We See You Church

Mark Tidsworth, Pinnacle Team Leader

Economic meltdown, social distancing, Christian nationalism, police brutality, racism….

Right there in the swirl of life, in the messiness of these moments, something is becoming very clear – our church’s identity. Crises have a way of doing that; shining the light of clarity on who we really are.

When enough crises happen all at once, there’s no escaping the white-hot spotlight. Every organization of every kind responds, or is perceived as responding, whether consciously or not. Large scale crises are like that, raising the essence of who we are to the surface for all to see. We are seeing our churches more clearly than ever.

For us, when it all comes down, we are disciples of Jesus Christ. We are groups of people (churches) aspiring to live in the Way of Jesus right here in this messy and out of control world. We don’t claim more righteousness than any other, failing plenty, relying on God’s good grace. Yet we move on, yearning to embody this way of life embodied by our Lord Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. We are joining God’s mission to bring the kingdom to earth as it is in heaven. This IS our aim.

But to live this way, we count the cost, realizing the Way of Jesus requires something of us. We as the church have lived with privilege in North American culture for decades. Christian churches and their leaders have been respected organizations and leaders in their communities. We have been given seats at the table of community leadership. We have drawn new members who recognized that career advancement is enhanced by church membership. We have been given opportunities other religions were not, becoming the golden child religion of this USA. (As I write this, I’m keenly aware I’m describing a cultural environment which aged-out some time ago, yet amazingly still exists in the minds of some church leaders and members. For more on the end of Christendom, see my book Shift: Three Big Moves For The 21st Century Church). To live in the Way of Jesus in this current world is going to be messy, offensive to some, and less culturally affirmed or popular. Do we see in our churches the willingness to risk cultural privilege in these crisis moments?

During these crises experiences our identities, along with our core values, become crystal clear. These crises pull back the curtains, revealing who we really are and what we are about. Perhaps we are learning we have some identity work to do; aligning our witness and church practice with our beliefs. Perhaps we are learning we are addicted to social acceptability and privilege, bowing down at that altar. Perhaps we are learning our fear of appearing unconventional or even radical constrain us from living as authentic disciples gathered around Jesus (who turned the world upside down). With new eyes, we are seeing church.

But isn’t that why we are in this anyway? Our souls are hungry for the gospel, for being part of churches who embody the beautiful and transformational Way of Jesus. We have less and less capacity for tolerating shallow, attractional churches who simply want to draw a crowd while strengthening the church budget. Our patience is long gone with churches who want cultural affirmation so much they will trade their birthright for a bowl of stew. We will write-off as irrelevant churches who are unwilling to walk with Jesus, pursuing the kingdom of God, even when they are organizationally smooth and culturally attractive. In this messy, out of control world, only authentic church will do.

Deep in our souls, we can see church, hoping with all our being that our visions will become reality. May we embrace the refining and reshaping opportunity inherent in these crisis moments, living into the authentic Way of Jesus. O Church, we desperately want to see you take the shape and form of our Lord Jesus Christ ever more.