Michael
08-18-2005, 01:45 PM
A friend of mine, who happens to be a pastor of a small church, is facing a bit of a crisis. He is a fairly strong proponent of grace, and of avoiding formulas for church and individual growth. He dislikes the measuring of a church by its number - counting the nickles and noses.
Tonight he goes to a meeting where a contingent of the church leadership will voice a dissenting view to the existing direction of the church. I don't know any of the specifics, but I would guess that the ones speaking are wanting to move into a more traditional direction in terms of structure, programs, and theology.
While his church is not a part of the "emergent" movement, his preaching and methodology fit there far better than they would in a normal, middle-class, suburban evangelical church, where the emphasis is so often on being comfortable in Christ.
So, I would ask prayer that the Lord would guide and direct in this meeting tonight, that His Spirit would reconcile disparate views, and that the Love of Christ would characterize the way all parties involved deal with one another, especially if they come to the conclusion that they cannot agree on a common vision.
In His Grace,
Michael
Tonight he goes to a meeting where a contingent of the church leadership will voice a dissenting view to the existing direction of the church. I don't know any of the specifics, but I would guess that the ones speaking are wanting to move into a more traditional direction in terms of structure, programs, and theology.
While his church is not a part of the "emergent" movement, his preaching and methodology fit there far better than they would in a normal, middle-class, suburban evangelical church, where the emphasis is so often on being comfortable in Christ.
So, I would ask prayer that the Lord would guide and direct in this meeting tonight, that His Spirit would reconcile disparate views, and that the Love of Christ would characterize the way all parties involved deal with one another, especially if they come to the conclusion that they cannot agree on a common vision.
In His Grace,
Michael