Emerging Grace Chronicles: IV

3. Emerging Grace asked "Or do we each just go live our ministry apart from the institution?"

The short answer is "yes"; however, I've seen a number of instances where people have quite happily lived their ministry apart from the institution (meaning: apart from the blessing of the institution, the knowledge of the institution, the accolades of the institution, and the bulletin notice that details what we're up to), while still being a part of the institution.

A few years back, I was having a coversation with the leader of the band "The Levelheads" (note: this was the 80's Levelheads, not to be confused with a new band that took the same name recently) about what was essentially the same question. At the time, Jim was telling me that they were getting a lot of flak from the local churches for the style of music that they played, and that they played often in "wordly" places like bars and festivals -- hasn't anybody read the Gospels and noticed that this is exactly what Jesus was accused of: being a "friend of sinners"?

As my conversation with Jim continued, he at one point mentioned that he was bracing himself for more harrassment because their about-to-be-released next CD would probably be unacceptable to these people, as well. Jim was dreading the response, but also feeling quite determined to follow what he and his bandmates felt God was calling them to.

Now, I also knew a number of people, mostly teenagers and early 20-somethings, who had told me many stories of how Jim et al. had ministered to them when no-one else would, how they had taken these young people into their homes and clothed, fed, and loved them just as they were. These young people couldn't say enough good things about Jim and the band's involvement in their lives -- when the same church(es) that were criticizing The Levelheads had also made these "street" kids feel unwelcome in their churches.

It basically boiled down to this:

• Why was it so important for Jim and The Levelheads to have the approval (endorsement, recognition) of their church, when they already knew what God had called them to, and were seeing fruit in the lives of those they were ministering to?
  
  
• Why is it so danged important to us that we be approved, endorsed, recognized, and applauded by our Christian organizations and/or peers?
  
  
• What is it in all of us that wants -- even craves -- the approval of people?
  
  
• Have we -- inadvertantly, to be sure -- put the approval of the organization (leaders, elders, Sanhedrin) in the place of seeking the approval of Jesus (Galatians 1:10, John 12:42-43).

If we are getting our sense of approval, endorsement, and recognition from God, then we will be free to live our ministry outside the organization. And if we can live in this way, AND still be "in the system but not of the system", then we will also be examples to others of what freedom in Jesus really looks like.

(Thus endeth the Emerging Grace Chronicles)