Flocking Together
I’ve been listening to Tim Pynes’ Stories from the Revolution podcast, which highlights different people who are investing their lives into following God outside church walls. Wolfgang Simpson, a German taxi driver-turned-evangelist who is an especially prophetic revolutionary in God’s Kingdom describes the process that many followers of Christ are finding themselves on.
He envisions it as a migration of sorts. 
Imagine two mountains peaks, with a valley in between. On the top of the left mountain is the Christian who happily goes to church every Sunday, paying his tithes, listening to sermons, and singing his heart out for God during the praise and worship time, and then returns home. He does not realize that there is anything else out there, and is perfectly content with the status quo. Simpson calls this position -2.
-1 is about halfway down the left mountain. The Christian is still a part of the system, but has begun to leave his worship services wanting something more – something deeper. He can’t quite figure out what it is, but he wants it badly. Attending the church programs and hearing sermons that he’s heard before no longer gives him energy for his week.
When he enters the deepest part of the valley, he has arrived at 0, the Wilderness. No longer just an internal journey, he has actually left all forms of communal life. He still loves his brothers and sisters at the church he previously attended, but he is being urged on toward a different journey. He knows now that what he is looking for cannot be found in the church-as-he-knows-it. He questions everything; he sometimes even doubts his faith in God. This is dying! Dying to the old program, dying from being fed by others…dying from the need to be spiritually entertained by a show of professionals.
+1, halfway up the right mountain is an exciting, but dangerous place. He’s left the doldrums of the wilderness, and is now experiencing family in an authentic faith community. Now every fiber of his being feels like he has spiritually “arrived” – at the end of his journey. But there is one last leg to take.
+2 is the final phase – that of multiplication. Anything that is alive and healthy is designed to reproduce, and faith is no different. Many Christians stop at +1 thinking that that is all there is to life, but how long might that life last if there is never any natural reproduction? Was it truly life in the first place?
This migration is natural. It’s like birds who migrate south. It is a healthy herd instinct. Like the Holy Spirit saying – “MOVE!” They KNOW (although they can’t always explain it) that if they stay where they are – THEY WILL DIE.
Christians are moving from Egypt to Israel. From Mt. Sinai to Mt. Zion. It is a migration. Some people can sense it more than others – but anyone who looks out of the window of their church will see that it is burning down around them, and to find life they must escape! Some can take the heat longer than others – and for that, I guess I applaud them. Maybe. But for those who are asleep – wake up! We’ve seen over and over again that “business as usual” is not healthy, and not working. Find the life that Jesus calls us to… then tell me what you find!
Has anyone been though a migration? Anyone out there going through one right now?
It’s been so enlightening to research Abilene’s “hang-out spots” and “community wells”. One things I’m beginning to notice is that the majority of Abilene’s community centers have to do NOT with adults, but with where the adults take their children! Karate practice, little league, plays, recitals, championships of all sorts…the children of this town seem to be socially gorging, while adults are remaining socially starved. With as much energy as families are pouring into the social lives of their over-extended young ones, what need is there for a social life of their own? And what about adults that aren’t connected to a nuclear-style family? Where do they go for relationships? What do the lower-middle class have that brings them together?
Trey, 
If you come to our “Green Valley Abbey” (what we’ve deemed our home; a Christian communal living/ neo-monastery), you’ll find a group of us just starting to live into becoming a spiritual family for each other. We don’t have it all figured out yet – not even close! – but our goal is simply to begin implementing intentional rhythms of life together. Here are some things we’re trying so far:
Agent B 1:48 pm on August 17, 2006 Permalink
Anyone out there going through one right now?
Oh yes.
My famlily and I are definately in the wilderness (0) within many aspects of our life (not just church attendance, etc). Been there for 3 years or so. It ain’t fun, but I know it’ll end someday.
In some ways we’re getting close to +1…
Mark 1:56 pm on August 17, 2006 Permalink
B, thanks for your comment. Simpson mentions that for every year you have been a Christian, it is normal to spend about a month in the wilderness. For years you have been in “the ministry”, x2 months.
That fits almost EXACTLY with me during my time at -1, but I don’t think I spent enough time in the wilderness. It may come back to haunt me…
rob horton 3:06 pm on August 20, 2006 Permalink
Mark,
I have wanted to respond to this blog entry, but have not had the opportunity until today. I do see a migration going on in our generation and I am excited about it. I have read Wolfgang’s book a couple of times, and have gleaned much from it. I have come to see the migration that God is calling us to as going deeper than just a migration from conventional systems to movements of networked simple “churchesâ€. I am seeing this migration as a move away from religion and religious systems to authentic individual and corporate life in Jesus. Wayne Jacobsen speaks of a perspective that is “beyond house church.†I think he is on to something with this perspective.
My migration thus far: About a year and a half ago my work schedule changed in such a fashion that I was able to consistently attend a system called: “Fellowship Bible Church of the Ozarks.†I was contemplating getting more actively involved in other aspects of the system, at the same time God was stirring all kinds of questions in my heart. Some of the things that were stirring in my heart came from points Wolfgang made in his book. I processed much of this with my wife and we decided as a team to give this system a break and any such system. As we stepped away we were aware of some friends that had been giving the “house church†approach a go for a couple of years. We ended up spending some time with the group and we learned much. Via this group I gained access to materials by Frank Viola and Gene Edwards, and did some more reading on “unconventional” approaches to Body life. We learned a lot, but never felt peace about going from speaking of this group as a “them†to speaking of it as a “weâ€.
For a few months we authentically experienced moving from being “church goers†to being “church being†folk. When faced with the question of “where do you go to church†I used the opportunity to address reality related to the nature of the ekklesia witnessed to in the Scriptures.
For a few months I got together with another Jesus follower on Saturday mornings. It stirred in our hearts to initiate an opportunity to have some get-togethers that would include our wives. When the time was right we committed to a journey through Galatians together. We opened the door to others joining us and we discovered others hungry for life together free of religious dung. It has been an interesting process of working through our function together, and we are getting to a place of greater liberty when it comes to processing life with Jesus liberated from the vomit of Churchianity. Our recent gatherings have been very fruitful and we are excited about what God has in store.
I have some thoughts on multiplication. My primary thought is that we need to focus first and foremost on being GOD LOVERS. As we grow in this emphasis, I am thinking that multiplication will be a natural byproduct. Religion appears to emphasis being BABY MAKERS. I think sometimes this emphasis carries over into our journey of liberation, and we may have a tendency to focus in an unhealthy way on multiplication. I am not interested in focusing on multiplication. I strongly believe that it is highly likely that we will see the Family of God expanded in our community, and that we will be involved in that process. We hunger for His will to be done and His Kingdom to come.
Thanks for the reference to the “Stories from the Revolution†– I will give the podcasts a listen.
Grace and Peace,
Rob
Mark 4:38 pm on August 20, 2006 Permalink
Thanks Rob for sharing your journey. I am consistently amazed at the way in which God is opening your eyes to the “dung of Churchianity”. You are truly a prophetic voice in my life. It was very encouraging to read the “migration” God has led you and yours through. May he continue to lead us into the Promised Land!
In response to the “focus on multiplication”, I agree that we can quickly replace our edifice complex with a multiplication-ego. At the same time, I want desperately to see Jesus’ life emerge naturally in close reach of every person on the planet. I know that Christ’s bride, the church, will represent every tribe, tongue, and nation – and that is a good thing to look forward to!
…I suppose its back to the old question – whose kingdom am I really working for? Which kingdom am I trying to build; mine, or God’s? I am a worker for God’s purposes – and trying to see multiplication for my own sake is the same system that you and I have happily left. If I want to see families of Jesus multiply feed some personal need – I think my fruits will show themselves in time. However, it is a good thing for me to want others to share this with others who share this with still others. It comes down to a matter of the heart. Motivations are the fertilizer for the fruits we produce in our lives. I’d love to hear more of your thoughts on this. This might end up being its own post…
Praise God – keep up the vision-casting; what a blessing!
rob horton 6:16 pm on August 20, 2006 Permalink
Thanks Mark for sharing that I have in some way been encouraging in your journey. I also continue to enjoy following what God is doing in your life and your endeavor to articulate it.
I do agree that it would be worthy to discuss the multiplication topic further. I believe your heart to see the expansion of God’s Family in the earth is something that God is shaping in you. I believe you are experiencing the affections of God stirring within you. I would not want to discourage that in any way. I believe I am right there with you regarding this passion. My heart longs for those in our generation to accept the invitation God is extending to them to come into intimate union with Him through Jesus.
I believe this is mostly about keeping in step with the Spirit, and developing in sensitivity to His voice in our lives. My resistance is towards turning this into a manufactured evangelism program that leans on human effort and manipulation. The Body has been overly distracted by such human programs in our recent history. I know that I am still experiencing the bondage of it as I am transitioning out of religion. I find myself wanting to vindicate myself to my fellow Jesus followers that are still plugged into the religious systems. I find myself wanting to do a fruit comparison with them. I believe God is communicating to me that such a competition will not be beneficial with regards to the advancement of His kingdom.
I think it is helpful to look at the service of Jesus during the years between His water submergence and Golgotha. At times the fruit of His service was the loss of all His followers but the Twelve. It was after three years of schooling that He directed the commissioned representatives (apostles) to “go and make studentsâ€, yet we tend to communicate this to others as a commandment to be adhered to from day one. Needless to say, I am weary of embracing pragmatism and fleshly ambition in my endeavor to be a participant in what God is doing in the earth today. I am open to the possibility that the grouping of Jesus followers that God is bring together in my life may go through a season that we do not see an explosion of multiplication through us. This does not mean that we are in anyway not interested in seeing our community flooded with the glory of God. We are merely being stirred to participate in something that is equivalent to the kind of multiplication that was experienced early after the Outpouring of God’s Spirit. Could God be preparing us for something like thousands coming into the Family in one day? Could God be taking us deeper in order to prepare us for an explosion of newborns? I don’t know.
I don’t know if I am doing a good job articulating this. The best analogy that I have come up with is the one I alluded to earlier: lovers vis-à -vis baby makers. I want to encourage others to be God lovers. I am confident that everything else will follow naturally. Much of the message of Churchianity, especially the evangelical branch, is focused around the value of being a baby maker for God. I find that some of this carries over with those attempting to depart from Churchianity. Now that we are stepping out of the systems, God is working to get the systems out of us. I believe this baby maker baggage is something He desires to liberate us from. Does that make any sense?
Grace and Peace,
Rob