2009 November — wadehodges.com

In Matthew 6: 31-34 Jesus says, “So do not worry, saying, �What shall we eat?� or �What shall we drink?� or �What shall we wear?� For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Jesus puts his credibility, and our faith, on the line with this teaching. For many of us, it’s easier to trust Jesus with our future resurrection than with our daily bread. Here, what Jesus says is so practical, so everyday, that he forces us to decide whether or not we really believe he knows what he’s talking about.

Is this really the way the world works? If so, then how does God go about dispensing food, drink, and clothes to those who have made his kingdom a number one priority?

When we read this teaching as individuals, it seems impossible. But if we read it as a community, a group of people gathering around Jesus, then maybe it’s not so unrealistic.

Could it be that the reason Jesus is able to makes such a bold promise is that he expects his followers to take care of each other in their time of need? Could one of the benefits of being a part of a community of faith be that we no longer have to worry about the things loners do?

In uncertain economic times like these, could members of a community of faith say to each other, “Don’t worry about losing your job. Don’t worry about going hungry. Don’t worry about keeping your kids in warm clothes this winter. We will take care of you in your time of need.

Maybe Jesus is right. If we’re seeking first the kingdom of God, which includes living in community with others, then what do we have to worry about?

In my last post, I listed two principles that are at work behind the scenes as we launch Fulcrum. I’m not claiming these are high-minded or theologically sound. I’m just saying they’re a part of the conversation. Unless a person has a strong gift for cross-cultural missionary work, they will probably always be a part of the conversation.

I think it’s important that I help start a community of faith of which I want to be a part (See, I can write this out in a grammatically correct fashion). Why? Because in the last nine months I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that if I weren’t a professional minister, I would have a hard time being a part of most churches.

If I weren’t the guy who gets to stand up each week and talk for 30 minutes, I don’t know that I would “go to church” very often. I’ve never really liked church very much. If God hadn’t called me to preach and given me the gift of teaching, I’m not sure how involved in church life I’d be.

In so many ways, I’m a typical guy who would rather stay up late on Saturday night, sleep in on Sunday mornings, and then ease into my Sunday football watching chair and stay there all day long. It’s never been my ambition to be on a committee of any kind. Small groups are hard for me. It’s probably the social environment in which I’m least comfortable, unless I’m the leader of the group, then I’m ok because I feel in control of my environment. (I have issues. I know this. My wife knows this. Now you know this.)

So when I say I want to help start a church that I want to be a part of, I’m not saying that I want to start a church that only a preacher would want to be a part of. Rather, I want to start a church that I would want to be a part of even if I weren’t a preacher. What would such a church look like? Well, here are three things that are important to me:

1. I want to be challenged intellectually. I want to have my comfortable assumptions poked and prodded. I want to be surprised, even unsettled, by a new insight. I want to have a strong reaction to what I’m hearing so that I’m either inspired to run through a brick wall for the cause or go back and rethink what I thought I already knew. I want to hear hot-button issues addressed in a way that incites discussion and deeper learning. I want to see the God revealed in scripture from every imaginable angle. I want to have my worldview broadened. I want to be encouraged to put my doubts out on the table. I want to be a part of a church that lets me love God with my mind, all of it, not just the parts that already agree with what is being said. I never, ever want to leave a teaching session feeling ambivalent about what I just heard.

2. I want to experience a deep kind of community with a small group of people whom I believe will have my back in all situations. I’m not looking for a bunch of shallow friendships. I want to draw close to a handful of people and share my life with them. I want to know them and I want them to know me. I want us to work on some big projects together that are just as likely to fail as succeed. I want us to take big risks together. I want to know that if something happens to me, I don’t have to worry about who will be there for my family. I want to have a few guys on speed dial that I can call at 3 AM when my life has just fallen apart. I want to have a few friends in my life who will tell me the truth, no matter what. I want to be a part of a church that facilitates the formation of these kind of relationships.

3. I want to see tangible personal transformation in myself and others that both serves as a witness to outsiders and encourages insiders to keep following Jesus down the path. I like to set goals and achieve them. When I’m not working toward a tangible goal, I tend to flounder. That’s why I love crossfit so much. Everything is tangible. How fast did you go? How much did you lift? How much did you improve over your last effort? I want to be a part of a church that measures personal transformation in such a way that we can point to the difference Jesus is making in our lives. I want to be encouraged to set some spiritual goals. I want to be in an environment that encourages me to reach my goals, and questions me when I don’t. I want to be able to point to any number of Christ-followers around me and say to an outsider, “See, this stuff works!”

This is the kind of church I want to be a part of. What about you, would you want to be a part of this kind of church?