Rowing Nowhere

I have become convinced that when Jesus looks at His body, He sees its shape and systems and alignments very differently than our congregation-based, your-name-is-on-our-roll-or-you’re-not-a-member-of-the-church view.

I am impressed by the prophetic view Paul revealed in a word to the believers in Ephesus (chapter 4) of a mature ekklesia who is no longer suffering from a lack of unity regarding faith, teaching, or works. Like he did in other writings, he described the ekklesia as a “body,” being built up to maturity through the relationships, empowered by love, bringing every part to life and purpose. All the saints doing their ministry – their service – so that all the work that Jesus has laid out ahead of us gets done. It happens through the “joints” or “supporting ligaments” bringing body parts together.

If we align our lives the way He perceives our purposes to need connections, every congregation maybe scattered into many other shapes and sizes and locations and projects and relationships. If we started investing more time and energy in the relationships in which we find opportunity for spiritual service of the King to be done, and spend less time on programs and Sunday morning services, I am convinced that we will become free to disciple nations.

It could start by asking the Head of the Body what we should do today, and with whom. And ask the same question tomorrow. And every day after that. And don’t worry about offending Him by letting idols that we thought were important sacred activities grow dusty from lack of attention.

The church in North America is losing lots of her battles by having a form of righteousness, but no power. Much of her work looks like the disciples, rowing their hearts out in the dark, when Jesus appeared to them doing something different (demonstrating supernatural power) and scared them witless. Something changing in basic places might be required to bring the body into a manifestation of abundant Life and Kingdom authority.