Tuesday, 24 February 2009

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    No Line On The Horizon
    By U2
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    Ministry without Jesus

    One of my favorite Pedro the Lion songs is called "Nothing".  Verse 1 reads:

    "If only the rules were
    built upon philosophy that I embraced
    I'd hug your neck and kiss your face,
    but it's very obvious
    that your ideals are not for me.
    You'll tell me what to do
    but you will see that I do as I please."

    Verse 2 reads:

    "The problem with rules is
    they alienate the criminals when whose to say
    if what they did was wrong that day.
    If you'd open your mind up
    you'd see that there is nothing that's always wrong.
    No matter what you say,
    it's just not true that there's only one way."

    Then, the chorus:

    "Cause I want to
    do it my way,
    cause I want to fly,
    I want to
    do it my way,
    and I want to fly."

    I've struggled with the meaning of this song since hearing it back in 2000 or 2001.  What is David Bazan trying to say?  What is it exactly that he is speaking of?  Are there not somethings "always wrong"?  Is there more that "one way"?

    I guess it depends on the topic.  A few weeks ago, I read the book Jesus-Centered Youth Ministry by Rick Lawrence.  He makes the very strong assertion that our ministries need to be centered on Jesus and Jesus alone.  But wait...aren't all ministries focused on Jesus alone?  Truthfully?

    I can't tell you have many youth group lessons, Sunday school lessons. d-group lessons, even sermons that I have created without spending 30 seconds in prayer, petition or meditation seeing out direction.  And despite that, we have a pretty good thing going here.  God has worked, has used us, anyway. 

    As I have thought about this idea, I've come to the conclusion that ministry without Jesus is simpler, easier and even better.  But...we are not called to be simple.  We are not called to do things easier.  Neither Paul nor Jesus looked for a "better" way to do ministry.  Why?  Because those things, those adjectives are all about us. 

    "Simple" means "not complex" because the believers we speak to can't handle it.  We've decided that non-believers cannot grasp hard topics.  So in our church services and youth group meetings we offer pure milk...in 55 gallon drums.

    We usually equate "easier" with "less effort".  Why would I do the hard work of creating a lesson when I just just Google it? 

    "Better" means we "one up" the church down the street.  Like Derek Webb says in "Ballad in Plain Red", we:
     "take out the sign, forget the meal
      we’ve got a gym and a ferris wheel
      i swear it's just like the country club down the block"

    We ask questions like: "What church has the best (I mean, my favorite) kind of music?"  "Which preacher is best (who will not hold me accountable)?"

    We simply won't have it.

    Ministry with Jesus is complex because it requires us to get off of our butts, out of our comfortable homes and into the dirt.  It demands that we spend time with people that are not like us.  It makes us uncomfortable because above all else, it is COSTLY.  It demands out time, our effort, and even our money.  It goes against the laws of economics and western thought because rarely do we see the pay off.

    Ministry with Jesus requires more effort because with effort comes learning.  Yes, I know that Jesus' yoke is easy, and his burden is light...got it.  BUT...if you want to eat meat, you have to chew.  Philippians 2:12 says that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  Effort is implied.

    Finally, "better".  I'll paraphrase Francis Chan here, I'm sure that if Jesus had a church in Cedar Rapids, his would be smaller than ours.  Seriously.  Take a look at His ministry; once the magic show was over, Jesus told them that His believers would have to eat of his flesh and drink of his blood.  That means that they'd share in His death.  Their response?  They left.  On the spot.  When it was all healings and exorcism, ministry was fun.  Church was fun.  But the moment Jesus introduces hard teaching and accountability, they people left.

    Here's the bottom line.  Ministry without Jesus may "work", it may be pretty and even "effective".  But, it is hollow and shallow.  We do people no favors by offering them milk, by preaching a neutered gospel, or minimizing their role.

    Let's include Jesus.  In fact, let's do it His way.  And, let's be prepared to reap the harvest that will come when we do it His way.

     

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