Posted by Dave on 09/10/06 at 01:47:40 pm
Categories: Theological Ravings, Community

The Exodus Papers (pdf version now available):

8 Friends. All under the age of 25. Former staff members and leaders in churches and denominational offices. A self-employed graphic designer, a party planner, a salesman, a violinist, a horse whisperer, a banker, a photographer, a convenience store manager, a nurse, a car dealer employee, and a PHD candidate. Bloggers, friends, and spouses. They all tell the story of how they walked away from the traditional models of church and how they are now exploring alternative models of community and practice.

This is really good, and really important.

Please go read their stories.

And if you are at all related to church, read them again. And again. And try to figure out what it means.

So many of us have become incredibly disillusioned with the church for a myriad of reasons .

Maybe they hate the hypocrisy. Maybe they were treated like crap. Maybe the church ignores the real call of the church to serve the poor. Maybe they were not listened to. Maybe they were part of too many churches that refused to change. Or too many churches that refused to use the gifts and passions of the people within the church. Maybe they just feel that they have been pushed away - or "pushed to the margins."

I have been a part of churches that have done all of these things.

I have even been part of a small group of people who wanted to do something, who wanted to create change - something that people would be interested in. This group wanted to start something new, something that was real and authentic. A place where we could question and still worship. A place where we were listened to and believe in. Something that people like me could relate to, but not just people like me. People from across the theological spectrum and across the ideological spectrum. Yet it was shut down. Because it was different, it was change, and it was threatening.

I have been part of a church where the senior pastor said that I was angry, but not to my face. He was right...I am angry about certain things, but he never cared to ask about them.

I have been a part of a church that continued to claim that they were short on money while they paid each member of the music team each week. At the same time there were members of the church who would have gladly participated in the music team for free. People see where priorities lie.

I have been a part of a church that continued to build bigger buildings and bigger gyms and bigger food courts, yet did not see the many people who got ignored in the process.

I have had a youth pastor tell me that the previous youth pastor told him that I was not a person that should be invested in as I would not "bring people to church."

I have been a part of a church where dozens of people in their twenties left, but no one really cared to ask why.

I have been a part of a church that refused to give a woman any responsibility even when they were short on leaders and had women volunteering.

I have no doubt in my mind that the church in America is failing to meet the needs of so many people - both in and out of the church. Yet I continue to see churches refuse to change. And I continue to see churches refuse to listen. Don’t get me wrong…there are great churches that I have seen. But they are few and far between.

We need something more. We need places of open authenticity. We need places of real worship. We need safe places - safe places to question and challenge, safe places to love, save places to hurt, safe places to laugh, and safe places to cry.

We need the Church again.

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