
Spiritual formation, individual and communal, must be embedded deep within the structures of our churches. I dare say most Christians would be better served to never hear another sermon again. At least until they’ve put into practice what they already know and engaged a lifestyle of spiritual formation, making them into the types of people who can not only do the right thing when in a difficult situation… but sometimes even do it naturally.
Core Issue #1 – Knowledge
Core Issue #2 – Power
Core Issue #3 – Experience
Core Issue #4 – Individuality
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speaking as a regular attender of a mainstream church . . . i think that much of what is lacking in our spiritual “transformations” lies in the reluctance of other christians to pay attention and help where needed. by that, i mean to say that salvation and sanctification are not just individual, but corporate. most of my growth has taken place when a brother has grabbed me and talked about struggles and joys in his own life, and we’ve held each other up in our pursuit of what God intends for us. when the “church” calls a “how are the kids” conversation “fellowship,” you’ve got a serious problem.
i think you’ve hit the nail on the head when you say that we need to be able to apply truth before we can handle more of it, but i think that the best way for that to happen is through vulnerability (not by “the church” equipping us, but by believers around us) – a quality sorely lacking in my church and many others. there’s so much pride involved that it precludes “spurring one another to love and good deeds” and forces the status quo to be sufficient.
i have a bunch of thoughts bouncing around in my head on this subject and i apologise if this comment is confusing . . . it’s just that i want so badly for the universal church to focus on relationships (God to believer, and believer to believer) and forget appearances.
mark
December 16th, 2005
Mark -
I think I agree with you, but I would say the “church” is people and not an organization or structure. So your ideas on how the people in the church community should participate in each other’s spiritual formation is akin to me saying the church should be more involved and structured around it. Does that make sense?
Alan
December 16th, 2005
Hey—
Sorry I didn’t respond right away. Right now I’m reading through all of your core issues and wrestling with them in my head. I also read one of your articles “When you Fall Again: Realizing the Need for Spiritual Discipline.” I liked it and could see the influence APU has had on you. I don’t know what you had to read in “Foundations of Ministry” but we had to read Ortberg’s “The Life You’ve Always Wanted.” I’ve also read parts of “Spirits of the Disciplines” by Willard and LOVE “The Divine Conspiracy.” That book changed the way that I view church and Christian life. That’s really cool that I’ve found someone who’s already finished that leg of their journey. Got a B in a Baloian “1 and 2 Samuel” class this semester. I was hoping for an A, but that’s okay.
Danny
December 17th, 2005
transformation – or lack there of…
is a great core reason why there is an “emerging church”. i resonate in large amounts with the bulk of your thoughts, and the ones i don’t resonate directly with are simply because my experiences have just been different and not so much because i disagree with you…i just see them from another angle…
…though here i will add a little bit that pertains to mt personal journey, that has been completely shaped by the “established church” you refer to.
this “established church” is certainly a beast, and my life experience with it as a chicano male growing up in the suburban inner-city barrios of southern california probably had a similar, yet completely different interaction with it than that of yours, which is what compells me to have the following attitude towards it.
the challenges facing tranformation in the “established churches” are real, and are largely measured in external circumstance s which is hardly a measure for transformation at all i think. so, specific to my life experience, when you are then dealing with largely impovershed communites that have dealt with certain levels of social oppression and exclusion, this race for transformation is exceedingly more susceptible to flamboyancy or pretentiousness. though the real dilemma is not in these particular “reaches” to show transformation, but similar to what you said, the illusion that it is real transformation. couple this behavior with a Mexian/Latin/Hispanic/Chicano culture that not alone is constantly wrestling with its internal survival, but also trying to assimilate in large numbers into an American culture of faith that is trying to minister to them, while simultaneously discussing matters of immigration reform policy with republican/christians.
all the while, while the american white church lives in the tension with emerging /non-emerging churches, all the other minority groups simply do not have the freedom to emerge in such a way spiritually. for them, already living in a much more tangibly chaotic imminent reality is enough for them, the last thing they need is a chaotic faith.
this pains me, and forces me to wrestly largely for i am emergent. i am mexican. i am chicano. i am criminal. i am sinner. i am questioning. i am prophetic. i am afraid. i am tormented. and most externally challenging altogether, i am alone as it pertains to my walk with another person of my similar life path to god. so, transformation is huge, and certainly a good core reason for the emerging church…but what does that sound like, in spanish?
sam trujillo
http://www.emergingcity.com
Sam Trujillo
December 17th, 2005