Something is changing! Can you feel it?
God’s Word hasn’t changed, but our understanding of it is. Even our understanding of who we are in Him is changing. Transforming revelation and empowering new perspectives of very familiar verses are launching a blasé church into dynamic new realities. Lest we have an automatic knee jerk reaction against the new thing, we must remember that although the nature of God is the same yesterday, today and forever, the Kingdom of God is always advancing.
“And of the increase of His Kingdom and of His peace there shall be no end.” (Isa 9:7)
If we are honest enough to acknowledge it, whatever we have been a part of, was also, at its inception, a radical departure from the status quo before it. And so, the cycle continues. Now we’re experiencing another shift in the heavenlies… the way we do business with God is morphing. It’s becoming obvious that what was appropriate and fitting 50 years ago… and in some cases, even 5 years ago, is antiquated today. The Church is waking up from her long ‘Rip van Winkle’ religious slumber! A global reformation is taking place in the Church of Jesus Christ!
So what is the anatomy of a reformation?
Three phases of reformation
First – Holy dissatisfaction This phase begins with a hunger for more reality in God. What used to work for us, doesn’t work anymore. Traditional church is not fulfilling a deep heart need. Some of us felt badly, not aware that it was God allowing ‘holy dissatisfaction’ to help us release our grip on what was once precious to us. (E.g. A toddler let’s go of his beloved but unsatisfying binky in hopes that he can have the lollipop.) Most readers will identify with this wave of dissatisfaction… and have probably experienced the rumbles in their own church? This dissatisfaction motivates us to move out of feeling trapped or stalemated.
But, thanks be to God for a hungry heart! “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, FOR THEY SHALL BE SATISFIED.” (Matt 5:6) (emphasis mine)
Second – Transition Here’s where pioneers explore new trails in the Spirit. These pioneers are the radicals of the dissatisfied ones. Some are leaving church, but not because of cool hearts or apathy. George Barna and James Rutz present empirical statistics in MegaShift which indicate that people are leaving church in order to find God. That’s right… they want more of God. And when they leave, they ‘rock the boat’ of the conventional norm. Most don’t have a vendetta to ‘rock the boat’, they’re just desperate. This results in ideological clashes, jostling of authority figures and even some schisms between those who feel they must maintain the status quo and those who are willing to ‘sell all’. Because these frontiersman are usually unpolished in style and concept, their radical initiatives may have a high ‘mortality’ rate. They will certainly pay a greater price for change than those who follow. The rank and file may ask, “What’s happening to my church?” And for the insecure pastor, this transition is especially unsettling, as his flock isn’t nice and tidy anymore.
At first this phase looks and feels awkward… even spurious. It’s the most uncomfortable part of the reformation process. Serious resistance arises from those who fear they are losing the comfortable and predictable culture of their ol’ time religion. Skirmishes arise occasionally which test the mettle of true believers who are at theological or stylistic odds with one another. This phase tends to yield a hybrid of both the past and future. It’s not the full or final change… it’s just a variation and upgrade from the old. But at least it’s a start. There is hope in the air now. We realized that it’s OK to start the deconstruction of our traditional positions and take a fresh look at Scripture. Bantering back and forth, blogs and Bible studies around relevant topics are the name of the game now. New concepts are being tested and ‘fired upon’ to see if they can stand the strain of going prime time. Then little by little mainstream Church’s talking heads begin to allude to the validity of the shift, which only pours gas on the fires of passion and resolution. It’s a done deal now. The rabbits have been let out of the cage… you’ll never get them back in. The course has been set and confirmed. Fine tuning and patience for God’s favor are the only prerequisites for certain success.
Third – Walking in the new thing This phase impacts everything! Radical new ideologies have sustained sufficient battles along the way so as to prove their enduring qualities. Abraham, Jesus, Martin Luther… all were radicals who defied the status quo and were resolute enough in lifestyle, word and actions to establish a permanent beach-head of new belief. Of course the impetuous and impulsive ones who were in it just because they love a good fight, have probably ‘died off’ by now… and they may have ‘taken out’ a few good people in their unbridled zeal. But despite the casualties, the fact is, this reformation is here to stay. Anointed and skilled voices are now discovered and begin the rise to the top… they now promulgate the life and power found in this reformation. The new ideology is not going away now… rather, it’s acceptance is expanding exponentially, for it is fulfilling not only Heaven’s new emphasis (and thus has Heaven’s favor), but it is answering the God-created ‘holy dissatisfaction’ felt early-on. En masse men’s hearts eagerly leave the old and embrace the new. Heaven’s favor is manifesting on many fronts which begins to change society’s ‘world view’ and the culture at large.
From my perspective, the Church may have started the first phase of ‘holy discontent’ back in the early to mid 90s. This was evidenced by a shift of emphasis toward house churches and less formalized church gatherings. Ralph Neighbors’ book ‘’Where Do We Go From Here’, and Larry Kreider’s house church network, Dove International, and others, were some of the first evidences of substantial discontent with formalized religion. In fact it was in the mid-90s when I first heard the phrase ‘holy discontent’ coined by Rick Joyner. Most people who found themselves a part of this phase, had it ‘up to here’ with pew-sitting and thus began a search to find God. Note: their motives were to FIND GOD! That was the first phase… awareness of a problem. That was nearly 20 years ago.
The second phase started out kind of ‘maverick’ and tenuous. Sincere hearts were done with status quo and were going to try something… sometimes anything… sometimes nothing… because we just couldn’t stay where we were. Even DC Talk expressed agreement in their song which says “God is doing a ‘Nu Thang‘.” I think the Church at large is in the second phase, and may have been there for the last 5 or so years. Just take look at some of these recent dramatic shifts.
~ Our understanding of our identity and position in Christ is changing
~ The goodness, grace and love of God is exploding in our understanding
~ ‘Heaven now’ – many of Heaven’s realities are available now – no need to wait
~ Classic eschatology has sustained an intense ‘hit’… and is still radically shifting
~ Kingdom mindset and expectations of a victorious future are changing
~ ‘Kingdom’ and ‘Grace’ are being heralded from many streams in the body of Christ
~ Our vocabulary and prayer posture is being forced to keep up with our new found realities in God
These are glimpses into the third phase where the answers to our dissatisfied hunger and quest will be experienced as the new norm. Looking at the evidence around us, we see signals that this phase may not be that far away. Be prepared, where we’re going would probably shock us if we could define it now… but if that disturbs us, ask ourselves how much we’ve changed in just 5-10 years. The body of Christ is waking up and growing up into Christ. Momma Church was good. She has been and will always be good. And we’ll visit Momma’s House frequently… but the apron strings to Momma have been cut. We’re finding out that the Church Family is everywhere we find them… not just at Momma’s House. We’re discovering how to be sons led by the Spirit (Rms 8:14) in our Father’s kingdom. This third phase will bring real UNITY OF THE FAITH (Eph 4:12-16)… where we are transformed by the faith OF Jesus Christ (Rms 3:22; Gal 2:16) and our minds come into unity WITH God’s views of us.
Reformers, this is a most exciting time to be alive! Get ready for the ride of your life.
(The above perspectives are a reflection of my own journey, observations and convictions mixed with gleanings from Mel Wild’s blog ‘In My Father’s House’, Graham Cooke and others.)
— MLH
Tags: holy dissatisfaction, MegaShift; Where Do We Go From Here, Momma Church, Reformation, status quo, Three phases of Reformation, transition
How we see our life in Christ will very much determine how we respond to this fresh wind of grace we’re seeing in the body of Christ today. And I think Jesus’ parable in
Luke 15:11-32
can help us here.
Mark Hendrickson
Beyond the Map 