On becoming and making disciples...part 1

Jesus told us to "go and make disciples..." Its that simple.

Or is it?

Things have become confusing these days; so much heady chatter about the emergent, or missional church (take your pick) that we've lost sight of the Prime Directive given to us at the end of Matthew's Gospel. Don't get me wrong, much of the conversation regarding church in the 21st Century is worthwhile and necessary, but only insofar as it enables us to do a better job at becoming and making disciples.

Dallas Willard says, "...some might be shocked to hear that what the 'church' - the disciples gathered - really needs is not more people, more money, better buildings or programs, more education, or more prestige. Christ's gathered people, the church, has always been at its best when it had little or none of these. All it needs to fulfill Christ's purposes on earth is the quality of life that He makes real in the life of His disicples."

My fear (somebody tell me if I'm alone here!) is that most of the energy being spent in trying to make church relevant to our culture is simply a disguised attempt to hold on to (or more likely, regain) a position of power and influence. What is described as "reaching our world" may be little more than a grab for power and control. The American church spends countless millions of dollars on buildings, technology and staffing in order to produce creative, dynamic presentations (we call them church "services,") but I wonder, just who is being served; Jesus or the institution?

I know it sounds harsh.

I mean to be.

But I'm pointing the finger at my self here because I'm as much to blame for this as anyone else. Over the years, I've been responsible for spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on these things (in the form of salary, equipment and staffing) and while I did it with the best of intentions, I failed to spend the same amount of time, energy and resources on the practical, daily and mundane job of making disciples.

Again, Dallas Willard speaks with the voice of a prophet; "It is a tragic error to think that Jesus was telling us, as he left, to start churches as that is understood today."

Church is a means-to-an-end.

That end is millions of little jesus people running around thinking and acting like their Master. If church as we know it were actually doing this, there would be much less debate about it's validity and influence in our world. And how much better would things be?