Movement or church

"If your relationship with Jesus is utterly unique, then it is not properly Christian." Michael Horton, Ordinary, p.24.

As I began Michael Horton's book Ordinary, I was drawn in immediately. It begins with that series of buzzword adjectives that are so dominant in our church culture today. Radical...innovative...transformative...on the edge. And he asks the question, who wants to be ordinary? Our life has to count! He tellingly calls it a "newer version of salvation by works." (p.11). And as Horton shapes what has happened to the culture, and then what has happened in his own life, it opened up my eyes to the idols that I can sometimes be striving to serve.

One of his more telling paragraphs opens by saying, "In many ways, it's more fun to be part of movements than churches." Movements lead to moments of great spiritual enlightenment and power. I think of the past two Cruxifusion conferences. The music is incredible. The preaching inspired. The teaching brings insight. As Horton says, it sweeps me off my feet. It brings tears to my eyes. The few days together are great. But then, you need to go home. As Horton puts it,

Yet this movement mentality keeps us restless and makes ordinary life in and submission to an actual church seem intolerably confining.
And terribly ordinary. (Horton, Ordinary, p.26)

And when you go home, the high experiences stay with you, but then it is back to ordinary church work. Everything is fine...just fine. But after seeing that burst of sunshine, is just fine good enough.

Horton wants us to understand that it can be. Being ordinary is not an excuse to be comfortable or mediocre. Sometimes in our culture, being an ordinary Christian...church on Sunday, prayers and sacraments, hymns and sermons, loving God and each other, serving the community in unseen ways; being that Christian is a radical departure. Because God still works. Every sunset is not a blast of colour that awes us into silence. But every sunset is still a part of God's creation. Every sermon we preach or hear does not fill the rafters with a chorus of amens. But every sermon, faithfully prepared and guided by the Holy Spirit, proclaims a word that God has given to us. Every church service, whether there are ten or ten thousand gathered, can be an opportunity for God to work, in ordinary ways.

Let us put the ordinary back into our Christian lives without shame or apology.

Note: In the United Church the sermons we preach are greeted by a silent chorus of amens. At least I hope so.