Am I attracted to what my church is offering,
or
Am I an offering of my church that is attractive?
It’s a phrase that came to me at Brew Ha cafe today.
I go into my community as a representative of the body of Christ. But I have so often felt that I have failed to represent him, through both inconsistensy of character and out of a sense of loyalty to what is on offer at my church for me to attend.
To be present in church is to be absent from my community. Now this is not to say that we should not go to church! As I have said in my original statement I need to be an attractive offering as I head out from the community of believers called the church. It is a group of beleivers who come together to build each other up that we might be better equipped to ‘make an offering’ that is so Christlike it compels people to meet Christ.
The problem for me in the past (and it continues a bit) is that so much of what my church offers is designed to bring people in, not send people out. I love all the stuff, the music, the meetings, the ‘hanging out together’, the mens ministry, the whatever . I thought we were meant to be sent not invited. Westfield Shopping Plaza ‘invites’, isn’t the church meant to send? Where was discipleship and evangelism originally thought to have taken place? Serious question! I thought is was like in the marketplace, you know, “As you are going, make disciples“.
Or is it “when you come here we will make your friends into disciples”?
Well it’s not generally happening ‘out there’ so someone has to coordinate it or it wont get done!
Good point. And not a bad argument.
But maybe we have stopped doing outside the church because it’s done for us institutionally? Which comes first the chicken or the egg?
Well back to may original statement…
I think I will try taking the teachings of my church, my bible, at face value and attempt to become salt/light/yeast etc in the world around me. I will accept that not ALL the attractive things on offer on the smorgasboard of my cool church are meant for me to be offered to me or taken by me, and in fact it would seem that the more I take of what’s on offer the less I am physically able to be in my mission field.
To be overly attracted to what’s on offer can be fatal to the mission of Christ!
To creat space and learn to be attractive like Christ, may well help his mission.
No Guarantees 
I think it’s the tension we must all live with. In order for people to become Chistians they must belong to something. What shape that takes is the key. All churches/missional communitties have some form of attractionality to them. It all depends on how much we expect our people to be at our events.
I got tired trying to run all the events expected in a big church. SOme people can do ti and I take my hat of to them, but I can’t. So I look at my options and see that I don’t need to be exactly like everyone else.
so being on the frindge of may be exactly where god wants me – charlie
quote…”To be present in church is to be absent from my community…”
i’m not sure about this one. to be “in” church defines church as happening at some place where it is possible for someone to be “in”, and therefore also “out”.
this places the emphasis of church on location not on its essence as an organic, living body of christ-followers.
question… can you “be” church while being present in your community?
Well I guessyou can be “Christ”, but by definition to be “Church” means a collection of believers, the body of Christ in whatever shape that takes place, but it is ‘gathered’ in my opinion. I guess I mean ‘in church’ is meaning in the business and activity of Church programme. I was so impressed on Sunday. Brad L actually pretty much preached this entry at Whities! I must post about it.
i thought you would go there re: the “gathering” of the believers – so the question still stands…
can you be church while being present in your community? can we gather in such a way that is inclusive of the community?
Well, yes. I think this is a good comment and a discussion that is really about the theology of what ‘church’ is made up of.
My thinking is that ‘The Church’ is the community of believers, open albeit to the unsaved, but would they be considered a part of the body of Christ when connecting with the body? Paul refers to ‘outsiders’ or was that Luke…hmm now I will have to read my bible.