The Ideal Crossroads, Part 2
Here are some (8) of my thoughts on what the "ideal Crossroads" would look like. Feel free to add some of your own as I encouraged in the last post.
The corporate worship and teaching would be annointed by the Spirit and each participant would experience a freedom to worship as they feel led.
The people who make up the church would fully grasp that the church is more than a building--it is a movement of God.
Prayer would be the business of the church...it would be more than something to begin/end a worship service or team meeting. The church would be on its knees often, maximizing the power of prayer.
Those who make up the church would "get grace". In other words, they would fully grasp it (God's unmerited favor) and freely dish it out to others.
A Christ-like generosity would permeate each person. Giving back 10% or more of their income would be the norm not the exception. At least 50% of the offerings would be invested in mission outside the church.
The church would "smell good" to hurting people and spiritually mis-directed people.
Everyone would be engaged in the ministry that fits their giftedness and passion and be serving with great gusto and joy.
Everyone would be in a Life Group, living out and practicing all 5 purposes of the Christian life.
The corporate worship and teaching would be annointed by the Spirit and each participant would experience a freedom to worship as they feel led.
The people who make up the church would fully grasp that the church is more than a building--it is a movement of God.
Prayer would be the business of the church...it would be more than something to begin/end a worship service or team meeting. The church would be on its knees often, maximizing the power of prayer.
Those who make up the church would "get grace". In other words, they would fully grasp it (God's unmerited favor) and freely dish it out to others.
A Christ-like generosity would permeate each person. Giving back 10% or more of their income would be the norm not the exception. At least 50% of the offerings would be invested in mission outside the church.
The church would "smell good" to hurting people and spiritually mis-directed people.
Everyone would be engaged in the ministry that fits their giftedness and passion and be serving with great gusto and joy.
Everyone would be in a Life Group, living out and practicing all 5 purposes of the Christian life.
posted by Pastor Phil Print at 5:45 PM
2 Comments:
Holding Ground, my answer to "does an hour on a weekend cut it" is no. Spiritual maturity is not the result of attending church an hour a week. I think maturity is the result of several things working together to "heat up" our spiritual lives--things like having a daily time where I read and reflect on the Bible, where I pray and listen to God...add to that time with other believers in a Life Group...add to that me using my gifts and resources to help others...etc. Those things all fuel my walk with God. It's a bunch of things done consistently over time. Good book: John Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted. He outlines several spiritual "practices" that I believe lead to maturity.
I'll second Phil's suggestion on John Ortberg's book "The Life You've Always Wanted." As Ortberg puts it, it's Dallas Willard for Dummies, meaning it is how to do personal spiritual formation at an understandable level. An hour a week will never be enough if a person wants to grow spiritually. There is a dual set of engines that drive personal spiritual growth. It needs to be driven from within with a yearning to know and serve Christ more. It also needs to be fueled by the local church through opportunities to serve, learn, and share. Both are neccessary for healthy spiritual growth.
In response to Amazed, there are different ways of categorizing the "purposes" but the best known division would be Rick Warren's which he spells out in "The Purpose Driven Life". Those are:
* What on Earth Am I Here For?
* Purpose #1: You Were Planned for God's pleasure
* Purpose #2: You Were Formed for God's Family
* Purpose #3: You Were Created to Become Like Christ
* Purpose #4: You Were Shaped for Serving God
* Purpose #5: You Were Made for a Mission
Another system of "5" has been popularized by Willow Creek Community Church and they call it the 5 G's. These are:
Grace - Entering into a community where receiving God’s grace, living in God’s grace, and sharing God’s grace with others are held in high value.
Growth - Taking advantage of the opportunities that this church provides to help me grow in wisdom, character and obedience.
Group - A place where people know my name and nature through learning and applying God’s Word, encouraging each other and offering guidance, being real with each other, and holding each other accountable.
Gifts - Finding my meaning and purpose by serving God and others with my SHAPE: spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality and experiences.
Good Stewardship - Experiencing the freedom that comes from faithfully managing money and resources by biblical principles, and the joy of investing it in ways that really matter.
While the above groups of 5 look somewhat different in wording, they play themselves out exactly the same way in practice.
Another book reccommendation that will take you to new levels in your prayer life if you feel like you are lacking in that area (aren't we all?) is Bill Hybels' book "Too Busy Not to Pray." It constructs an easy to remember system of prayer based on the acronym ACTS - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication off the top of my head. It really challenged me to not think of God as a wishing well in the sky in terms of my prayer life.
Since this is Phil's blog, I'll shut up now!
Big Chris
Post a Comment
<< Home