Mark Waltz | ...Because People Matter

Attractional or Missional? Yes.

There's quite a debate going on in church-world these days: are you a missional church or attractional church? It's a heated debate. Most seem to think it's one or the other. Either you're intent on drawing a crowd to your campus, to your weekend, to your message OR you're taking the message out there, off the campus, meeting people in their context. Which is it?

At Granger, we think it's both.

Last week our own DC Curry - student ministries director extraordinaire - was in Japan playing with Notre Dame in the Japan Bowl (ND whooped 'em - 19-3). He was there with ND, but he was there as a Christ-follower. He was there as GCC's student director. His "hat" never came off. He was missional.

This week he and the rest of our student staff are leading a high school team of 38 (including our daughter) in missions work in Monterray, Mexico. 

All week long our South Bend community center has continued to serve the people of Monroe Circle - with relational care, food, and community.

On Thursday another team of adults leaves for India, bringing hope to a small community of otherwise outcasts.

And at home? On our campus? We're inviting friends and family to explore relationships as God intended them. We're teaching through a communication series called Sand Traps, attracting people who would otherwise write off church as irrelevant and stoggy.

Check this out: the following two videos played in the same weekend service. One making a comical point about how arrogance can mess up relationships. The other celebrating the missional work being done by the people called Granger Community Church.

Attractional or missional? Yes.

Kalavai from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Golfisode - Episode 3: The Arrogance Trap from Granger Community on Vimeo.

The Prodigal God: Our Story of Control

I had a college professor who taught that the parables of Jesus had one and one point only. It was wrong to try to read too much into the details of Jesus' stories. Take the ever-popular story of "the prodigal son". Point: God the Father is a forgiving, unconditional loving God. According to my prof, the story's elder son character was merely added in to round out a great story. I think he may have missed a point or two in the parable.

Tim Keller's, The Prodigal God helped me gain fresh appreciation for the genius story-telling of Jesus. In fact, he helped me see Jesus in fresh light. I'll not try to give a book report on Keller's fine work - you should read the book for yourself. Here are a few of my takeaways...

• The story is about two sons, not one. And both brothers have issues of control. They long to control their own destiny, make life work they way they believe it should work. The younger son leaves his father to own his own way. The elder brother seeks control through his moral uprightness, doing what he believes his father expects. By doing so he believes he'll gain the outcome he desires from his father. The father's role is then to "bless", coroporate, make life happy for the son. 
• • I've had my share of elder brother syndrome. Blaming God for not making it work. More proud of my rule-keeping, than humbled by God's grace.
• Churches are unfortunately filled with elder brothers. Elder brothers who seek God's favor more than they seek relationship with God. Elder brothers who self-righteously criticize, ignore, and reject younger brothers. Jesus' primary audience when telling this story were "elder brother" Pharisees. Keller writes: "...the main barrier between Pharisees and God is 'not their sins, but their damnable good works.'
• • Even now, I'm more prone to think with some level of disgust about the "other people" I know who behave like elder brothers. In doing so I wonder what amount of "elder brother" still lives in me.
• The younger son made a laundry list of his sins to own and confess to his father upon his return home. The elder son - in his arrogance - had no such list. Keller observes, "To become Christians we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. What makes you faithful or generous is not just a redoubled effort to follow moral rules. Rather, all change comes from deepening your understanding of the salvation of Christ and living out of the changes that understanding creates in your heart. Faith in the gospel restructures our motivations, our self-understanding, our identity, and our view of the world. Behavioral compliance to rules without heart-change will be superficial and fleeting.
• • I first became aware of this sin of idolotry - sins of ill-motivation - several years ago. The fact that it was years ago doesn't make me a saint today; it only means I have more experience being aware. My motivation matters. And I'm too easily motivated by selfishness. I've done lots of "right" stuff over the years - not always for the right reasons.
    
• Jesus knew the Torah. He understood the Jewish concept of being "my brother's keeper." Keller points out that a compassionately motivated elder brother would have gone to look for his younger brother. Jesus leaves out of this story the character he actually was in flesh and blood - the true elder brother. The elder brother who gave up what was his; who didn't bemoan the Father who reinstated the younger brother (thereby giving away what was now rightfully the elder brother's share of the estate); the elder brother who lived, died and rose again to point the way Home to the Father.
• • My elder brother, Jesus - he paid the price. He came after me. He was - and is - the way home to the Father. I want to know more of this intimate relationship with God. I want to continue to capture the fresh, simple complexities of scripture, including the parables with all their points.

I needed this read. I still have control issues. I'll bet you'll uncover a couple of your own.

Read Keller's book - then tune into Willow's Leadership Summit: he's a featured speaker.

Back for a Minute...

So, after quite a break I'm back for a minute to say I'll be back after another break. I'm sure that breaks several blog and leadership rules. But, it's my blog, right? And you are reading it... So...

I'm taking the next week to spend with family... and a hammer, rake and paint roller. It's a stay-work-project-cation. Sounds like work, fun, too little sleep and all with the people I enjoy most. While I'm out the next week, I'm looking forward to...

• Finishing Tim Keller's The Prodigal God
• Also finishing Peter Rollins' The Orthodox Heretic
• Ripping out an old shed (and discovering the adventure that awaits inside)
• Sun with family at the lake
• Sleeping in... staying up late (as in ... now)
• Maybe a little XBox (probably... likely... pretty sure)

In the mean time - I highly recommend you...

• Check out the launch of Sand Traps with classic Mark Beeson story-telling that gets to the heart of the scripture lesson as only Mark can! - HERE
• Read Tim or Peter's books with me (above)
• Get registered for Willow's annual Leadership Summit, August 6 & 7! If you attend Granger, you can do so here; if not, go here.
• Keep up with people who are currently blogging this week, like:
• • Mark Beeson
  • Tim Stevens
  • Kathy Guy
  • Kem Meyer
• If you're not following me on Twitter, you might catch a snippet or two of the week here.
• Wanna keep up to speed on all things Granger Community, follow @gccwired on Twitter here.

I'll check in here again after the 20th.