Odd Ideas

Originally posted October 29th, 2007

Interesting post/newsletter on the website of another Canadian trying to make a difference here in Ukraine…

Steve Hill talks about the situation as he sees it in the Ukrainian churches, about how there are essentially two “types” of churches in the country…

“The first kind were the Baptist and Pentecostal which survived the Soviet era and still carried symptoms of that era in their totalitarianism They were a system of total control that dictated not only what you could or could not do in the meetings but also who you could marry, how many children you should have and how long to grow your hair. The second kind were the new independent charismatic churches which were much freer in worship and dress but they were authoritarian in that everything was centered around submission to the leader and his vision. It was controlled by a person rather than a system.”

This is a fairly accurate description – exactly what we have discovered as well.

Originally posted October 22nd, 2007

Second installment (for me) of this Synchro thing… What Would Jesus Do – With The Church?

As I mentioned in my first post on this topic, I decided to “preach” (somehow I don’t like that term) at church yesterday.

Here in Ukraine, especially in this city, churches on the whole are very stuck on rules, tradition, and legalism. It just seems to be the way it is. People that question anything get excommunicated. That seems to be the norm. Blindly following authority figures is one of the major continuing residual effects of many years of authoritarian rule under Communism.

I have connected with one pastor (himself a victim of “the system” in the past), who has the courage to continue to challenge the status quo. Life continues to be very difficult for him, but he believes that what Jesus taught is a better way, and is determined to show that way to others.

So, yesterday, I decided to directly confront some of these issues, despite the opinion of some other “missionaries” here who think that everything is OK. That we shouldn’t rock the boat. That our “job” is to support the local church, even if we disagree with what they teach. Sorry, but that’s not the way I see Jesus doing things!

Much of what we hear talked about in all of the emerging/missional conversation on the web, in books, and in some churches, is completely new to the people here. The first that they have heard that there is “another way” of approaching the Bible, or of living our life as a follower of Jesus, is what they hear from my pastor friend or myself. Nobody else is even looking at these issues…

As in most other parts of the world, the churches teach all kinds of rules that people must follow to be a “good Christian”. You must attend church every Sunday – preferably more often. You must read the Bible/Pray “X” times a day or whatever… You must not have “non-believer” friends. You must not question authority or tradition. Etc…

So, yesterday, I decided to bring up some of these issues directly, just to get people thinking about what Jesus himself thought of these issues – or if he even cared!

I tried to illustrate (to the best of my limited abilities) how Jesus lived by a higher principle than “following the rules”. I tried to show them that what Jesus was teaching was a completely different way of thinking, and not just a “new set of rules to live by”.

In this culture, that seems to be more difficult to grasp, because they have lived for so many years under oppressive rules that they can not imagine life without them.

What would Jesus do with the church today? As he did with religious leaders 2000 years ago, he would confront them when he saw that they were missing the point, and would encourage them when he saw they were “getting it”.

As a follower of Jesus, that’s what I want to do with my limited abilities…

So far, nobody has stoned me.

Other contributors to the synchroblog:
Glenn Hager
Erin Word
Gary Means
Alan Knox
The Refuge
Nate Peres
Sally Coleman
Barb
Rick Stillwell
Jeff Greathouse
Dan
Barbara Legere
Jonathan Brink
Jason Ellis
Cynthia Clack

Originally posted October 16th, 2007

What Would Jesus Do – With The Church

Stumbled across an interesting Synchroblog started yesterday by Glenn and Erin titled What Would Jesus Do – With the Church (WWJDWTC)?

I have never tried to do one of these “synchroblog” things before, and the whole “synchro” title reminds me of the VW Synchro all wheel drive system – but I guess that’s just me!

Ok… back on topic…

What would Jesus do with the church today? What are we really asking? What would Jesus do with the organized institution we call church? What would Jesus do with the people who are trying to follow him the best they can?

To be blunt, based on my experiences with many churches (not all), he would treat those institutions the same way he treated the Pharisees. He would call them out for their often blatant disregard for loving others, for turning the message of Jesus into something they use to control others, to make others feel guilty, and to judge other people. He would challenge them on the big business that Christianity has become. He would question them as to why they have turned it all into a religious system of rules, exactly the opposite of what Jesus came to earth to do…

What would Jesus do with the people He calls the church? As always, he would accept them the way they are, and patiently try to show them a better way to live. A better way to love. He would try to teach them real life outside the rules and regulations of religion. That’s what He did 2000 years ago, and that’s what He would do now, and is doing now.

This “synchroblog” caught my attention because this is a question I have been wrestling with for the past few years. This is what lead me (and my wife) to sell our house in Canada and move to Ukraine to work with orphans. This is what has lead me to connect with a small church (that just got smaller this past weekend) and a pastor who is blacklisted by most other churches here. This is why I am “preaching” next Sunday about the need for us as Christians to, above all, love each other as Jesus taught – and am ready to have the proverbial stones start flying.

For the three or four readers who have actually read my earlier posts on this blog, you know some of what I have seen within the Churches here. My challenge as a follower of Jesus is to figure out what I am going to do about it. Just sitting here and recognizing the problems accomplishes little if I don’t take action.

What are we doing? We are reaching out to the orphans, helping in whatever way we can. We are getting involved in, and supporting, a church and a pastor who are willing to live out the love of Jesus, regardless of what the religious establishment says about it. We are trying, to the best of our limited abilities, to show a better way. And this is for more than the next month – it’s our life.

You can read Glenn’s first part on this topic here. Erin has posted her first posting here.

Other WWJDWTC Participants:

Gary Means
Alan Knox
The Refuge
Nate Peres
Sally Coleman
Barb
Rick Stillwell
Jeff Greathouse
Dan
Barbara Legere
Jonathan Brink
Jason Ellis