Posted Feb 29 2015, redone and reposted.
Ministers that take new ideas and imagination for the church/community and put them into action are pioneers who step outside the bounds of convention and into the unknown. Most pioneers start off small, and then move to bigger and more ambitious projects sending them deeper into the wilderness. In the age of a pandemic world, churches need new imagination of what comes next. Adding a hip evening service won’t cut it. A return to normal will work for some. But for those who manage to have some form of community to return with, the next iteration of church gatherings needs to emerge.
But that comes at a cost.
Stepping beyond the boundaries of convention will place you into a realm of obscurity.
Obscurity sounds ominous, like looming black clouds choking the rays of illuminating sunshine.
But it’s not.
Church planters generally know this–trying new things requires an embracement of obscurity, coupled with facing all the fears of trying something new.
I know far too many pastors who have robust dreams and lofty ideas to change worship gatherings, or address social inequality or injustice. They are squashed by overbearing church boards and committees. Some don’t even bother to make an attempt, choosing to stay quiet and ride out their last days into the sunset (easier to do if you’re close to retirement). But some are compelled to take the chance, to risk it all, especially given an environment where a lot of that change has already happened.
In this sense the hard part has been done–the change has already happened. We don’t have to be the bad guy or gal. The discomfort is already there. Now, we have to battle old formation. The contemporary church is rooted in consumer Christianity, and those consumers will want
This hapless existence isn’t courageous enough for Gospel followers. Sorry for being so blunt.
When new ideas emerge within the bounds of convention you have to deal with the rules in convention. Freedom found in obscurity is a requirement so you can attempt ideas unobscured. That means existing in and not just thinking about.
When a ministry exists in obscurity one can largely skip the task of translating ideas. Every new idea requires space to make the attempt real. When you don’t have metrics to worry about expectations are largely eliminated. For example, in a post-Christendom context we have to expect longer timeframes. What took a Summer tent revival meeting in the past now takes a decade of relational equity in the present. Does your current scenario offer you the patience of a decade?
In obscurity the door opens wide to risk, attempt, and most importantly, failure.
Do you think you could make it in this world?
If you don’t require the constant affirmation and accolades found in the established church (particularly ones that tie large congregations to success), you may find yourself coveting the new found freedom. Not surprisingly, when you have space to try things without prying eyes you’re more inclined to say, “YES!”, to what the Kingdom has in store.
There are, however, a few dangers. For starters, when you’re shrouded in mystery it’s easy to hide. Hide your problems, hide your constraints, hide your hurt. You could erroneously pick, choose, and re-interpret what gospel looks like (for example, splinter Baptist groups doing their own thing in ˜Jesus name™). Another issue is the need for recognition. Church planters may branch out so they are ˜the guy™ in a context where they could never be the go-to lead. If recognition is a necessity to fuel your hopes and dreams, if you’re after success in the traditional sense, then in many ways you’re merely trying to replace one convention for another.
But to those truly responding to the Gospel call to ‘Go’, I promise you when you take the courageous steps to venture into the unknown you’ll discover something: you’re not alone at all. Where your adventure takes you, there’s a new group of people waiting for encounter. Your apparent isolation is merely a removal from the safety of familiarity. Most importantly, we have a God goes before us even before we enter the picture.
You may not know it yet, but once you’re in the thick of it, obscurity is indeed a gift. Don’t trade it for tired ideas.