What if the answer wasn't a new preacher?
What if the answer wasn't a million-dollar renovation of the building, or even a new coat of paint?
What if the answer wasn't another specialized ministry for every possible group of people in the church by age, gender, marital status, work status, addiction or struggle?
What if the answer wasn't a more hip youth minister or better childcare or a more fun children's church?
What if the answer wasn't new songs? Or old songs?
What if the answer wasn't better training for our "worship leaders"?
What if the answer was Jesus?
What if the answer wasn't better sermons or more humor, personality or emotion from the speakers?
What if the answer wasn't more small groups?
What if the answer wasn't more community projects or a better VBS or more fun Bible camps?
What if the answer wasn't more guilt?
What if the answer wasn't about money?
What if the answer wasn't a better model of evangelism?
What if the answer wasn't new Bible studies or memory verses?
What if the answer was that we quit "going to church," and instead decided to live as the church?
What if Jesus is telling us today the same thing He told His first disciples: "Follow Me"?
What if we set our hearts to love Jesus above everything and everyone else? What if we truly loved Him with our entire heart, soul, mind and strength? How would our lives change? How would our world change? I once heard the question asked: "If you could go to heaven with everyone you have ever loved, with no sickness, sorrow or pain, and you could enjoy all of the pleasures you desire for all of eternity -- but Jesus would not be there -- would you still want to go?" I think our deep, honest answer to that question is quite telling. What if we meditated on Jesus' statement: "Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me"? What if we could guarantee that our children and spouses would be in heaven with us, but Jesus would not be there? Would we still want to go?
What if Jesus is telling us today the same thing He told a rich young man so many years ago: "Sell all you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me"?
What impact would we have on the world if we, collectively as Christians, sold our million-dollar buildings (or multi-million dollar buildings, more like) ... sold all the real estate and stained glass and pews and offices and fellowship halls and gymnasiums we've built up "in the name of God" and gave that straight to the poor? How many billions of dollars would we have available for actually helping people? (As just one aspect of this, note that a study states that the yearly cost of religious tax exemptions in the US alone is $71,000,000,000. That's billion, with a "b".) And then, without billions of dollars wrapped up in real estate (real estate that's used for, what, a handful of hours a week??), we wouldn't have to continue pouring money into insurance, taxes, building maintenance, lawn mowing, administrative costs .... just think of all the money that would suddenly be freed for kingdom use!
What if we actually believed - and corporately lived - the reality that there is only one High Priest (Jesus) and that every.single.Christian. belongs to the household of priests? That no Christian is above any other? That there is no hierarchy possible under Christ? What if I took back all the responsibility that I have surrendered for so long to one (or a small handful) of specially-trained and 'pedigreed' men and women, and took to heart the words of Paul when he says that "each one of you has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation ..." to share when Christians get together? What would it be like if we all took responsibility for sharing the Christ that dwells in each one of us? And speaking of getting together -- what if we lived as a shared-life community, instead of associates that simply meet at an appointed time (say, once a week)? What if we stripped ourselves of all titles, status and positions? What if we gauged greatness among us by seeing who has humbled himself and served others and loved others the most, instead of by seminary degrees, prestige, titles or money?
What if we shifted our energy as a collective body? What if, instead of focusing so much attention on what does or doesn't happen during one hour a week, we started focusing on the other 167 hours in a week? What if we didn't look for rules & regulations & things we can check off a list for God, but instead we walk in mercy, justice and righteousness?
What if we stripped down everything we think we know about religion until we were left with only Jesus? (❝..."How will we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way ... "❞) What if the answer is not more, but less? Not more ritual, or more study, or more works, but simply Jesus? What if I pursued such a relationship with Him that everything in my life radiated from that singular point? What if, instead of creating false illusions of spirituality by having certain people assigned to bring certain songs or teachings or revelations, we actually let the Spirit of Christ lead us, in a real and tangible way, not just whenever we get together organically with other believers but all throughout our lives? What if we lived as if the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of the One who raised Him from the dead - the Creator of everything that has ever been created - actually dwells inside each one of us? What if we lived as though we were the vehicle for the Spirit of the Divine?
What if . . . ???
