We left off last time with a very volatile sentence regarding Dysfunctional structures and potential disastrous leadership styles. Here was that sentence, “Almost sounds like church.â€
What almost sounds like church? Well, at the risk of losing some readers for this series (the lethargic ones) I refer you to the previous post in the series here. Read that and then return to this post and continue. As always, I’ll wait for ya.
Done? Good. The deal is this, God has always given someone a vision [Moses, Jacob, Joshua, Samuel, Paul, Ruth, Mary, John, James, etc…) and he then surrounds them with people who see God working and want to do God’s work. But sometimes either the visionary runs amuck or those around him/her do. Is there any way to prevent this? I believe there is, and in my last post I will reveal what I believe is an absolutely fool proof method for seeing God’s will done from beginning to end. But for now, let’s take a closer look at some of the structures and plans that have failed so often along the way. My hope is that some of you will pick up on the ‘secret ingredient’ long before I write that last post. Until that time, let’s take today’s pot to talk about a phenomena that started showing up over 1,000 years ago.
The denomination
Many people think denominational accountability is the panacea for all that ails the church these days. I think that’s a bunch of bunk! In fact, I believe denominational schisms and splits and start ups have run their course to the point where they do far more harm than good.
NOT
For example, what started out as a good thing and is now a tangled mess is the 180 gazillion denominational flavors we now have. It usually comes as a surprise to most that nearly all got their start from splits and disunity rather than a new and deep insight into God’s truth. This is why the Bible talks so much about the importance of loving unity and harmony within a church. Few things can ruin a church’s testimony to the lost more thoroughly than infighting among a segment of individuals calling themselves, “Christians.†And it can be pretty bad sometimes, Check out this article for the latest—almost makes you think of the ridiculous monks in Monte Python’s ‘Quest for the Holy Grail!’
And, in fact, this is not an isolated case. Denominations are abandoning the Bible right and left.
Isn’t that silly, no, insane? That’s like the boyscouts abandoning the great outdoors, or Bill Gates abandoning windows, or Al Gore abandoning his Learjet…oops, I guess that last one doesn’t quite work. But I digress…
Where was I?
Oh yeah, denominations.
They aren’t working. Not only are they not keeping preachers on the theological straight and narrow, they aren’t even keeping preachers straight! So one would be pretty naive indeed to force a group of believers into their particular denominational mold with the hopes that that will guarantee accountability and balance.
It must take something else.
Stay with me and we’ll talk about what that something else must be