November 29, 2007
Mega-Immaturity
In the November 10, 2007 issue of World magazine Bill Hybels, of Willow Creek Community Church fame, is mentioned in the ‘Quotables’ column. Apparently a study showed that the Willow Creek church model had not produced spiritually mature Christians. Mr. Hybles is quoted as saying, “We made a mistake.” My church, like many others, adopted portions of the Willow Creek model and we too are showing signs of spiritual immaturity. I’d really like to point an accusatory finger and at Willow Creek for leading us astray, but it’s not their fault that my leaders jumped on their train. Many of today’s church leaders desire to be at the helm of a megachurch. I wonder if it ever crossed their mind they might also have to deal with mega-immaturity.
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Gail;
-----It amuses me that so many leaders still dig around in the thought bins of tried and “they died” solutions for such basic challenges as helping your brother to mature. And the maturity issue is made even more difficult for the mega-church to achieve because it limits its main focus to reeling in big numbers (yes, of people and money). For solutions that barely work for a few also barely work for many. The mega-church has not created any new solutions, it has merely modified the same old concepts of group studies, classroom settings, and workshops, then renaming them as if they are new. But these work no better in the mega-church than they did before it, because they all remain used as opportunities to dispense ideology. That of the leaders, of course. The maturity remains in the cranial background all wrapped up in the intellectual packaging of its delivery.
-----But people go to church because their faith has reached a level steering them in that direction, some sort of perceived necessity to do so. They did not intellectualize it, and I don’t think many are coming for a head-full of intellectual instruction as much as they are to go away with a feeling of having participated in something God likes. Maybe that does not speak of much faith, but as Romans 12:3 indicates, God gives each one of us an amount of faith that is His measure for that one. Yes, Scripture calls us to increase our faith, but, initially, we have it by measure. We also know from Romans 14:1 and 15:1 and many other texts in the scriptures that many are weak in faith. A lot of those, as well as many stronger in faith do not run off, falling over each other, to get into small groups, “step-by-step” classes, or workshops. Yet they need fellowship and spiritual food as well. They need the inspiration and feelings of participation for which they came.
-----They come to church on Sunday morning and find the services turned into semantically pandering side shows directed at the “nearly Christian” mass. They find much hand clapping, guitar picking, and scintillating expressions amongst a sensational mass of humanity. But when the air has cleared of the sights and sounds there are still not many scraps falling from the table for the children to eat. Their sermons steer clear of the sharpness necessary for spiritual growth so that none of the “near Christians“ leave from boredom or outright repulsion. Instead, any who desire anything deeper than what the spiritually immature can barely choke down are expected to come forward out of their curiosity to be directed to some classroom or workshop to have their head worked upon. All efforts are so turned to the feeding of the seekers that the children are encouraged to only be ministers of that feeding as well. And they are chastised if they do not become it. No attitude is then promoted about the feeding of the children upon the table, right there on Sunday morning. So those who came to participate in something they figure God likes leave having been filled with the feeling they wanted, but without the maturity they needed. And those who came looking for the maturing they figure they need, have left with only a crumb.
-----Because instead of the mega-church being a body of members serving and attending each other, it has become a legion of “ministers” marching to the demands of its leaders, brainwashed into thinking their own needs do not count. Fellowship dies on this vine, because fellowship is about both need and supply. It is about serving and being served. For the maturity is in the action to which we have been called. It is the principles that drive those actions, not principles that just drive fluffy thoughts and warm feelings. Maturity happens when thought and feeling become action. And for me to act in supplying a need, or even just doing good to another, there must be one who is receiving that supply or good. To me sometimes it is you. To you, sometimes it is me. As the sap flows up the tree, it must also flow down. As the leaves make nourishment for the tree, they must also be supplied with moisture and minerals by the tree. Maturity understands a world of need and supply. It knows life involves both. But it is stunted and retarded in growth where need is impugned while supply is demanded. Such is not love. Such is the bureaucracy of an organization. Such is the ego of those who dominate within it.
-----For maturity involves a basic attitude, one that God made basic to the souls of His humans. It does not deplete self for other nor other for self. It is a recognition of the present situation in light of the whole matter. It sees beyond the self without forgetting the self. For it understands that the self is a part of the whole body, and both are needed, one cannot consume the other. Each must abide in its own place for His body to fully mature into a temple. This means that the leaders must lead not in projects, classrooms, small-groups and propagandized ideologies. They must lead by inspiring and influencing Biblical behavior towards one another and those outside His body. These need more delivery than the crumbs of the Sunday morning mega-church service can supply. There is far more to learn about, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love,” (Rom 12:10) than there is to learn about, “Now go make a difference,” (signs hanging above the doors of your church.) There is far more to benefit the body and its mission in, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers…” (Gal. 6:10) than there is in clapping hands and celebrating. Christianity is not learning a set of religious actions and thoughts as regurgitated for you by some Bible college trained greenhorn. But it is about observing a lifestyle of someone who has been around the spiritual block and learning from the Word a way of treating others and a way of being treated by them. It is a humble surrender to what is true and real. It is a life with the Lord, led by the Lord, that does not have to wait for some correcting elder to come point out religious deeds for you to do. “As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in Him.” ( I John 2:27)
-----The Holy Spirit is real enough to lead us one at a time having one another for examples, inspiration, and teachers, but not as heads. The Spirit needs the unhindered, unscripted involvement of one with another to make His growing maturity spread through the body. But there is just too much script required in being the mega-church. The mega-church leaders need to realize their duties are to be examples of the Word and teach it to His people while living it among them, rather than propagandizing before them. His people acting among one another according to the Spirit, rather than leaders, become mature lives shining forth His call to the neighbors, some even speaking it forth as evangelists. Each body part has its Spirit given function. And when the leaders allow the Spirit to develop and use all the various functions amongst His individuals, then the body will mature.
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