The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community
Hugh Halter & Matt Smay

Jossey-Bass—Church Ministry | Leadership
179 pages

[part 2]

The issue of contextualization has seemingly reared its head again as John MacArthur and others have continued their rampage against the idea of contextualizing the gospel. Which, honestly, makes absolutely no sense to me—I can’t imagine what vacuum the gospel would have to be in in order to be considered pure, but that’s a separate issue. What Halter and Smay discuss in chapter 6 is the idea that it’s in our contextualization, it’s not solely about the context you are entering but rather the posture in which the telling/embodying is done.

Often times we are stuck in the idea that it’s okay to teach/train missionaries how to contextualize because we’re are sending them to “go over there” into the foreign land. But when it comes to our own culture and context, we often times do a very poor job of teaching people how to create entry points for the gospel in their own worlds. This is the beginning idea of missional living. Halter & Smay make a great distinction here between missional and incarnational (often times they’re seen synonymously).

Missional sentness is focused on leaving and everything related to going, but incarnational represents how we go and what we do as we go… God could have sent his son by asking him to set up a website and download spiritual information to every billboard in the world. But apparently he knew that information about him doesn’t help people understand or love him So the only option for the Father and for us is to embody the concept.

Unfortunately, in modern day evangelicalism, we’ve mastered the idea of going… but we’ve fallen way short of embodying the gospel and being the gospel to people. Instead, “we’ve prioritized the verbals over the nonverbals, the message over the method… the proclamation over the posture.” This is why the church is in such trouble in our society—we’re not living out the values of the gospel. We’re all talk and no substance. We’ve mastered the idea of belief-ism, but have yet to actually live out in tangible ways as a united community what that belief-ism is really all about. Our operating principle, our little cities seem to revolve completely around the idea of believing the right way. Those are the lines we’ve drawn (denominations) and the walls we’ve erected.

In the reconstruction of the church, it is essential that we re-discover and embody the ideals of incarnational ministry… otherwise we’re in for a long ride potentially seeping into a new “dark age” of the church.

At the Exponential Conference this year, Tim Keller gave a talk in one of the breakout sessions talking about perhaps one of the least talked about and possibly more uncomfortable topics out there… revival. Keller was unapologetic about the use of the word revival and even said that “Biblical, Spiritual Revival is what is missing in the modern church planting movement” and even perhaps the church today. Revival is a topic that is not currently being written about, talked about, or even being mentioned very much in many circles—yet Keller asserts that it is an essential component if church planting is to move from action to a movement.

I’ve been reflecting over Keller’s 16 characteristics of revival the past couple of days and although listed below I want to begin really wrestling through them in community. So, for the next several weeks I’ll be posting them individually with some reflection and hope to really begin understanding what revival truly looks like and how unpredictable and possible it really is.

The 16 Crucial Dynamics of Revival
1. Recovery of the difference between Gospel & Religion
2. Extraordinary Prayer
3. Creativity/Innovation
4. Nominal Church Members are converted
5. Sleepy Christians wake up!
6. Unbelievers are drawn in, in numbers that programs cannot produce
7. Edifying/Dynamic Worship
8. Great Teaching/Preaching
9. Life-changing Community
10. Evangelism –> Outward Focused
11. Passion for Justice/Poor
12. Cultural Engagement
13. Always a loony fringe
14. Always a backlash
15. Always a lot of churches planted
16. Real Social Healing

The church is the greatest preserver of the status quo in human history… I can conclude that the church, in its present state, is not the hope of the world. I believe that nothing has so persistently and effectively blocked the way of salvation as the church.”
~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

King first wrote this in the early 50’s and now over 50 years later I wonder how much has really changed… has the church really moved very far forward, or are we stuck in the same rut? Honestly, I think we’ve traded one set of problems for another as we continually walk in this static, circular existence.

One of the things that is hard about being in a healthy, growing, and absolutely amazing church, you tend to lose some of the perspective regarding the struggles of the church-at-large within America. In fact, if you are in a church that is growing and people are enthusiastic and excited about what God is doing in your midst you should consider yourself lucky (I know I certainly do), for this isn’t the norm… we are a part of the exception.

There is a growing population within the church-at-large that is increasingly growing dissatisfied with “church-as-we-know-it” and are walking away, trading old institutions for new forms and practices of “being the church”. Unfortunately it doesn’t just end with a growing sense of dissatisfaction, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, nearly 25% of adults have not just walked away from the church, but have traded their faith for a different religion. People are leaving the church and Jesus in their wake.

So, the question remains… is the church really all that different from 50 years ago or are we simply trading problems as we remain in our cycle of sameness? Is there a way out of the cycle, and what does that look like? Because as King so poignantly observes: to do nothing will persistently and effectively block the way of salvation.

Ever wonder the main reasons for why pastors get fired? Me too! Thank to the Baptist Press, they’ve given us a new report on the forced termination of pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention.

10. conflict with other staff
9. sexual misconduct
8. administrative incompetence
7. week leadership style
6. decline in attendance
5. conflict pre-dating the pastor’s arrival
4. too-strong leadership style
3. poor people skills
2. church’s resistance to change
1. control issues (the same #1 reason every year since 1996)

I found it really interesting that of the top 10, five had to do with issues surrounding the pastors leadership style or approach. It makes me wonder if the church could reduce some of the pain of termination and overall terminations by simply added 2 components—better leadership training of pastors; and equipping churches with simple human resource tools in the interviewing process.

 
*The average American watches 26 hours of television per week.

*The biggest difference between pastors and parishioners: Parishioners watch 26 hours/week while the pastor only watches 2 hours/week.

The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community
Hugh Halter & Matt Smay

Jossey-Bass—Church Ministry | Leadership
179 pages

[part 1]

Deconstruction towards reconstruction… this seems to be one of the greatest sources of dissent in the church today. There are those that are actively seeking a deconstruction of the norm in order to explore and experience a new reconstructed norm that is positioned to speak prophetically into the culture and then there are those who grip tightly to maintain the systems and functions that are currently being deconstructed. It seems that this is what the emerging church truly introduced into the mainstream of ecclesiology… however the attitudes behind the movement were often times less than gracious (and even though it has tempered as of late, the undercurrent still remains.) I myself still struggle with a gracious attitude to those that have gone before me, preparing the way for the future. Halter reminds us:

As I speak for many in the budding missional church world, I have to share that I no longer judge the faithful, fervent work of so many pastors who have pastored well but who struggle to find their place in this new world. They deserve to be honored instead of belittled. Without their legacy, we would have nothing to build upon.

Therefore, it would behoove us to begin treading graciously with those who have paved the way—honoring them, yes, but also providing them the grace and mercy as they too struggle to find their way in the new world.

Reconstruction can only begin by starting with Jesus… and it’s through Jesus that we can begin coming together as a unified church. “By starting with Christology (the life of Jesus), which informs our missiology (how we live), we’ll have a better chance of finding common ground with our ecclesiology (how we do church).” (pg. 20)

These chapters took a great turn in tone. There has always been a very gracious tone, however the tone shifted from a deconstructionist viewpoint to a re-constructionist viewpoint and a presentation of hope that can be had throughout the emerging church as we move forward for change. The final question for reflection that was asked: “If Jesus were to trim down your Christian experience to his essentials, what would he remove? What would be left?” I’m not sure the wording of this question was truly indicative of the re-constructionist tone and so I’d rather answer a new question… a better question: “If Jesus were to trim down your Christian experience to his essentials, what would you keep? What would you start with?” This is probably an easier question, not to mention a shift in thinking away from deconstruction and onward towards reconstruction.

As I thought through this question of what would I keep… I’m not sure it would be a very long list. In fact, the only thing that immediately came to mind was Jesus. I think as a church we have lost focus and sight on Jesus as the bridegroom, as the head of the church, and instead have supplanted ourselves in his place. In this reconstruction it is my hope and prayer that we rediscover the supremacy of Jesus in the church, getting away from paying him lip service and move towards a new understanding and reliance upon Him. “By starting with Christology (the life of Jesus), which informs our missiology (how we live), we’ll have a better chance of finding common ground with our ecclesiology (how we do church).”

By starting with Jesus we’ll soon enough be able to reconstruct a new “norm” that can speak prophetically into our culture because of the influence that will be gained in our missional ways… but we shouldn’t expect this new “norm” to last forever… a new wave of deconstruction will come about in the decades to come as once again we will have to figure out how to present the gospel to the culture that we interact with.

The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community
Hugh Halter & Matt Smay

Jossey-Bass—Church Ministry | Leadership
179 pages

The Kingdom of God is not the property nor the sole possession of the church (institutional or organic), rather the church is the property of the Kingdom, and it is the church’s responsibility not to exploit but to extol the Kingdom in all of its glory. Could it be that this is where the church (institutional and organic) lose the focus? That somehow we see the Kingdom as a means to our end, the purveyor of our own self-fulfillment residing completely within the church as opposed to our residence within the Kingdom that is revealed throughout the world? These are the initial questions that I am wrestling with…

At the end of chapter 1, Smay posses the question: Describe some times in your life when you’ve wanted to tap out on God and the activities of the church. Talk about a loaded question! As I thought through my time as a “professional” Christian, there are three distinct times that I have felt a strong, strong desire to simply throw my hands in the air, say “f*ck it all!” and walk away. I have not had the easiest time in ministry, however at each and every stage, through every single turn, I have found God sitting with outstretched arms simply beckoning me to “come” and rest. And I am extremely glad that I have listened, fallen into his arms and allowed him to challenge me once again to continue on in his grace (”my grace is sufficient!”). This isn’t the end of the journey, and it certainly won’t get any easier… however He will continually be there at every step, waiting.

It’s not hard to understand why so many are walking away from the church, the statistics are startling, and as Clegg & Bird state (as quoted on page 12)

The inescapable conclusion is that we must throw out any notion that God is truly at the center of the church’s heart in North America. The shift in society’s view of the church has resulted in the marginalization of the church and the secularization of society. Christianity has lost its place at the center of American life. Christians must learn how to live the gospel as a distinct people who no longer occupy the center of society. We must learn to build relational bridges.”

I love that line: “Christians must learn how to live the gospel as a distinct people who no longer occupy the center of society.” (emphasis mine) I find that absolutely fascinating, brilliant and eerily similar to St. Francis, “Preach the gospel always and if necessary use words,” the mantra of the incarnational church. Talk about the need to understand the issues of contextualization! Halter continues: “…something must change to reverse the trends. We need to start by doing some of the things we haven’t been doing, and we must stop doing some things that we have been doing. The world around us is growing increasingly disinterested in our Christian story.”

Smay asks the question for reflection: “What are some of the ways you believe we’re losing our saltiness?” Now, honestly this could be an entire blog post, but for the sake of brevity I’ll narrow it down to the issue of evangelism. I believe the way we “communicate” the gospel (skywriters scrawling “Jesus loves you” in the sky; tracks that look like money left as tips to waiters and waitresses; bullhorns on the corner shouting “You’re going to hell!”; etc.) although they are the extreme cases, they are the picture our culture has of Christians. When we boil the gospel down to a “Get-out-of-Hell Free” card it begins to lose its effectiveness as a beautiful way to live amidst the destruction, pain and horror the world has to offer. The gospel is more than eternal destination—it’s about living beautifully… it’s about shalom.

Smay then concludes his reflecting questions with this dandy: “What do you think of the increasing disinterest of the culture towards church means for the future of the church?” My instant response was “GOOD!” I think it’s a good thing that culture has become disinterested in the church for one simple reason. It should (and I believe has to an extent) force the church to eventually begin understanding and dealing with contextualization issues! I believe that this could be the beginning of a re-awakening of the church, a great revival of sorts, right here in our midst—if and only if we are attentive to and receptive of the Spirit who is working among us. I truly wonder what this re-awakening and re-emergence of the (American) church will look like, and the amazing things that God has in store! We’re in store of a re-awakening or we’ll simply go the way of the Dodo… I’m hoping for a re-awakening!

The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community
Hugh Halter & Matt Smay

Jossey-Bass—Church Ministry | Leadership
179 pages

While at the Exponential Conference I stumbled across this book and was immediately captivated by the title: The Tangible Kingdom—Creating Incarnational Community: The Posture and Practice of Ancient Church Now. I had never heard of the authors, Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, but with the endorsement of Reggie McNeal (who wrote the forward) and The Leadership Network, I figured it’d be worth a shot. So, I picked it up and began reading… I haven’t been able to put it down yet! It’s an absolutely fascinating book full of exciting and thought provoking lines that have made me realize that instead of flying through the book and moving on, I need to savor it and truly spend some time reflecting on the content and questions at the end of each chapter. I truly want to learn and explore this idea of incarnational community.

So, in order to truly savor this book I’m going to blog through the book. (I’m not sure I’ve ever done this before—and if I have it’s been quite some time!) So, in order to take it slow I’ll only read 2 chapters a day (there are 21 chapters total) and spend the next two weeks posting a segment a day of my reflections of the chapters and questions at the end. I’ll post quotes and thoughts and hope that you’ll interact with me throughout. If you feel so inclined to run out and buy the book and join me that would be fantastic! I’ll be posting the first reflection on Wednesday, so join me in this journey of learning and attempting to understand a bit more about this thing called incarnational community.

I’m writing this from the front seat of a packed out charter bus (Fung Wah—a charter bust that takes you from China Town Boston to China Town NYC) and it’s certainly an interesting experience. All around me are people of different ethnicities, speaking in different dialects and languages on their cell phones and in conversation… it’s like I’ve somehow entered into a Pentecostal worship service and everyone is speaking in tongues. It is, however, an amazing experience nonetheless to hear so many people from all over the world come together to travel the same stretch of road.

I wish this bus was more indicative of what local expressions of the church look like. I wish that we could break through the cultural and ethnic lines that keep us separated and somehow come together as one, journeying along the same road towards revealing and proclaiming the Kingdom to the world.

I think that this is a unique issue specifically for the American church at large to take on. We are (as a country) the melting-pot of the world comprised of so many different nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures, and perhaps (in my estimation) the only country in the world like this. This presents a unique opportunity for us to do something remarkable as local expressions of the body of Christ.

I’m not exactly sure how to break through these lines, but we will certainly be attempting such a feat in the very ethnically diverse city of San Francisco where to be Caucasian is no longer the majority (46% vs. 54%)—a growing trend in cities and urban centers all over the country. Times are changing, and I’m excited to see what this next move of ethnically and culturally diverse churches will bring about.

[» a culture of: encouragement, fun, trust, risk, reproduction, generosity, reproduction 2, change (idealism)]

There is an order to creating a healthy culture and I believe it all starts with encouragement. It is the lynchpin, for without a culture of encouragement nothing else will truly come about in a healthy way. I do not believe that what I have presented is a step-by-step approach to creating a healthy culture, rather I believe that this is the natural progression that takes place in a healthy culture as witnessed in the presence of Community Christian Church.

I look forward to interacting on these points even more than has already been done, and I look forward implementing them in San Francisco as we move forward towards a healthy church culture that does amazing things in the community and around the world to further the Kingdom of God.

[» a culture of: encouragement, fun, trust, risk, reproduction, generosity, reproduction 2]

Positive, healthy change is not possible unless each of the previous cultural characteristics are prevalent within a church culture… or at the very least it makes change a whole lot easier to create. I don’t believe that the church should change for change’s sake, however in our rapidly changing society it is extremely advantageous, if not essential, for the church to learn how to quickly adapt and change in order to be the most effective at reaching out without losing the nuances of the past. This should breed a strong and healthy sense of idealism within the church as we continue to strive and push forward to new heights.

One of the phrases that gets used around Community is ‘pushing forward towards a preferable vision of the future.’ I have found this to be both inspiring as well as essential to maintaining a humility about your community. Community has consistently been named as one of the most influential churches and one of the most innovative churches in the country the past few years… however, that has not stopped them from envisioning an even stronger future to come. All of this is of course predicated on the culture of change that has been bred… for without this culture of change, innovation would cease and influence would shrivel.

I truly believe that the culture of change is the direct result of encouragement, fun, trust, risk, reproduction, and generosity because through each of these mediums idealism is allowed to fester, swell, and change towards this idealistic endeavor is able to be implemented in a totally healthy environment. Community embodies a culture of change—healthy change, and necessary change—and it is my hope and dream to embody such a culture in San Francisco as we continue to progress towards this dream of helping people find their way back to God.

The 14th Multi-Site Practicum put on by the NewThing Network concluded today without a hitch. It was completely sold out with over 100 in attendance this time around—they just keep getting bigger and bigger! I was extremely excited to be a part of it once again, pitch in where I could, and sit through the sessions all over again. Each and every time it seems there’s something new that sticks out to me and challenges me to think through a new aspect of what this thing in San Francisco is going to look like especially in relation to a leadership and reproducing culture. (I get more and more excited as the day approaches!)

I also had the chance to catch up with my friends Tim & Dennis from North Point Church who are progressing down the road towards multi-site. They’ve been making several stops along their way to various learning events and it looks like they’ve got a great grasp on where they’re heading! I can’t wait to see what God does through them and North Point!