The WORD Must Become Flesh

STEP 20 SOME REAL IDEAS/EXAMPLES OF/FOR NEW LIFE

To enact new life a congregation or an individual must ask and answer one question: HOW CAN GOD'S WORD BE MADE FLESH WITHIN ME?” Not only how can you DO the work of God but how can you BE SEEN to BE the word of God. Not just how can you preach but how can your actions be one with what say and claim. The good news and the bad news is the same: people have long ago expected anything positive from churches/Christians. For generations new we've made noise, looked nice, asked for money and have disappointed. When the average person thinks of churches they rightly are reminded of rules, judgementalism, false piety and dress-up. Weddings, funerals, meaningless baptisms and Christmas concerts. Everyone believes in some aspect of a God, a God of love and that Jesus of Nazareth had some meaningful connection.
But when they think of churches they don't think of love. What really turns people's heads are acts of love. That was true eighteen hundred years ago and is true still. All we have to do is make love real. It's simple. It's even easy. We need to give stuff away. With no strings. What a scandle!
Look at the one great example we have, that of the SALVATION ARMY.
Here we have a hoplessly outdated church that has based itself on service. And it is thriving. Millions are given each year by outsiders simply because they know that the Army helps others. The Sally Ann is doing what all are called to do and they are supported even if their theology, dress, church organization and language is foreign to most of the doners.
How do congregations give stuff away, provide needed service to those around them? Giving to overseas churches and missions doesn't count. That kind of stuff is great but it doesn't make THE WORD to become FLESH locally. How about being honest with people? Be honest in fund raising. Don't hide the fact that the congregation is self supporting. Label your fundraising events as such. Then label your fund-giving events as such. You don't have any? Then get them! You have garage sales/flea markets or such? How many hours are spent organizing and pricing out stuff, hauling stuff in and then dealing with the mountains that are unsold? Why not advertize of a giant GIVE-A-WAY, suggesting that a donation be given on the way out with a tax reciept for anything over twenty dollars?
You might be amazed at how much less work, how much money and how different the whole event would feel. It would certainly be perceived in a new light by those outside the congregation. Take advantage of the fact that money is valued above all. Give it away. Be different. Show another way. Some might even become curious.
What else do people value? TIME. It's the thing we each have the same amount of, the thing that so many never have enough of, that of which we talk the most about along with money and the weather. How is your church spending its time? I don't mean the individual members but as a group - in the name of your beliefs? In order for God's Word to be made Flesh through anyone or group it must be recognizable. To do something in secret is just fine if you don't want any learning to come from that action. Outsiders expect a church to invite people in to the building or to an event that allows for the chance for them to be preached to. But to be just helped, or served, or fed, or taught, or cared for, without any preaching being rammed down their throats, THAT just might be a new experience for them. Of course it must be done because they are loved, because the doers WANT to do it. If not done with authentic Spirit it had best be left undone.
I truly doubt that any congregation that has debated/searched for and chosen ways to give and to serve and have followed through, in LOVE, have not grown in Spirit themselves. We are promised that what we give will be brought back to us many times over. This is true. But we must honestly DO these things, wanting to , needing to, being joyful in the doing, being seen and alive in the process, coming together as a faith family in the doing and being recognized as a faith family by others. We will be different in the eyes of others and in the seeing of that reality others will learn and make choices of their own. We need to be salt and light. Tasted and seen.
There would truly be hope for new birth if even with only twenty aging parishioners and ten thousand dollars equity left, those twenty were to chose to give all ten thousand away, to share it with those around them who were in need. If nothing else, what a way to go!

"Those not busy being born are busy dying." - Bob Dylan

"Every material possession you acquire becomes a stick to beat you with." - Roseanne Cash

"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have.... Be careful lest you let others spend it for you." - Carl Sandburg