We Need To Talk

Last updated on: September 5, 2023 at 12:27 pm by C. Don Jones

We Need To Talk 2023-09-05T12:27:31-06:00 C. Don Jones

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Church, we need to talk. I know we do a lot of it. We talk about acting. We discuss resources. And we speak about the future and about preserving the past. But we really need a sit down. A serious discussion should ensue about what we are doing.

Conflicting Talk

I know you are tired of hearing about decline, not doing enough, loving our neighbor, and all the other stuff we preachers say. I am tired of saying it too. It is a joke shared among lawyers, teachers, doctors, and preachers. “We get paid for people not to listen to us.”

I suspect one reason is the conflicting advice given. Everyone appears to have a plan for the future. Many people attempt to re-create past methods as a means to renewed success. But, let’s be honest, neither of us want to leave our comfort zones.

Systemic Lethargy

Churches are lethargic systems. Here is how it works. Congregations and denominations know what they need at the moment in order to function. We rely on voluntary offerings of money to continue what we are doing. We require the good will of people within the church and outside it to maintain. Yes, there is some talk about risk from time to time. But any stepping out in faith will not require much.

Our church systems maintain us in the place where we are. We may not like where we are. But we fear losing that place. The older I get the more I understand this fear. Do I want to lose my pension, my salary, my benefits? Of course not. Wanting to preserve them, I feel my hackles rise whenever someone suggests changing them. It suits me and others for the church to be lethargic.

Straight Talk That Is Not

Many times we fall for someone who wants to give “straight talk” about our problems so they can sell us a solution. We then cast about for someone like that who gives straight talk that confirms our own ideas.

To speak forthrightly on any topic means first understanding it. Our churches fail simply because the rest of our social structure is failing. Polarization is not a modern problem. We are simply experiencing it in a modern form. Now we resist any thought that we may be mistaken. Forty years ago, both clergy and lay leaders talked about killing sacred cows. Now we have zombified and deified them.

We Are Unhealthy

Our pastors are ill and most of us know it. Our congregations are ill and most of us refuse to recognize it. The culture is basically money driven. We need results in order to feel successful. Unhealthy pastors make unhealthy churches eventually. Unhealthy churches destroy pastors. More congregations are unhealthy than healthy.

Needing to Talk

These are the reasons we need that sit down discussion. The chairs will not feel comfortable. But there are some ideas we can share.

Do away with the service/business model of church.
Do away with the management mindset of church leaders.
Rebuild mutual commitment to one another.
Break away from a lifestyle of entertainment consumption.
Work on contentedness as a goal of living.
Stop expecting lay women to do all the manual labor.
Emphasize the importance of equality to decentralize power.
Learn the meaning and practice of gifting (not merely giving money).

People ask me where do we start. We start where we intend to end. We begin with mutual love.

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