Uh-oh I am a non-institutionalist!

For the past decade I have been analyzing and re-evaluating my philosphy of ministry. Having planted churches, worked on the mission field and served in dozens of different roles in the local church I have been blessed to see a lot of great work and more than my share of foolishness.

I hope the title didn't distress you. I am not opposed to a kitchen in the meeting house (I think I am giving up the phrase church building) and I fully support the idea of caring for widows and orphans right out of the congregation's treasury. My non-institutional enlightenment has to do with what I have observed happens in many places - we institutionalize our methods, programs and practices without evaluating their effectiveness or more importantly, whether they are in harmony with God's will.

Our Lord often took issue with the legalism of the Pharisees. An outsider might think, "these are devout men, they keep the law, they are concerned about spiritual matters, they emphasize doctrinal purity," why would our Lord condemn them so vehemently?

Simple, they fell in love with their traditions. They embraced the methods, their own ideology and philosophy and lost sight of God. When I was a young evangelist I took a personal work course and will never forget the arrogance of the instructor as he informed the class - if you are not using _______ you are not doing personal work. I can't tell you how many times I have seen preachers, elders, and congregations fall in love with an idea and lose sight of the mission. Yes, that includes this writer!!! I am guilty as charged.

So, you may ask, "are you opposed to buildings?" Yes, if the building becomes our mission. "Are you opposed to work programs in the church?" Yes, if those programs become more important than the people they are designed to serve. "What about kitchens, buses, gymnasiums, song books, methodologies, strategic plans, ad infinitum?" Yes, I am opposed, but only when those items become the idols that displace our allegiance, commitment and humble service before our Father's throne.

When I think of how many times my brethern have allowed these things to become instruments of Satan, to cause division within the family of God, to stand in the way of true benevolence, evangelism and ministry I can understand why Jesus called the Pharisees a "generation of vipers and whited sepulchres with dead men's bones."

Give him a nudge

Do you remember sitting in Bible class or worship and the teacher was making a particularly salient point and before he was finished, you felt an elbow planted frimly in your ribcage? The inference is an obvious one - someone is making sure that you don't miss the point. The message comes across clear as a bell - you need to hear this.

So, the question is - "How do we listen when others are teaching?" Are we more concerned about making the application of the lesson to others, or are we more interested in our own self-improvement? You don't know how many times I have taught a class, written a blog, or preached a sermon when someone would come up and say, "That was a great lesson, I wish Bob could have heard that - he needs it." How do you say - that sermon applies to you more than it does Bob?

Next time we want to give someone a nudge, or plant your elbow firmly in their ribcage, pause for just a minute and ask yourself, "is there something in there for me."

Who's Glory?

There is a scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where the protectors of the Holy Grail raise a very important question, "Is your quest for His glory or your own."

I have been involved in church work for nearly 30 years now and I can't tell you how many times I have seen the Lord's work get derailed because we lose sight of the fact that we are here to glorify God. We get caught up in our personal goals and agendas and forget to put God at the center of the work.

I have always struggled with pride. It is an insideous sin that creates so many problems in our lives. Pride causes us to drive our agenda, pride causes us to dig our heels in when someone tries to correct us in a spirit of love, pride has driven a wedge between two good brethren who both believe they are right.

So the question is, When you have the next great program that you think will transform the local church, is it for His glory or your own? When you run roughshod over the wishes of others, or misrepresent the facts of a certain situation, is it for His glory or your own? When go to your corner and pout because you didn't get your way, is it for His glory or your own?