Let Me Plagiarize Your Work

 


 
    As we prepare for an upcoming Regeneration Summit October 7-8 here in St. Louis, I solicit your feedback.     Walls divide, fragment, and compartmentalize.  In an increasingly polarized society, the church is faced with walls from within and without. Here is a list of "walls."  Please comment, disagree, or add to the list.     Be careful, I may plagiarize your comment.

  Walls:  Between Church and World

• Public perceptions of the church.  ("A homo-phobic, greedy, corporate entity trying to legislate morality.")
  
• The church’s missional mandate in a complex and changing context.  (This ain't the 1950's.)
  
• The church’s nature as sojourner in a foreign land.  (Residents and aliens at the same time.)
• Church “culture” and popular culture(s). 
  
• The different “languages” spoken.  ("What does 'imputed righteousness' mean?  Seriously.")
  

Walls:  Within the Church

• White/Western church and the relationship to global Christianity.  ("Oh, there are Asian Christians in my city?").
• Rift between clergy and other professional church workers; divide between clergy/professional and laypeople.  ("You can call me The Rev. Dr. _______.")
• Church staff relationships  ("I hate my boss.  The problem is, he's my pastor.")
  
• Men and women ("Since when could women vote?")
  
• Polarizing divisions: theological, political, practical, stylistic.

Walls:  Personal

• Personal ("I'm fat, a failure, totally awesome, depressed, stressed . . ."
• Professional/clergy burnout and breakdown.  ("I just want to quit and drive a bread truck for a living.")
• A Christian’s authenticity vs. the Christian facade  (Singing on Sunday, cussing on Monday.)
• The compartmentalization of faith (Jesus is one commitment among many  - work, family, leisure, etc.)

    There are certainly Scriptural instances of “wall-building” and “wall-shattering.”  Jesus walked through walls.  Literally, like after his resurrection (John 20:19).  He crossed numerous boundaries – the woman at the well, into the homes of sinners and tax collectors, etc.  His death split the temple curtain in two, as the transcendent presence of God was not to be bound by walls (Luke 23:45).  In Christ, the “dividing wall of hostility” is broken down (Eph. 2:14).  “In him” there is unity, peace, and an end to every wall of separation from God and his people.  In all of the walls we encounter, we pray, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.” 

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