I had a health crisis a few years ago, and although I’m not an ordained pastor, I was a regular preacher at my local evangelical-Anglican church. Once I started showing up with a walking stick, I was shocked and surprised by the number of people who went from buddying up to me (because I was a platform person) to wanting absolutely nothing to do with me (because of my sad vibes). It was truly astonishing.
Most churches today have set their telos to look like the empires of this age rather than the kingdom of God. Weakness and suffering reveals what has been there all along.
This is deep and moving. I so appreciate the way you've framed it. What's cool to me is that it was the healing all along. Even when we were busy pushing for higher metrics, Jesus still showed up to a lot of people in the middle of all the mess in powerful ways.
I’ve never been involved in a mega church, but I have started to wonder if those types of churches are a part of the mess of Jesus’ story too. It’s a long story, I hope that okay.
After my brother passed away, his wife was really struggling and admitted herself to a psychiatric hospital. I thought, “why doesn’t the church have something like that? She doesn’t need more pills and a 24 hour observation period, she needs soul care.”
I tried to imagine creating a space like that, and invited her to a day of soul care. The best I could manage was a massage, followed by lunch in a pretty cafe, and a time of journaling in a quiet nature area. When I searched for a cafe, the place on the map near her house that drew me just so happened to be inside a the mega church she had started attended a few months previously! Coincidences like these are always a signal for me to listen to what the Holy Spirit might be trying to teach me. The cafe had only been open a few weeks! It featured a gorgeous lobby filled with bright comfy spaces to talk, a three-story play area for kids, and a gymnasium, along with classrooms and a huge open area for events. I was so impressed! This was the soul hospital I had envisioned!! I peeked out the back and there was a nature preserve, complete with a pond, benches, and birdsong for a peaceful time of reflection. We stayed for the afternoon, journaling and praying together. I was like, “Jesus, what are you trying to tell me about mega churches?” Anyway, that’s my story. But your story makes me think that sick people won’t feel comfortable there. In fact, she told me that my brother, who was very sick, always chose not to attend with her. Maybe it is too slick to be a a “soul hospital.” I am not sure. But thanks for this piece to help me sort through it all.
There is much sorrow in the Bible. Why do modern-day churches need to avoid it. It is the call for repentance to turn back to God. That was why Jesus was a man of sorrows.
To ignore this half of the Bible is to leave one's hunger for the fullness of understanding of God and His great gift of redemption and salvation unanswered. No wonder so many feel lost and drifting toward some unknown whatever.
Excellent. It spoke to me in many ways, especially in what is missing in our churches and ourselves. I have been traveling a similar path. Thanks again for your insightful words.
Thank you so much for these impactful words. As a former leader in a large evangelical church, I've grown so disillusioned with the traditional church growth model. I'm finding solace in practicing communal lament and collective storytelling. As I look forward to my next potential job, I'm trying to reimagine what "success" looks like. I have a feeling it has less to do with numbers and more to do with relationships.
I totally get it too! As a church planter in Japan I saw God bring into existence a new church which was quickly turned over to the Japanese believers. Then God showed me what His church is to look like and I shifted from programs to relationships to make disciples and to know and love people. My story is too long to share here but I hear and have experienced the same things in different ways. We must follow Jesus wherever He takes us.
Your story is a lot like my husbands… it was sad… they voted us out… they didn’t want a pastor who had so much trouble walking and had to preach sitting down!
It is difficult when a church either tries to get you to come to à negativity group—where one might say too much—like a grief/recovery grouo; or where they think you are too joyful, so keep trying to knock you down. One wants to be known; have trust earned, by getting to know who one feels one can trust, and feel accepted on the way, with silences, —helped around blind spots; —be rejoiced with….
Thankful Jesus does the latter, and more are finding this in their churches
Absolutely! 1000 times yes! This is something I am learning too. I left a big church that was all about excellence (read: performance), but that seemed to lack the Spirit's presence. My new church is small, and far from perfect, but oh my word! is the presence of God real in our gatherings! I know almost everyone who attends by face, if not by name, and I've found healing from church hurt there, as have many others who have joined recently. It's a special place, a real community, where Jesus is present amidst our family moments - joy, but also sorrow; celebration, but also lament. This small, local church is the hope of the world.
Amazing and authentic. Thank you. As I work on church planting, I keep encountering the "slick" church that I reject. I don't want numbers. I want people - souls. Real flesh and blood that I can learn with and from and walk beside and grow in my relationship with Christ as they grow in theirs. I long to do it together and the packaging that the Business wants (what I now call the Church) is just...awful. Tragic. Thanks for the reminder that I'm heading the right way.
This very much resonated. I’ve never been drawn to the attractional model as a layperson- now I happen to be following a midlife call to ministry and church planting, and the second half of what you describe in your piece is what I envision the church being (and have been blessed to experience in the past).
We need churches that lament and rejoice. And the rejoicing is sooo good when it’s humble and real.
I love your story. It looks like you've made it into reality. As far as I can see the entry requirements for the Kingdom are quite simple. First you must be born again. Second, you must develop a personal, hopefully conversational, relationship with our Messiah.
We find that we love, support, and care for each as we all learn to do what the Lord asks each of us as individuals to do. We were all created unique, with a group of people that the Lord leads us to and designed us to help.
Salvation comes to those around us when they see how we love each other. We need to keep it focused on Jesus, but it's not difficult sharing about a friend who is so wonderful.
As crazy as the world is getting, it is an incredible encouragement that Jesus will help us as long as we can be helpful. Then He has plans to take us home to be with Him forever. It's going to be amazing.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 phenomenal post.
I had a health crisis a few years ago, and although I’m not an ordained pastor, I was a regular preacher at my local evangelical-Anglican church. Once I started showing up with a walking stick, I was shocked and surprised by the number of people who went from buddying up to me (because I was a platform person) to wanting absolutely nothing to do with me (because of my sad vibes). It was truly astonishing.
Most churches today have set their telos to look like the empires of this age rather than the kingdom of God. Weakness and suffering reveals what has been there all along.
Keep writing on this - it was a great piece.
This is deep and moving. I so appreciate the way you've framed it. What's cool to me is that it was the healing all along. Even when we were busy pushing for higher metrics, Jesus still showed up to a lot of people in the middle of all the mess in powerful ways.
I’ve never been involved in a mega church, but I have started to wonder if those types of churches are a part of the mess of Jesus’ story too. It’s a long story, I hope that okay.
After my brother passed away, his wife was really struggling and admitted herself to a psychiatric hospital. I thought, “why doesn’t the church have something like that? She doesn’t need more pills and a 24 hour observation period, she needs soul care.”
I tried to imagine creating a space like that, and invited her to a day of soul care. The best I could manage was a massage, followed by lunch in a pretty cafe, and a time of journaling in a quiet nature area. When I searched for a cafe, the place on the map near her house that drew me just so happened to be inside a the mega church she had started attended a few months previously! Coincidences like these are always a signal for me to listen to what the Holy Spirit might be trying to teach me. The cafe had only been open a few weeks! It featured a gorgeous lobby filled with bright comfy spaces to talk, a three-story play area for kids, and a gymnasium, along with classrooms and a huge open area for events. I was so impressed! This was the soul hospital I had envisioned!! I peeked out the back and there was a nature preserve, complete with a pond, benches, and birdsong for a peaceful time of reflection. We stayed for the afternoon, journaling and praying together. I was like, “Jesus, what are you trying to tell me about mega churches?” Anyway, that’s my story. But your story makes me think that sick people won’t feel comfortable there. In fact, she told me that my brother, who was very sick, always chose not to attend with her. Maybe it is too slick to be a a “soul hospital.” I am not sure. But thanks for this piece to help me sort through it all.
There is much sorrow in the Bible. Why do modern-day churches need to avoid it. It is the call for repentance to turn back to God. That was why Jesus was a man of sorrows.
To ignore this half of the Bible is to leave one's hunger for the fullness of understanding of God and His great gift of redemption and salvation unanswered. No wonder so many feel lost and drifting toward some unknown whatever.
Excellent. It spoke to me in many ways, especially in what is missing in our churches and ourselves. I have been traveling a similar path. Thanks again for your insightful words.
Thank you so much for these impactful words. As a former leader in a large evangelical church, I've grown so disillusioned with the traditional church growth model. I'm finding solace in practicing communal lament and collective storytelling. As I look forward to my next potential job, I'm trying to reimagine what "success" looks like. I have a feeling it has less to do with numbers and more to do with relationships.
I totally get it too! As a church planter in Japan I saw God bring into existence a new church which was quickly turned over to the Japanese believers. Then God showed me what His church is to look like and I shifted from programs to relationships to make disciples and to know and love people. My story is too long to share here but I hear and have experienced the same things in different ways. We must follow Jesus wherever He takes us.
Thank you so much for this. I’ve had a similar journey. Platform to presence.
Your story is a lot like my husbands… it was sad… they voted us out… they didn’t want a pastor who had so much trouble walking and had to preach sitting down!
Love it. Beautifully worded. Thank you for pointing out the connection between the strong works based church and the ignored weak.
It is difficult when a church either tries to get you to come to à negativity group—where one might say too much—like a grief/recovery grouo; or where they think you are too joyful, so keep trying to knock you down. One wants to be known; have trust earned, by getting to know who one feels one can trust, and feel accepted on the way, with silences, —helped around blind spots; —be rejoiced with….
Thankful Jesus does the latter, and more are finding this in their churches
Absolutely! 1000 times yes! This is something I am learning too. I left a big church that was all about excellence (read: performance), but that seemed to lack the Spirit's presence. My new church is small, and far from perfect, but oh my word! is the presence of God real in our gatherings! I know almost everyone who attends by face, if not by name, and I've found healing from church hurt there, as have many others who have joined recently. It's a special place, a real community, where Jesus is present amidst our family moments - joy, but also sorrow; celebration, but also lament. This small, local church is the hope of the world.
Amazing and authentic. Thank you. As I work on church planting, I keep encountering the "slick" church that I reject. I don't want numbers. I want people - souls. Real flesh and blood that I can learn with and from and walk beside and grow in my relationship with Christ as they grow in theirs. I long to do it together and the packaging that the Business wants (what I now call the Church) is just...awful. Tragic. Thanks for the reminder that I'm heading the right way.
This very much resonated. I’ve never been drawn to the attractional model as a layperson- now I happen to be following a midlife call to ministry and church planting, and the second half of what you describe in your piece is what I envision the church being (and have been blessed to experience in the past).
We need churches that lament and rejoice. And the rejoicing is sooo good when it’s humble and real.
I love your story. It looks like you've made it into reality. As far as I can see the entry requirements for the Kingdom are quite simple. First you must be born again. Second, you must develop a personal, hopefully conversational, relationship with our Messiah.
We find that we love, support, and care for each as we all learn to do what the Lord asks each of us as individuals to do. We were all created unique, with a group of people that the Lord leads us to and designed us to help.
Salvation comes to those around us when they see how we love each other. We need to keep it focused on Jesus, but it's not difficult sharing about a friend who is so wonderful.
As crazy as the world is getting, it is an incredible encouragement that Jesus will help us as long as we can be helpful. Then He has plans to take us home to be with Him forever. It's going to be amazing.
What a fantastic article. You've captured what I've been feeling for the past 10 years.