It doesn’t have to be this way

I think one way of expressing the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, is summed up in the phrase “It doesn’t have to be this way.” It’s the idea that what we currently experience isn’t the only option and things are not set in stone. There are other ways, often better ways. But we, for some reason or reasons, choose not to take on a different way.

Maybe we’ve gotten lazy. Or we are stubborn. Or maybe we’re tired. Or maybe we don’t have the capacity of envision how the situation could be different. Or maybe we don’t even know that it’s a possibility. Maybe we get the phrase, but think it only applies to certain things.

This of course relates with another idea that I embrace — What we say we believe is merely aspirational. What we do aligns with what we actually believe. And often what we actually believe is for settling for what exists. There’s a benefit to that — it’s a known. And humans have an addiction to having a sense of control and knowing. We’ll often give up a whole lot — even giving up a better situation — if it means we get to think we know and/or are in control.

But that’s not how growth happens. There are many church people who say they want growth for their church. But do they? I’m often curious by what is meant by growth. I’m guessing their definition and mine are not similar. What I have heard from people who express a desire for growth in their church is really about increasing the number of people to be part of the institution. The purpose — this will allow for more people to do what is needed…