Outside of one's life in the established church, daily
conditions may be very different. Let's explore the differences.
For simplicity, let's say that life in the established church is like living in
an "Arboretum"; while life outside the church is like life in the
"Jungle." Both metaphors may be needed to describe our
everyday existence. Let's use this metaphor comparison as a way of
looking closely at the lives we live, in and out of church. (We thank
Texas pastor Rev. Bill Easum for suggesting this way of looking closely at the
way we live our lives.)
In the Arboretum, everything is neatly laid out in a
controlled environment. There is never any doubt about whether you are on
the path that will take you where you want to go. Established church
people usually like things to be neatly explained, with little or no ambiguity.
Many Arboretums are full of "do this" and
"don't do that" rules, which we are supposed to follow. Many
established church people love to follow rules. For many of them,
procedure may be more important than effectiveness. Perhaps some
established church people don't think much about heresy in their church, so
they seldom guard against it. They just follow the rules they were given.
The operations of an Arboretum are predictable and slow to
change. One can go to an established church year after year and never
see much change, and what change one does see is slow and incremental.
One has lots of time to adjust in the Arboretum, so things like annual meetings
and annual budgets, and check-and-balance types of organization make sense.
In the Arboretum, adequate shelter from the rain and sun are
provided, so one will have a good experience. Many established church
people really like the buildings, almost to the point of worshiping them.
Some folks feel entitled to the experience of the
Arboretum. After all, they have bought an admission ticket. Often,
because of having made an annual financial pledge, established church people
feel entitled to not only the privilege of religion, but even more so to being
cared for by their pastor.
Arboretums are so safe, it is OK to wander through them
alone, even at night, if one obeys the rules. Many established church
people behave in more of a "rugged individualistic" style, rather
than putting value in the use of team work.
Finally, in the Arboretum, one has no problem seeing the
horizon. You can always see where you are going or you can follow the
signs. You don't need a compass or GPS in the Arboretum. Often
established church people fail to see the need for Mission or Vision Statements.
Outside of one's life in the established church, conditions
may be very different. For most of us the alternative could be called
life in the "Jungle." It is to some degree an integral part of
our everyday existence. What does life in the "Jungle" look
like?
Nothing is neatly laid out and controlled. Unlike the
Arboretum, the Jungle is a really messy place. Nothing is where you would
expect it to be and you have very little control over the environment.
Intuition is now one of the most needed talents of a leader, even surpassing
passion. Messy and uncontrollable environments at first confuse most
established church people, and at worst, shut them down when it comes to making
strategic decisions.
In the Jungle, predators are everywhere and there simply
aren't any rules to follow. It is almost as if the Jungle dares us to
test it's will. However, established church people are often too naive to
believe the reality of the Jungle and the heresies that pop out from every
corner. The Jungle does away with all the rules, except one ---- survival
of the fittest. Most established church people are not used to being strategic
with their resources.
Nothing is predictable and changes are fast. The
Jungle world changes from day to day. Overnight it's trails can cover up, and
markers can disappear, leaving the traveler lost without an experienced
guide. Some established church people find it impossible to move fast
enough to stay up with the changes, much less get ahead of them.
We are not entitled to be in the Jungle. The Jungle
doesn't belong to us and we have to earn our right to exist in the
Jungle. All entitlements are out the window. Too many established
church people are miserable when confronted with the fact that the world no
longer owes them a living, and their pastor isn't their spiritual baby sitter.
In the Jungle, when you look up there is no horizon.
The sun seldom shines through the Jungle canopy. In such an environment
one needs a very clear sense of direction. The Mission Statement is the
compass. But, how many established church people look upon Mission
Statements as an exercise in futility, rather than as a key to their future?
As far as the Jungle is concerned, Christianity is a
nobody. Gone are the days when society gave credence and special favor to
Christianity. Now it is just the opposite ----- the Jungle dislikes
Christianity because the Jungle doesn't recognize it as legitimate. Fewer
people are coming to church on their own, they argue.
The Jungle has a way of tearing families apart, and helping
people become addicted to one thing or another. Some people say that most
people and organizations are basically broken. Organizations that once
worked, no longer yield the same results. When people do come to church,
they have little understanding of Christianity, it is said. What they are
looking for is a safe place to find themselves, or to heal. Too many
established church people still think all one has to do is write a policy, or
recite some pre-determined formula, and all is well.
Some might argue that CPC is an Arboretum right in the midst
of the Jungle. If we are wise, perhaps we will think long and hard about
the foregoing metaphors. Let's look harder to accent the positives, while
compensating or correcting the negatives, so that the role of the two metaphors
in our respective lives is very fruitful.
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These thoughts are offered by the CPC Adult Spiritual
Development Team, hoping to encourage some spiritual growth for you in
this winter season.
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