Institutionally or Relationally ??

[StriperAddict]

This snippet isn't just for Pastors. May all glean and know ...
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“No institutional arrangement will ever contain all that the church is. Don’t look for it institutionally. Look for it relationally. Certainly the New Testament talks about the priorities of that church—Jesus as its sole head and focus, daily encouragement among believers, plural and lateral leadership, open participation, and an environment of freedom so people can grow in him.”

“Like what I have with Jake?”

“And there will be others God will give you as you simply follow him,” John added. “Some will help you for a time on your journey and others you will help on theirs, but mostly you will find yourself mutually sharing his life together.” “But if we structured around that passion . . .” Bryce’s voice faded away as he tried to figure out how to finish that sentence. Finally his head cocked to one side. “Are structure and passion polar opposites?”

“No, they’re not. Not all structure is wrong. Simple structures that facilitate sharing his life together can be incredibly positive. The problem comes when structures take on lives of their own and provide substitutes for our dependence upon Jesus.”

“So I don’t need to look for the perfect church or try to put one together?”

“The way you mean that, I’d say no. But Jesus is putting together a church without spot or wrinkle. It includes everyone in this community and around the world who live in a growing relationship with him. It’s okay for you to look at how that church expresses itself every day in the people and events around you. Just don’t try to corral it into something you control. It just won’t work. Jesus saw the church as a reality, not an assignment for his followers to construct. She is growing, all around you. You just can’t see it now because your focal point is far short of her beauty and immensity.”

From the book:
So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore - An Unexpected Journey
Wayne Jacobsen & Dave Coleman

 

[StriperAddict]

Here's the story of "So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore - An Unexpected Journey " ...

Jake Colsen, an overworked and disillusioned pastor, happens into a stranger who bears an uncanny resemblance (in manner) to the apostle John. A number of encounters with John as well as a family crisis lead Jake to a new understanding of what his life should be like: one filled with faith bolstered by a steady, close relationship with the God of the universe. Facing his own disappointment with Christianity, Jake must forsake the habits that have made his faith rote and rediscover the love that captured his heart when he first believed.

Compelling and intensely personal, So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anything relates a man's rebirth from performance-based Christianity to a loving friendship with Christ that affects all he does, thinks, and says. As John tells Jake, "There is nothing the Father desires for you more than that you fall squarely in the lap of his love and never move from that place for the rest of your life."