Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). This certainly may explain our affection for the good life and, even more, our loss of mission today. It seems many of us value our personal perks and comforts more than the things of the kingdom.
HolmesDavid Platt’s book “Radical” was an immediate hit. He challenged individual believers to live on the extreme edges of faith, far beyond the confines of cultural Christianity, life measured by total obedience to Jesus. Book two, “Radical Together,” takes aim at local churches. Here, Platt applies the ideals of obedient living to corporate mission, emphasizing the revolutionary nature of Christ’s commands and what can happen when congregations decide to apply them. Both are good reads.
“Radical” took on a cult following of sorts. Platt’s conviction about indulgence and self-absorption, especially in the Christian community, seems to have touched a nerve. Loving things and stuff more than the kingdom are indicative of the American dream fa?ade super-imposed on the contemporary church. The virtues of faith – sacrifice, self-denial, caring for others, trusting God, generosity, partnership, making disciples of the nations, among so many others – have been seconded to things that resonate more with our status than with Christ’s mission. The call for radical submission to Christ’s commands confronts the casual, comfortable way faith is communicated to the world around us. Oops, it’s the “C” word again. Change! Living radically will demand change of us.
Change is hard! The more entrenched the behavior, the more difficult the change. This may explain why churches and denominations falter when trying to implement the ideals of radical faith. In response to the “Radical” wave, many individuals and families have adjusted lifestyles, trimmed budgets, rearranged calendars, and examined commitments in order to reflect biblical standards. It’s not easy, and it takes time. Yet, when the right spiritual attitudes are present, and when we love the things of the kingdom more than the things of the world, it can happen.
Corporate settings are another thing altogether. Bureaucracies, hierarchies, and structured organizations are often deeply entrenched. There are governing documents, operating procedures, organizational charts, standing rules, budgets, strategic plans, and turf – all thick covering to protect the system. Shedding these layers of veneer requires more precision and focus. Organizational change happens when the mission of the organization is more important than the individual parts of it. This may be a stumbling block for Baptists right now.
There’s a radical dimension to the crisis that denominations, including our own, are facing today. Surely it is a crisis of mission! Over the years, a values inversion has shifted our priorities away from mission to structural maintenance. In plentiful times, the outmoded systems weren’t so obvious. When resources are stretched, however, and outcomes decline so abruptly, the clanking machinery draws attention. Adjustments are necessary, sometimes fine-tuning, other times demolition and rebuilding. Failure to make adjustments may happen because the system has become more important than the mission.
It’s time for something radical, personally and corporately.