What I started to wonder is why people would go to a progressive Church of Christ. Now my thought process here is going to take some explanation.
The traditional Church of Christ thinking (or most conservative) believe that the Church of Christ is the only true church, or rather the only people who are truly and completely following the New Testament. Most progressive Churches of Christ have come from that kind of background and have become "more enlightened" in matter of faith, grace, worship, and fellowshipping other denominations.
So my question is why go to a Liberal/Progressive Church of Christ with the implied addendum there being "as opposed to something else, like a community church or Baptist or whatever."
Here's my thinking and it's limited to my perspective of course, and just to let you know, I've got a point I'm getting to.
- I think one type is the people who have grown up or gone to a church for a long time that made a transition from a "traditional" church to a "progressive." These people (like me) are comfortable in the setting with the people they know and have known for years.
- I think another type is people for whom denominational boundaries don't really mean anything. They've been invited to visit a church and find something appealing about the community or worship or ministries or whatever and something about this keeps them there.
- I think a third type is people who have chosen to leave a "traditional" church and are looking for some other kind of Church of Christ to attend. They feel comfortable within a Church of Christ setting, but felt stifled or bound by the strictures of a "traditional" setting. There might also be some people in this group who want to be able to tell parents or family members that they go to a Church of Christ without lying to them, and probably hope those family members don't ask what the name of the church is or if they do, don't know enough about it to be worried that they attend an "apostasized" church.
However, I also think these are the people that leave because of worship. I think there are a lot of "traditional" Church of Christ people who leave their church because they are dissatisfied with the worship, and so in finding a church that is more open or (forgive the term) charismatic, they enjoy that time and that freedom. But then they start wondering, "So... why not instruments?" Or whatever else.
And here's the important thing. If those people have not made an effort to get plugged into a church more than superficially, if they haven't become invested in the relationships, or invested in the ministries of the church, and what's attracted them is freer worship, why wouldn't they leave?
This is where the Randy Harris philosophy of What you win them with is what you win them to comes in. If the church is attracting with exciting worship or great speaking, and the worship becomes tired or the speaker leaves, why wouldn't people leave that congregation as well?
However, if the congregation is attracting with a focus on ministry and service and community, then the rest becomes secondary. It's important, but the other becomes more important, and honestly the other stuff, like praise teams and that junk, becomes secondary because people are focused on the mission of bringing the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven.
Perhaps it then doesn't matter if the congregation is "traditional," "progressive," or even Church of Christ.
10 comments:
You know, it is a matter of perspective. Sometimes I don't feel we are very liberal with our resources and I worry that we are not progressing toward better discipleship.
Tony
For me, it's just home. It's the worship, the message, the community, the outreach, all of it. No, it's not perfect, and it may not even be the best "fit" for me out of all of the possibilities.
But almost every week there is a moment when I look around and just think "home", and realize that I'd be happy never to leave. That's a glimpse of what heaven will be, I think. Progressivism/conservativism notwithstanding.
Home is always the way I have described OC too Tiffany.
I originally went to Otter Creek because of the worship. I grew up church of Christ, then we started our own church for a while, then went back to a more progressive c of c when the new church started falling apart.
But I stay at Otter Creek because of the theology. I love the worship, don't get me wrong, but if a place spent an equal amount of resources on "progressive" worship stuff, but I didn't feel free to express my belief in Christian non violence, or the fact that Republican and Christian aren't synonymous, or a church that preached salvation as a get out of hell free card, and not the way that God is bringing us, and the earth, back to him, I don't think I'd be there.
And I know that there are still a good number of people with whose theology I don't agree, but I feel lke the eldership as well as the staff are pushing the church... pushing us out of the complacency of 20th century evangelicalism... pushing us to be part of God's redemptive movement to right the injustices of the world, not just to show up to all the church meetings, do some spiritual masturbation, and go home to think about how we need to blow up more people in Iraq, and how Nashville needs to get rid of all the homeless people around town.
Otter Creek is becoming its own sort of progressive in my opinion. Not just about worship styles but about rethinking how much of our theology was based on our surroundings, and how can we change that. That's what I love about Otter Creek.
As for people leaving, if they do, I often wonder if its because we're not just like a typical evangelical community church... but a place preaching radical discipleship. A place where people aren't automatically judged, but brought into community even though they are different.
I mean, I don't know many churches of Christ that have a homosexual that attends regularly, or a person who is searching through things that many would believe to be heretical, or any number of people at that church who are different in some way, in a church that is fairly homogenous. I don't know if that sentence made sense, but I think its great that in our super white republican church we are able to accept that there are people with whom we disagree attending and we don't get bent out of shape.
Granted, I don't know much of the politics going on behind the scenes. Phil might know that better.
I would love for Lee Camp to preach one morning. That would get some conversation going.
I think that relationship and belonging is what ultimately keeps a person at a church or drives that person away.
Man I miss you guys. As someone who is currently trying to find a place that both pushes me to serve rather than be served and that can provide community, I know how rare that is. I cetainly don't want to put OC on a pedestal (there are most certainly people who visit every week and think "What's all the hype about?"), but that little church was home for me during some very crucial years in my life, and I love it for all its flaws (remember, the church is an earthly establishment; it was in trouble from the beginning).
I'd certainly love to find a cofC like it here in Raleigh/Durham, but I don't think it exists. So I guess I fall in to a category of person that leaves the CofC because ultimately I need a community that pushes me to live missionally, and all the cofC's I've found here are currently in a different place theologically.
Ironically, the thing I absolutely miss the most about the cofC is (good) a cappella worship! And all those years I was embarrassed by it!
People are looking for the right experience even if the doctrine seems a little strange to them. Others don't know if doctrine seems strange because it is all new to them. Another thing is "product loyalty" is a thing of the past. We now buy the cheapest gas no matter what the station brand is, etc.
I've been attending a conservative CofC in central Texas for the past 14 years. I don't have any real good options around here. Therefore I've been working diligently to turn this Titanic around. I've had some success but also much resistance. Until a couple of months ago I was a Deacon. Then I tried to resign, but they wanted me to hold off until they could meet with me so I agreed to be a DINO (Deacon in name only). After meeting with them they finally let my resignation become official. Shortly thereafter I let my name be put forward as a potential Elder. That froze the current Eldership because they are pretty nervous about me and the uproar that my name might cause. Therefore, they have not even acknowledged that my name has been submitted (and it's been over 6 weeks already). I have a blog which they don't particularly like, but which I know some of them read. It details some of the issues that I have problems with in the Church of Christ in general and our congregation in particular. I haven't put anything on there about my name having been submitted but I did report on being a DINO. I would value your input on my situation. I'm seen as radical, but I'm just wanting authenticity and an open and non-judgmental discussion in my congregation. I want it to be safe for people who look and who are different. I want us to be caring and outward reaching. My blog is http://muddypuddles.blog.com. God Bless, Dennis
quicksand@htcomp.net,
Dennis
P.S. I looked at attending a non-church of Christ and even visited an activity at one local church, but I could just sense that this church would not fit what I was looking for. I've also visited an outstanding Babtist church where my son lives and I really like it. But as much as I like it, it just doesn't click with me as much as what I see as the great potential where I am (if . . .). Therefore, I am chipping away at the pharisee mindset in hopes of getting to the authentic Jesus.
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