I don't remember who or what led me to do so, but several years ago I wrote down in my prayer journal these pleas; "Father, say through this fellowship, and through all your church to every prisoner of darkness, 'Come out, I give you your freedom,' and may they both hear, and come." Just a page or two before that petition, I also wrote that He would transform both our fellowship, and all of His church into a Body that offered "radical welcome, radical forgiveness, radical healing, radical confrontation of sin, and radical worship." I still long for these to be, but I wonder if I really understand how radical the transformation must be in me, our local fellowship, and in all of His Body for this to truly come to pass. We make much of wanting to walk in the power and witness of the first century church, but I think it was Francis Chan who asked if we were really willing to pay the price to actually be such a church? And an even more piercing question, would we be comfortable in such a church? Would I? Would you?
There are lots of folks in the church who are willing to be "edgy" in how they "do church," and like to call such "radical," but I think to truly be radical in our faithwalk with Him, we can't live on the edge. We've got to step off it. This takes us far past methods, worship styles and presentations, which are all elements we can, and usually are in control of. To experience the kind of radical worship and ministry of the Spirit we might pray for will require a willingness to be totally consumed by, controlled and led by, His Holy Spirit. Radical welcome is far beyond being a friendly, welcoming church. His radical welcome meets the lost sinner where He is, with love. But make no mistake, along with the welcoming love will be a radical confrontation of their lostness and sin. For those who can and will receive that, there will be radical forgiveness, healing and worship. We don't just talk about the old passing away and all things being new, all the while still living in the old way without Him, and strangers to the new way in Him. John Eldredge once prayed, "Jesus, that I would know You, the real You." It's a huge risk to pray such a prayer, because the real Jesus, the One revealed in His Word, will bring about a radical encounter with Himself. Such an encounter will either transform us radically, or send us running from Him. We will either walk forward into His light, or run back into our familiar darkness. It's a radical choice. Have you, we, ever made it? Will we make it now?
Yes, I still want to be a part of such a radical church, but to be such will require a transformation in not only me, but in the fellowship I lead, and the greater Body of Christ of which I'm a part. There is no comfort level for my flesh there, and that's scary, but I still want it. How about you? Will we reach towards Him as He brings us into such an experience and relationship with Him, or just go on living in wishful thinking?
There are lots of folks in the church who are willing to be "edgy" in how they "do church," and like to call such "radical," but I think to truly be radical in our faithwalk with Him, we can't live on the edge. We've got to step off it. This takes us far past methods, worship styles and presentations, which are all elements we can, and usually are in control of. To experience the kind of radical worship and ministry of the Spirit we might pray for will require a willingness to be totally consumed by, controlled and led by, His Holy Spirit. Radical welcome is far beyond being a friendly, welcoming church. His radical welcome meets the lost sinner where He is, with love. But make no mistake, along with the welcoming love will be a radical confrontation of their lostness and sin. For those who can and will receive that, there will be radical forgiveness, healing and worship. We don't just talk about the old passing away and all things being new, all the while still living in the old way without Him, and strangers to the new way in Him. John Eldredge once prayed, "Jesus, that I would know You, the real You." It's a huge risk to pray such a prayer, because the real Jesus, the One revealed in His Word, will bring about a radical encounter with Himself. Such an encounter will either transform us radically, or send us running from Him. We will either walk forward into His light, or run back into our familiar darkness. It's a radical choice. Have you, we, ever made it? Will we make it now?
Yes, I still want to be a part of such a radical church, but to be such will require a transformation in not only me, but in the fellowship I lead, and the greater Body of Christ of which I'm a part. There is no comfort level for my flesh there, and that's scary, but I still want it. How about you? Will we reach towards Him as He brings us into such an experience and relationship with Him, or just go on living in wishful thinking?
Blessings,
Pastor O
Pastor O
No comments:
Post a Comment