Church Happens!

In many ways, church is not a place or even a gathering of people. Church is an event. Church happens. What if they scheduled a worship service and church broke out?

I know church happened in many places around the world yesterday. Specifically, I know of two gatherings in which church broke out. In the congregation in which I serve, a blended service took place yesterday that was purely anointed by God's Holy Spirit. My colleague in pastoral ministry here offered one of the most bold and faithful proclamations I have ever known. He shared with candor and with hope about an addition from which God freed him several years ago, which he has kept hidden. He courageously reminded our congregation that the Body of Christ isn't where we keep things in the dark from one another. Church happens when we love, support, and stand up for each other just as we are, and together we allow the living Lord to free us from the secrets that oppress us. The gathering was so spiritually ready. Musicians, worship leaders, and worshippers were all receptive and open to the Spirit's leading. It was a moment of deliverance for many. My friend and colleague received a standing ovation as a thanksgiving to God for his faithfulness and courage! It was a passionate worship event.

At the same time I had the opportunity to speak at a blended service in a congregation I served several years ago. This congregation was ready to open their hearts to the Lord. They gathered musicians together from three different worship services employing three different styles, with the one aim of opening hearts and minds to the living presence of Jesus. Truly of one mind in Christ, every part of this experience spoke of top flight guidance from the pastors and the leaders in the congregation. Worship was already at top speed and the Holy Spirit was moving freely way before I got up to speak. (I could have read from the phone book and gotten away with it; the spirit and focus of worship was so strong throughout.) It was a passionate worship event.

The Spirit of a mighty God is at work. The Holy Spirit calls us to push aside all the stuff that serves to distract us in congregations, and to just invite church to happen. I've seen it, and I know I'll see it again.

What if they scheduled a worship service and church broke out? Man, I've got to see what's around the next bend in the river.

More Than Just, "Let Us Pray"

Increasingly I see a central emphasis uniting many Jesus-followers who long to see churches awaken to their transformating, disciple-making mission. More and more people seem to discover that if many congregations have any hope at all for their future, prayer will provide the foundation for that hope. This does not mean the routine, "Let's open with prayer" at every church meeting, or "Oh, by the way, let's be sure to pray about this." This means praying before anything else begins. Foundational prayer prayer is yielding prayer. This kind of prayer doesn't mean coming up with a great idea for evangelism, then asking God to bless it. Yielding prayer implores God to set the agenda and the pace first, and asking the Holy Spirit to take the reins at every step.

For years, Henry Blackaby (author of Experiencing God) has urged disciples to accept the fact that God is already at work, that God invites us to join Him in his work, that God seeks a relationship with us, and that God communicates to us through that prayer-based relationship. It is pointless to do anything in ministry until prayer lays the foundation for that relationship. Martha Grace Reese has authored Unbinding the Gospel, presenting a relational evangelism posture for mainline churches. She tells churches to pray at length before doing anything programmatic in outreach. Paul Borden has served as an American Baptist executive, leading a number of established churches in his denomination through transformation. He says months or even years of prayer should precede missional transformation. Here are persons from conservative, mainline, and evangelical expressions, all saying the same thing about prayer as the foundation to fulfilling the great commission to go and make disciples.

What would it look like if prayer became the main thing in any given congregation? When we would walk into the midst of such a fellowship, how would we know that prayer is the heartbeat of the church's life? In everything from evangelism team meetings to finance committee meetings, how would a central focus on prayer be evident?

What do you think? The rivers are up everywhere, so be careful. I'll see you around the next bend.