Long Live…
Mark Galli recently posted an article over at Christianity Today entitled Long Live Organic Church! Which speaks to the nature and inevitability of Christian movements. He lauded the hopes and dreams of many of the organic church authors and leaders like Neil Cole, Alan Hirsch, Frank Viola and more. However, he cautioned that this is not the first time a movement of God has come along, and while not using these words exactly, reminded me of this essential fact.
There is no one size-fits-all solution for the church, and there is no way that a movement based on men, will bring about the absolute transformation and revolution that some in the “organic movement” are hoping for. Movements turn to Monuments which turn to Memorials faster than you can think. And sometimes the movement can establish unintended consequences that only further reveal human brokenness.
I agree that there is MUCH good that is being (re)-introduced by this crazy influx of “organic church” books, conferences, workshops, and more. Its heading in a great direction. At the same time – remember that a wave only brings you back to the shore – and riding it too long will leave you dry. Continue to seek out the next Thing God is up to – carefully discerning the good, bad, and ugly in ALL parts of a movement. But remember that his Holy Spirit can guide you into all truth.
Watching out for things that tempt us to “rest on our laurels,” or to distrust other movements of God, or to establish programs and institutions that repeat the success of the past are big red flags that our movement is looking backward, not forward.
So maybe we should be ready at any moment to see “this movement” die. If we will it to live on (as his article’s title implies) then we’ll find ways to protect it – which seems to be counter-intuitive to the goal of what the organic movement is all about (reproduce life, don’t hoard life). Jesus himself did not see life as something to be grasped for, but gave up his life so that his life could begin to multiply.
How does a movement let itself multiply? To spend all its resources on the NEXT thing coming – to continue to treat itself with little attention – even as the fruit it produces is evident to the entire world. Invisible only to itself. That’s a good rule of thumb to live by, and a good way to avoid self-righteousness.
