The Narcissistic Church

I have been reading from Larry Crab's book "Real Church" and have been challenged by some of his thoughts. I would like to share a quote from his book:

"Who gets Jesus right? Augustine,Perpetua,and Polycarp? Or the church leaders of today who insist that Jesus is committed to making our lives happier by providing us with all the legitimate blessings we want now? Am I content to love God for my sake? Or do I long to love myself for God's sake?

I don't want to burn at the stake, and I really don't think I ever will, but I want a faith that would make me willing to follow Jsesus at any cost. And I want to go to a church that won't give in to my natural appetite to the Chrisitanity to give me blsessings-dependent happiness.

Using God that way prevents me from knowing God in a way that makes my soul healthy and anchors me in joyful hope. A gathering that meets to make people happy in their blessings is not a church. It is a self-help club that feeds a narcissistic spirit of entitlement and dignifies as acceptable (or ignores altogether) the flesh-driven demand for self protection."

Here are my questions. Are we leading narcissistic churches? With our consumer driven, feel good culture what message are we sending in the local church? Are we somehow conveying to our flock that God is Mr Fix-It in the sky?

Maybe we need a good gut check and look at the predominant prayers that go up from are own lives and those we serve?

Reading Your Idiot Lights

Idiot lights on our dashboards signal to us that something is malfunctioning in our vehicle. The most common one is "check engine". It could be something as simple as a service call or a major problem with the power plant. Whichever, if we don't pay attention to them, some serious damage could result.

God graciously has put into all of us our own set of idiot lights that tell us when our power plant is on overload or malfunctioning. Let me list a few typical ones:

Fatigue, lack of compassion, anger, cynicism, depression, sleeplessness, defensiveness, excessive control, fear, anxiety, boredom, aimlessness, withdrawal.

When these lights go off there should be an immediate response. The signal is essentially telling us that we are operating our ministry in the flesh. When that is happening there is little fruit to be picked.

So what should be my response? Timeout with Mr. Goodwrench; or better known as a come to Jesus moment. What does that look like? Stop, look, and listen!

STOP: Don't use your busy schedule as an excuse not to pull over to the side of the road.

You probably got into this predicament because you failed to do preventive

maintenance.

LOOK: When the church at Ephesus lost it's first love God said that they needed to look to see

where they had fallen. Then they were told to repent, and do the things they did when

they were first in love. This means we need to root out the origin of the problem.

LISTEN: Take time to hear what God has to say. We often do not slow down long enough to

hear what He has to say. Your heart may need more than a tune up or oil change.

It may need a complete overhaul.

Happy motoring!

Me, Myself, and God

As you know I am a strong believer in a contemplative approach to God for the survival of our souls. Most pastors I have met find it extremely difficult to find silence, solitude and sensitivity with God. The pastorate has become an even more complicated and stressful calling because of a fickled post-modern culture and the demands of parishoners who have been overwhelmed with it's influence.

Just for the record I would like to re-emphasize the need for us in ministry to make sure we are replenishing our souls. We dare not minister from an empty tank.

Here is one pastor's thoughts written recently in Leadership Magazine on this issue:

"Silence is not meant to be a practice for navelgazers and recluses. Silence is the spiritual practice that puts us in a place to hear God, so that we can lead from something other than just strategic and organizational ideas. The great temptation that stalks ministers today is the temptation to put hours and hours into strategic agendas-because preparing agendas feels like doing something. That is easier to do than be silent and listen on the deep levels of the soul, levels where real discernment can happen. For me lack of silence is laziness-laziness in staying close to God." Adele Calhoun, Redeemer Community Church, Boston Massachusetts.

Let me insert one more testimony of a pastor from that same article in Leadership:

"As I write this, I am away from my normal stomping ground in Wisconsin, listening to the crashing surf of the ocean. At this merging point between the familiar world of dry land and that wild other -world at sea, I am reminded that the untamed power of God sometimes smashes into the laps against the world I know-or think I know. At home I engage with people continually, but I have nothing to offer them if I have not engaged with God. In solitude, I learn again that the purpose of ministry is not control, but awe."

Mel Lawrenz, Elmbrook Church, Brookfield, Wisconsin.