God is on the move around the world. Years ago he started a movement of people who follow him.
But the movement doesn’t look like what we expect.
Here in modern society, we’re accustomed to programs that advertise benefits and recruit customers. Many of us have never seen or been a part of a real movement. Maybe Woodstock felt that way. The 60’s saw an anti-war movement. There was the civil rights movement.
How about the church – do we have that sense of being a part of something that has taken on a life of it’s own? Something that feels like a runaway train? Or are we organizing whatever momentum we may feel?
The movement looks like something that has skin on it. When you’ve really bought in, you’ll die for it.
We all want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Few of
us are so self-important that we don’t feel our own smallness and
aren’t aware of the gaps caused by our inadequacies.
us are so self-important that we don’t feel our own smallness and
aren’t aware of the gaps caused by our inadequacies.
I’m always wrestling with this with AIM. We can be too organized and not nearly as God-directed as maybe he wants. For example, we have to begin relationships by connecting to people we don’t know. And when we post something to the web (like this blog) we always run the risk of looking a little shinier and more commercial than God ever intended.
How to retain our authenticity when we’re surrounded by all the claptrap of modern Americana? How to put the good news of the movement out there in the vernacular that others understand without selling out? For instance, I could say the following to get more of you involved:
For more specific opportunities to engage with the movement, follow AIM on Facebook. We bring you the up to date information first through this venue. Maybe you take a trip with us, maybe you just read our stories. Either way, we want to be in touch with you.Like us on Facebook and follow us on twitter @aimissions.com
See what I mean? Maybe I’m putting information out there that some of you actually are looking for – but to others it feels commercial. Some people would say, “Yeah, it’s crass and too American.” Others would say, “No, you’re just reaching out to people where they’re at.”
What do you think? Have you ever joined a real movement – something that felt like it was God-birthed and directed? Something that felt so holy you knew it had to be God?
Isn’t it what we all want?
Comments (5)
Leave a Reply
I’ve ben pondering this for days… well actually months, but the past few days I haven’t been able to get it off my mind… at all. I want to start living out the dream that’s bigger than myself. And yes I DO want to be a part of a greater movement that is worth dying for. It’s encouraging to read and see this… thanks Seth.
Last night I went to a Christians men group and the message was simple. We as Men and household leaders have dumbed up the Gospel, we have even gone as far as to be ashamed of our God. Back in 1962 when prayer was as issue in our public schools, the Men of that time rolled over and allowed prayer to be removed from our education system. I wish they had fought for our God and His Gospel. Today we pay taxes to a system that will not even recognize God and Christ Jesus. Imagine where we would be today had they fought with true conviction, and WON!!! Is our God ashamed of us, have we shamed Him enough? I pray that we all wake up to the Gospel and that we hurry to make disciple of all peoples. Seth, my prayers are with you all at AIM. Frank
Totally, Seth. I am a community journalist and have written about many local youth groups going on life-changing trips (I also sometimes cover Hindu and Muslim events). Because of the idea of “being objective,” I used to be more guarded (secular sounding) with how I described experiences of Christians in my stories, but I now write with more of a faith-centered vernacular, if you will, and readers actually seem to appreciate these stories a lot. A little off of your topic of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants movement, but the wording thing stuck out to me. When I write like this for my newspaper, I’m not afraid anymore that someone will chastise me. In fact I get the sense my editor and readers actually appreciate my sensitivity and depth of understanding when I describe how experiences changed kids’ lives.
I agree with the thought on people simply wanting to feel alive, more than finding the meaning of life. It’s because we live in a system that constantly presses us into a mold and says we need to get lots of education, make lots of money, have a nice house, etc. When we really start to get the being a Jesus-follower thing, that feeling like you’re falling is amazing, yet it can go away so quickly when we doubt or misidentify that feeling.
Yes, yes, being part of something wonderful and explosive and always-changing is amazing. I was part of the early Vineyard movement (or perhaps mid-vineyard, in the mid 80s) and it felt like that. God was all over it. Things were happening so fast that it was scary, but a good scary. We never needed to advertise much because the activity of God was so attractive. People showed up in droves, whether you wanted them to or not! Now I want to see that (and be part of something like that) again…. once you’ve been there, it’s hard to be in the hum-drum of life…
Yes, it’s what we all want…to be part of something “out of control.”
Something, as you say, that sweeps us up in its momentum and purpose. Something that makes us feel fully alive.
Love this line: “The movement looks like something that has skin on it. When you’ve really bought in, you’ll die for it.”
“I don’t believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive.”
Joseph Campbell