Healing
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on May 21, 2009
Welcome To A Mending Shift...
This blog focuses on how we can join God in his work of mending—as well as some random stuff I find thoughtful, funny, or interesting—which is going on all around us, in and outside of the church. All we have to do is live in tune to God’s song in our life and the world. This mending, I have found, often comes with a shift in thinking and living. I invite you to: Enjoy. Think. Comment. Shift. Mend.
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What If “The Church” Was Invisible?
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on May 20, 2009
What if we, as the church, were invisible? What if we had no church buildings? No signs declaring a church location? No denominations or headquarters? No mega weekend gatherings? No Christian radio presence? No Christian stores? No Christian bumper stickers or other outward personal identifying stuff? What if the Yellow Pages didn’t have a “church” category and if you Googled “church” it came up with no search results? What if there was no such “thing” as the church? Would there still be a church?
What if we, as the church, were invisible? What if we simply lived the life of Jesus, speaking and displaying his love to the people we knew and came in contact with on a daily basis? What if we as followers of Jesus simply did just that? What if we gathered quietly in homes to break bread and encourage each other in Christ; where our goal would be to simply live as agents of God’s restoration, serving God and the “other” in real and tangible ways? What if church were not a weekend thing, but a people who radically lived behind the cultural scenes bringing God’s kingdom to earth?
What if God’s church was more like a tiny mustard seed instead of trying to be the biggest oak tree on the hill? What if Jesus’ church was more like a tiny amount of yeast…itself unnoticed, yet quietly transforming and restoring people and, in turn, culture? What if the Holy Spirit’s church sought to be the last and the least—a servant? What if the church daily sought self-death—dying to itself and loosing its life in order to find it—instead of doing all it can to save its life? What if God’s church chose to sit down in the least honored seat of society and culture, instead of clamoring and fighting for the most prestigious one? What if the church “thing” disappeared and all that was left was the church—people who realize they are forgiven and loved by God and who actively want to be a part of his restorative and healing work in the lives of others?
In other words, what if the church was invisible—or even better: visible, yet invisible? What if?
[Originally published 2008]
I’m Trading in My Jeep…
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on May 5, 2009
…For one of these!
(only bummer would be I’d have to give up my morning commute coffee. Oh, and my family).
The Muslims Are Coming! The Muslims Are Coming!
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on April 29, 2009
So I am really intrigued to hear your take/reaction to the below video:
[I ask that you not continuing reading until you watch the embedded video]
If I were honest, I felt like that video could have been shown to people in Europe during the Crusades as a call to arms. All I heard was a fear-based presentation. In fact, the only reason that propelled me to finish it was the intrigue of what “action” we were going to be called upon to do as a response (fight, flee, worry?).
I believe Jesus calls us to live his way and follow him regardless what type or culture we live in — capitalistic, Muslim, atheistic, Christ-centered one, etc. For me, the culture I live in is not the thing I am called to protect or even necessarily change. I am called to live in the way of Jesus and follow him, which means to love my God and love my neighbor whether they are predominately Muslim or Christian Church-going folk.
For me, this will not destroy my faith. A lot of the Christian fear-driven hype is all about losing our central place in culture (secular and religious) and not about learning to follow Jesus and love others, regardless the culture.
Will the Northern hemisphere (I say this because the southern hemisphere is experiencing a phenomenal growth in Christ-followers) be a Muslim one in 25 years? Perhaps, though I am not convinced. Will it matter? For me, not so much. Jesus wants us to be love even then.
So what is your reaction to the video?
What is our “call to action” in light of it?
Does this change how we follow Jesus and, if so, how?
Just curious…
A Daddy’s Love
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on April 27, 2009
Not too long ago I shared a tender moment with my 9-month daughter that transcended earth. I was holding her in my arms while sitting at our breakfast bar. At nine-months she is just beginning to crawl. As I held and looked at her, God’s love began to spread through me. As a father holding his child, God’s love began to make even more sense.
I held her up in the air with both arms fully outstretched and said, “You’re not crawling properly. Do it right and then I’ll love you. (I brought her down a bit closer and smiled) I love you as only a father can, but if you don’t believe I love you then I need to toss you in the dumpster (oh, makes me sick just typing that). No, silly daddy. I love you whether you believe it or not, and nothing will change that. (I brought her closer right up to my face) But if you do believe that I love you then it makes all the difference. Because how great is it when little daughters believe — truthfully believe — that their daddy loves them. I love you Scout! And so does your heavenly Dada.”
My wife, who was witnessing our tender exchange, said, “I wish I could of video recorded every minute of that.”
Don’t Touch! Don’t Go Near This!!
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on April 22, 2009
A friend of mine and I have been having a great, ongoing conversation this week. He asked, Jeromy, what are the rules of the world? Or another way of putting it, How does the world operate?
At first blush, the answer seems rather simple from a Christendom perspective: do whatever you want, live life large, anything goes, to hell with the rules.
But the irony is found when you read what the Bible (Colossians) says the rules of the world are.
Here are three versions:
- “Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body…”
- “So, then, if with Christ you’ve put all that pretentious and infantile religion behind you, why do you let yourselves be bullied by it? “Don’t touch this! Don’t taste that! Don’t go near this!” Do you think things that are here today and gone tomorrow are worth that kind of attention? Such things sound impressive if said in a deep enough voice. They even give the illusion of being pious and humble and ascetic.”
- “Since you died with Christ and were made free from the ruling spirits of the world, why do you act as if you still belong to this world by following rules like these: “Don’t handle this,” “Don’t taste that,” “Don’t even touch that thing”? These rules refer to earthly things that are gone as soon as they are used. They are only human commands and teachings. They seem to be wise, but they are only part of a human religion. They make people pretend not to be proud and make them punish their bodies…”
Opposite of what we’d think the rules of the world are, in fact, these seem awfully familiar to me growing up in church. Interesting.
Anyway, may we fully live in the freedom that is ours in Christ Jesus! May we not live in the illusion of the world, but in the reality of Jesus.
Wounded Image of God, The Conversation Continues…
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on April 19, 2009
I have been blessed by all the comments of men and women who shared over the past few weeks regarding the Wounded Image of God.(if you haven’t, swing on by to the post to read the comments…you’ll be moved). To be honest, the response has surprised me. It was a post I had to write for myself as I reflected on a moment that moved me deeply. But the response points to how deep this wounding is and how desperate we are for healing to take place. Your words have embedded deeply in my heart. Thank you.
In that vein of thankfulness and sharing with you the continuing conversation, please allow me to direct you to the places where, indeed, the conversation has continued.
So in no particular order, complete with links and soundbite, here is part of the continuing conversation around the Wounded Image of God:
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The Wounded Image of God: Evangelical Lamentations on Gender, by Bridget Jack Meyers. “Usually this issue makes me feel angry and resentful. Today it doesn’t. Today I just feel sorry, sorry for all of the churches out there who struggle to reach out to the people of this world having willfully dulled half the tools God gave them for doing so. And for once in my life, I don’t want to fight about it. I just want to forgive, and be forgiven.“
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Jody over at The Radical Evangelical writes: “Our culture has not just been male-dominant; it has been female-oppressive.” She also calls it “the wound that dare not speak its name”
- Over at The Matt Scott, Matt pens: “I am instead advocating a higher level of conversation with the other, an deeper desire of understanding of the other, and an attempt to find a common ground for growth with the other.”
- Amy, over at Walking in the Spirit, touched a little on Jeff’s reflection saying, “it had me misty-eyed and deeply touched.”
- “I can’t speak for all men, but I can speak as a man. And to the women who might read this post…as a man, I ask you to forgive me for all the times I was insensitive to you or thought of you as less than I….I ask you to forgive me.” This is just a TASTE of Jeff’s reflection and plea for forgiveness. A must Read!!
- “I believe that God can reorient the whole world from one of inequality to one of equality and I believe God wants you and me to help.” You can thank Kim for this gem, read her thoughts here.
- Reina shares from here experience: “Growing up, being a girl was shoved in my face at every turn. Having five brothers only made the delineation between what was ‘allowed’ more obvious. Some of the limitations were cultural. Most were religious. When I went away to a strict boarding academy in high school, the lines were even more obvious.” [read more]
- From across the pond, Dave writes: “Some wonderful news from America as we see some light at the end of the tunnel.”
- Rachel, an Anglican theological student simply called it a beautiful testimony.
- Among other well written things, Jonathan calls for men to step up: “For all of us, it is time to end this oppression against women so restore not for their sake but for ours as well. And when we do we can rediscover the whole image of humanity and of God in our midst.” Read this one!!
- Kathy (who never uses capital letters…wink, wink) writes, “beautiful thoughts from some friends about women in ministry - thanks, guys, for your heart, your actions, your support.”
- For days Heidi pondered of few of these posts, and then said: “This is an area I’ve been very damaged in myself, and I know others who have been as well. It is a very deep wound, and needs to be healed. There are times I realize how very deep the damage goes, and I wonder if I will every be able to ‘be myself.’”
Stuff and Bread
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on April 17, 2009
Probably the two greatest statements I heard at the Emerging Church Conference. Both of these were words of wisdom that Alexie Torres-Fleming’s mom told her growing up:
- “Whatever you have — that you do not need — does not belong to you.” A far cry from our consumerism and American Dream mentality. This is the one statement that I have been really thinking about and how it applies to my family. I am trying to keep it in front of me, allowing it to slowly reshape how I think and live.
- “It’s not that there is a lack of bread, it’s that the bread is not properly shared.” But isn’t that called socialism? No, it is called love.
Sick
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on April 14, 2009
Illness has crept into our family so it might be a week or so before any new posts are added here at A Mending Shift.
In the mean time, feel free to interact with some great images and an essay on Cambodia. You’ll be blessed…VERY powerful stuff!
Made in China: From the Lips of an Eight-Year-Old
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on April 13, 2009
Last night my wife shared with me something my eight-year-old son said.
Being in the second grade, the world of words and reading are opening up to him. As he was cleaning up his toys he realized a pattern,
“Mom, everything says it is Made in China . . .
[thoughtful pause]
. . . Are they our slaves?”
[let that sink in]
Sadly, all I could do is remorsefully respond to my wife as if I was speaking to my son: Yes, Caleb, they are.
Do You Believe It?
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on April 10, 2009
[See embedded video]
If there is one message we I need to be reminded of, it is this one. May you I believe it; truly, truly believe it. Thank you, Brennan.
“As a Man, I Ask You to Forgive Me…”
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on April 9, 2009
Please, please read this heartfelt reflection and confession by Jeff. He has been pondering a recent post, The Wounded Image of God, and this is his beautiful response. Men and women both need to read this…it got me all teary-like.
Have I mentioned you need to read this? If not, please do — it will do your heart good.
Lower-Deck People
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on April 8, 2009
I want to thank Kathy for a conversation a group of us had over cocktails in Albuquerque. This is what came to my mind as we were discussing “upper-deck people” and “lower-deck people” in relation to the church.
In some churches (please re-read the word some), there seems to be two sets of people: the upper-deck people and the lower-deck people. This analogy recalls the movie Titanic. The upper-deck people have/give all the money, make the decisions, have the authority and are the core target. One might use the words refined, polished and orthodox to describe those on the upper deck. The lower-deck people are the poor, broken, and marginalized…they don’t dress fancy, can’t give much, and are simply the “plain” everyday people. One might use the words unrefined, tarnished and unorthodox to describe those on the lower decks.
Some churches begin well intentioned ministries for the lower-deck people, usually led by some willing members of the upper-deck. What usually ends up happening is those willing leaders begin to develop a love for the lower-deck and its people, and the lower-deck people flock towards love.
Now those still on the upper-deck will watch closely to what is happening on their lower-deck. They don’t mind having the lower-deck people on their ship as long as they stay put, remain silent and don’t grow too large or powerful.
But what happens when the lower-deck begins creeping up into the upper-deck (not staying put)?
What happens when the lower-deck gets too loud and vocal?
What happens when the lower-deck becomes too rowdy, unconventional and unorthodox?
What happens when the people on the lower-deck, because of their magnetism towards love, begin to grow larger than the upper-deck?
What happens when power and influence begins to shift from the upper-deck to those in the lower-deck?
What happens when the lower-deck’s ministry is more “successful” then the upper-deck’s?
What happens? . . . Typically the upper-deck removes money, resources, leadership and support from the lower-deck. If the lower-deck ministry is not outright killed by the upper-deck, it slowly dies from malnourishment in a siege-like approach.
And the lower-deck people scatter back into the margins of society where they “belong”. And Jesus calls them blessed.
And the upper-deck people resume upper-deck church as usual, enjoying their sanitized upper-deck environment. And Jesus says, “Woe to you…”
But just as there are some churches who operate in this “deck” mentality, there are others who don’t recognize decks at all. They simply see people whom God loves and are thrilled when the rough-and-tumble mix it up with the refined-and-polished. They literally live by Paul’s words:
“Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, male and female, mean nothing.”
Kissing the Wound
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on April 6, 2009
She dipped her head in shame, pulling away to hide her scar. On her left cheek lived a four-inch scar caused by a knife wielded in power. Even in the arms of the one who loves her, her shame guided her response to love.
He tenderly turned her face back towards him for a much longed for kiss. She closed her eyes in anticipation, but he kept turning her face until her scar was plainly visible. His eyes remained on her scar and, with the gentleness of a mother towards her wounded child, he kissed her scar. Her face pressed back against his lips as tears ran down her face.
Her scar, though shameful and detestable to her, was precious and beautiful to the one who loved her.
This is the tender scene that played out in the Oscar winning movie, Slumdog Millionare. As I watched it, I couldn’t but help think of God’s response to our wounds and scars we carry, both other-inflicted and self-inflicted. I believe that God also embraces our wounds, and to God, they are welcome and beautiful. I believe that in God’s embrace and kiss, the shame we carry with our wounds can melt away into love.
And perhaps God’s embrace and kiss begins with our “embrace and kiss” of the wounds and scars we see in those around us. That:
instead of wincing at their wounds,
instead of being shocked by their wounds,
instead of covering up and hiding their wounds,
instead of pretending their wounds don’t exist,
instead of tossing out our wounded and scarred,
we would learn what it means to accept — no, even better, love! — their wounds, in hopes that God’s embrace through us will be the healing power of love they need.
May we become a people of God who learn to kiss the wounds.
The Wounded Image of God
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on April 2, 2009
Please allow me to humbly share my witness to a deep wound that showed up at the Emerging Church Post-Conference Conversation in Albuquerque. This wound was expressed quietly all weekend long but finally came festering to the surface during the last morning of our time together. It is a wound shared by many of those who are made in God’s image. More specifically, it is a wound experienced by many women in the church; a shame-full wound inflicted by the patriarchal system found in most church cultures, across the board.
As a keen and sensitive man 
, I knew it existed, but not to this extent or depth. And from what I witnessed, it is a quiet wound that is slowly decomposing the spirit of half of God’s image.
Here are some of their words from those who chose to bear witness to their wound. What made these words even more poignant was the deep sadness and emotion behind them—I truly wish I could convey that to you:
- “It is more prevalent than even racism because almost every other human is female. It spans every continent and culture.”
- “I don’t even care about position. All I want is to be heard — to have a voice.”
- “I want recognition that the gifts God has given me are valid and can be used in the church.”
As we were listening, a woman, who’s ordination was removed because she joined the Catholic Church, stood and approached a priest. She said, “This is going to be uncomfortable,” and grabbed his hands. “I want to ask for your forgiveness for the anger and hatred I am been feeling towards priests for not recognizing my gifting and ministry. I am sorry.” The priest then humbly asked for forgiveness.
From there, another woman stood and shared. Feeling moved by the Spirit, I stood up and quietly spoke. “I stand here as a man, not as a pastor or clergy. I want to say how sorry I am for the wound we have inflicted on you, who, just as much as we, are made in God’s image.” My throat tightened and eyes watered as I continued, “I never knew your wounds were so deep and common. Thank you for opening your hearts and exposing your wound. So, as a man, I am sorry and ask for your forgiveness. Please forgive me.” As I was confessing, some women began crying and one woman wept uncontrollably, her knees almost buckling. Afterwords, this woman approached me and said, “thank you for setting me free and giving me permission.” I simply said thank you and that I wish I could do more.
The tears that flowed—immediately!—once apologies and forgiveness were exchanged revealed just how present and real the wound was. To me, I got this picture of a hidden festering wound which is culturally unacceptable to bare in most churches. To do so would elicit shame-filled words and actions to be hurled at the one with the gall to show the wound-we-never-speak-of.
I can only speak of what I witnessed and was told. I am a man after all. But as a man, allow me to extend a hand of peace and friendship, hoping that this small gesture might help, in a small way, the wounded image of God be healed.
I also want to extend an invitation to women who would like to share or give voice to their wound. No worries if you want to do so anonymously. But I (and I am sure others) need to hear your wound and story.
Men, this is holy ground and a time to listen deeply. I will not allow any comments that shame, wound, or attack. Offering love, respect and empathy are always welcome.
In Love, Jeromy
(P.S. I am really surprised by how emotionally drained I feel after revisiting this memory).
UPDATE: You can read a response from Random Thoughts from A Housewife.
Jesus Was a Mirror
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on March 31, 2009
So here is my hypothesis: Jesus was simply a mirror.
Jesus simply mirrored people’s judgment back onto themselves. “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” It was almost as if all these religious leaders and Pharisaical types were emitting horrendous rays of judgment and contempt towards “those sinners”. All Jesus simply did was stand in front of their judgments, and, much like a mirror, reflect their ugliness — their hate-filled words, actions and judgments — back at them.
For instance, it was common for them to tell people they were going to Gehenna. Jesus reflected their words back onto them saying, “You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as you are.” (ouch!) Time and time again you see Jesus simply mirroring people’s judgments back against themselves. The woman caught in adultery is another example that comes to my mind, among many. (I invite you to share in the comments other examples you find). With the same measure they judged others, he threw it back in their face. He revealed and allowed them to feel their darkness. And they did not like that.
(It is important to note that Jesus never mirrored back the harsh things said against him personally. In fact, even on the cross, he forgave those who hurt and mocked him. He only mirrored judgments imposed on others).
But he was a mirror in another way as well. He mirrored God’s love, healing, and restoration towards those who felt they least deserved it. Those who were being judged and condemned by the previously mentioned self-proclaimed judges, were the very ones Jesus embraced with God’s favor. Time and time again this pattern shows up in the Gospels. Jesus mirroring love towards sinners.
So as followers of Jesus, we too should simply be mirrors. We don’t need to judge other people…it is not our place. But we can simply be mirrors, standing in between the judges and their condemned, reflecting their words and measure of judgment back onto them. We then turn the mirror around towards the “condemned” and mirror God’s embrace of them.
Keep in mind, however, that Jesus also taught us to love our enemies — those who take an enemy stance towards us and declare us their enemy. We are not to return the cursed title of enemy, but instead the title of beloved. We are to be humble mirror holders who love all that our mirrors face.
But be warned. It may not fare to well for us mirror holders. It might mean a cross.
But it might also mean a Kingdom.
ATTENTION: Practicing Sinner Ordained!!
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on March 29, 2009
This last weekend in Berkeley, CA—just outside San Francisco—an obviously practicing sinner was ordained as a card-toting member of the professional clergy. One brief glance at his attire and how he carried himself was all that was needed to see the obvious sin this man was involved in. Though as clear as day by those on the outside, this man claimed that his chosen lifestyle was not a sin despite the Bible’s stark denouncement and declaration as such. In fact, Sodom was destroyed by the anger of God for the sin this man was daily choosing to live in.
It was no surprise the church community that ordained him also practiced this God-detested lifestyle, turning a sin-justifying blind eye. Not only did they practice it, but they seemed to celebrate it to the point of incorporating aspects of this lifestyle into the very practices of the church. Before you jump to judgment about this Berkley church, keep in mind that they are not the only ones ordaining practicing sinners; it his happening more and more in our increasingly permissive culture. It is getting so bad that I am beginning to think they’ll ordain just about anyone nowadays.
But back to the man. During his post ordination celebration, a feast of unbelievable proportions—especially compared to the rest of the world—was consumed by the entire church. The man stood up in his polished suit while his wife and three kids joined him to thank the ordaining body and shared with the church his past accomplishments and future dreams for the church. Afterwords, he drove off in his Toyota Land Cruiser while his family piled into their Honda Odyssey. The celebration continued with family and friends at the pastor’s near 3,000 square foot home (which the church helped pay for) for a poolside BBQ. Christian music softly played through the house’s integrated speaker system. Once the exhausting day was over, they tucked their kids into their individual bedrooms while they themselves crawled into their king-size padded bed. Once glance at their checking account would show you where there heart lies and how much concern this newly ordained pastor has for the poor.
Ezekiel 16:49-50: “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.”
People ask me, Do you think practicing homosexuals should be ordained? My general return question is if they think practicing materialists, gluttons, pride-mongers and poor-ignorers should be ordained?
My response does not usually sit well in a religious culture trained on “yes and no” answers. I think that is because my answer points to a deeper issue we would prefer to remain hidden, namely, our love of judging and our capacity to ignore our culturally accepted sins. This issue of ordination, if looked at closely and honesty, points a freakin’ spotlight on our hypocrisy. And we don’t like that. I know I don’t.
The other issue it points at is this whole notion of ordained and non-ordained followers of Jesus. If the body of Christ was indeed being the body of Christ, it would not need to set apart a group of “professionals” to do the work of the ministry…we’d all be doing it! And yes, some would still have the gift of pastoring, but without the title and paycheck. They would simply be another member of the body operating in their gifts—which would be the norm.
To ask the question, Should homosexuals be ordained? would be like asking the question, Should people with specks in their eyes be ordained? when people with logs in their eyes are being ordained every day across the country and world. Perhaps Jesus was right, first we need to remove the logs out of our eyes and then we would be able to see clearly to remove the speck out of others’ eyes. As long as we sit log-eyed-and-proud in our churches, ordaining away people who justify our sinful lifestyles by their very own lifestyle, we do not have the right to say one word about other practicing sinners or their ordination. Period.
But it is a lot easier to judge the sins of others than it is to repent from our own culturally accepted ones. To do so would require us to look at our lifestyle through God’s eyes and maybe—God forbid—require us to change. We don’t like that. We want others to change. Not us.
Perhaps that was Jesus’ point. Perhaps that is why Jesus NEVER mentioned or referred to homosexuality. Not once!
Perhaps that is why most of Jesus’ words centered around the dangers of wealth, greed, religious judgment, and the ongoing entrapment of the poor by wealthy and those in power.
Maybe that is why the Bible only references homosexuality in 6-10 places (depending on who you ask) and 800-3,000 about God’s concern for the poor and our wealth (again, depending on who you ask). For every 1 mention of homosexuality there are 133-300 about poverty and wealth. Please let that sink in. (By the way, even with my modest (for California) $40,000 annual salary, I am in the TOP 3.17% richest people in the world!).
My we have ears to hear.
(Perhaps you are still saying to yourself, “Just answer the question Jeromy, should homosexuals be ordained?” . . . I did).
Inerrant
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on March 26, 2009
The problem is not when we think that the bible is inerrant. The problem is when we think our interpretations of the bible are inerrant.
When people claim sola scriptura, what they’re really claiming is sola what-I-believe-a.
Just some thought fodder . . . literally.
The Remerging Church
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on March 25, 2009
There is a lot of talk about the emerging church; what it is, what it is becoming, what it isn’t, who is and isn’t a part of it. After walking with all sorts of people who are engaged in this particular conversation, I am not sure that the word “emerging” captures what the Spirit is doing. I think a more appropriate word is forming, the word “remerging”. And for myself and many others, it was the recent gathering in Albuquerque (March 2009) where we got a deeper glimpse of how the Spirit is remerging the church-of-the-willing.
All the other splits and reformations in our short 2,000 year church history were about one thing: separation. “I don’t like what you are doing and so I am going to remove myself from relationship with you and go my own way…it was nice knowing you, now shove off.” This happened around the 6th century with the early monastics and the church. It happened again around the 11th century with the great schism of the eastern and western church. It happened again around the 16th century with Catholics and Protestants. And over the past 500 years within Protestantism, this separation pattern has repeated itself thousands of times in all of our denominational schisms.
But what is happing today in the 21st century is different. Where as division defined the others (in part), this one will be defined by a remerging of the “willing” who are found in the camps created by the previous schisms.
A remerging of the willing. This is how I believe history will define this time.
A remerging of those who don’t want to put aside their differences for unity’s sake, but want unity to be found in recognizing and embracing the beauty in all of our differences. (Paul’s description of the Body comes to mind for me here).
A remerging of those who realize they don’t need to seek permission from the “top” to unite and walk together in love, but now see that Jesus already gave them permission to unite and then prayed that they would.
A remerging of those who choose reconciliation, healing, and forgiveness over entrenchment, division, fear, and anger.
A remerging of those who choose to toss aside the rules and theologies that divide, and choose to embrace the healing freedom that really does exist in Christ.
A remerging of those who choose to let go of their “inerrant” interpretations and dogmas for the sake of learning from and alongside the “other”.
A remerging of those who are willing to be killed on the cross of unity, rather than slowly die in the quicksand of division.
A remerging of those who choose to sit at the table and break bread together, and then welcome all others who will come.
A remerging of those who hunger and thirst for God’s kingdom, not our individual kingdoms.
A remerging of the broken.
A remerging of the weak.
A remerging of the willing.
So what began emerging out of the dirt of the earth, is now remerging the body of Christ after 2,000 years of self-mutilation and hacking each other apart.
Will everyone remerge as one? Sadly, as history has shown, no — only the willing will. For some, this remerging is a terribly frightening and evil occurrence. For others, it is the very lifeblood of God’s heart and they long for it with every fiber of their being.
Regardless, may we become the remerged body of Christ — both for our own sake and for a world who is dying to see Jesus in the flesh once more.
Shalom, Jeromy
(From an article I wrote for Emergent Village)
Faces of Pastors Who Have Left “The Ministry”
Posted By Jeromy Johnson on March 21, 2009
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Over 1,700 pastors left the ministry every month last year. Over 20,000 pastors left the ministry last year. In order to help place a “face” to this staggering problem, we have a simple request:
Our goal is to collect 1,000 photos (or 5%) of actual pastors humans who have left paid full-time church ministry. But we can’t do this alone…we need your help in getting the word out. So, if you blog, twitter, or facebook, or have other networks, please get the word out to your network for paid pastors or full-time church ministers who have left the church ministry to send a photo. Feel free to copy all or part of this post. Our purpose is to create a collage using multimedia to help put a “face” to the staggering problem. Speaking as one of the 20,000 a year who leave ministry, out of respect and protection, all photos and stories will remain nameless. Can you help? Photos can be emailed to Jeromy or Jonathan. We have also set up a facebook group where you can upload the photos directly. Here is the group URL once you log into facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=58564093110 or simply search for the Faces of Pastors Who Have Left “The Ministry” group within facebook. Keep in mind: The higher the photo’s resolution (size), the better. Thanks. __________________________________________________________________________________ Here are some more stats:
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