Business as usual…

January 29, 2008 at 12:27 am (Uncategorized) (burnout, creative writing, mission, purpose)

A few months ago I had a dream. What set this dream apart from my usual nocturnal synaptic process was that it played out like a narrated story. It was about a prisoner in an isolated prison complex in which he only ever sees his guard who, in turn, changes only at long, random intervals. Despite the few base phrases that pass between them, the prisoner figures out that the entire complex is isolated and massive: the guards don’t each other or the prisoners or their superiors. One day the prisoner gets the upper hand and knocks the guard unconscious. He swaps their uniforms and takes the guards keys & tools intending to take advantage of anonymity and blend in till he can escape.

However, it turns out that the guards are as much isolated captives as the actual inmates. He manages to switch responsibilities with another guard, thus gaining a different ward, yet ends up working as a guard, sleeping in individually isolated barracks, for weeks. He slowly looses the urge to make a daring escape and becomes a part of the very machine that oppressed him.

One day he wakes up and realizes that he has forgotten why he “became” a guard in the first place. Deciding to escape that very night, he sets about his duties, including bringing food to his own prisoner. Alas, as he sets down the tray of food in the cell the hungry inmate knocks our antihero over the head, swaps uniforms, and poses as a guard “just long enough to figure out how to escape.”

If I had the time to write I would craft this Orwellian dream into a first-person short story in the style of Saki. However, as I realize it has been a month and a half since I have posted, time is not something I have in spares. Maybe someday. As the story is outlined here consider this post (and entire blog) to be under the Creative Commons (with the obvious exclusion of borrowed content like the above photo).

Now take off your Freudian hats and let me explain why I brought that up: it’s simply a rudely crafted parable. You see, the concept of this blog, I think, is very noble. That is, with this journal I want to follow my endeavor to spread the missional philosophy and lifestyle among the churched. “First to the pews” is a play on Romans 1:16 & 2:10 verbally and philosophically. Jesus’ earthly ministry was amidst a people who knew scripture, had well-defined and polished theologies, and a had a religious system in place to keep them “good.” First century Judaism was equipped with all the religion you could ask for–what perfect candidates for the Missio Dei! Heck, the whole faith was founded on God’s mission in covenant so who better than these to become missional? And yet, early Christianity flourished far better outside the context of acceptable religion amongst the gentiles. Such is my lofty goal: spend at least a decent portion of my life’s effort in the church lighting fires under the pew cushions and encouraging our best equipped potential missionaries to do something about it.

Have you figured out my parable yet? I’m not going to discuss and define the differences between attractional programmatic church and incarnational missional community here (once again a time thing–that and, if writing is anything like preaching, too many topics looses the audience). But, I will point out that the “first to the pews” mindset is just a little disjointed. As I try to blend the dichotomized pieces of my life back into a holistic synergy of body, mind, and soul I realize more and more that my role as a pastor in a traditional church setting is sharply separate from my understanding of the Gospel. It’s not that the church can’t live the Good News in their community, it’s that it is far to easy to let the institution–building, finance, services, visitations, programs, attendance–take priority. And, frankly, the program keeps sucking me back in whenever I’m not looking. I set aside my daring plans and goals to do the work of the machine and softly forget the purpose. When I’m reawakened to these truths I realize that I have made little, no, or negative progress in my personal striving to be missional. The inmate becomes the guard becomes the inmate.

Blessed are the shallow/Depth they’ll never find.

If you’ve got a spare 52 minutes (or even just the first 15) watch this video of Michael Frost challenging the church’s half-hearted adaptation of mission. It more eloquently explains some of what I’m saying. I’ve got more to say. A lot more. But, as is the case with business as usual, I have no more time right now–and that’s part of the problem.

~Jon

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