Risky Church

It’s a tricky thing, working with churches sometimes. I work alongside and in partnership with churches and faith groups from across the spectrum of culture and tradition. I love that there are as many things in common as there are differences – people always fill from the back row, there will always be one person in charge of 27 rotas and committees and usually dashing round after the service to catch up with people and rope in a few others. There’s one common element that I find that concerns me though. We don’t like to be too offensive. We as churches often find ourselves catering for the lowest common denominator so that we risk as little as possible. We chose our battles carefully, with a look over our shoulder to make sure we’re not alone and tentatively we tiptoe our way out into the world to gently try and change it.

And yet the history we have, the mandate we have, the example we have in Jesus and his disciples ... the church should be leading the way in standing against injustice, and seeking the Kingdom and being the most relevant institution there is! Yet, try and engage some churches in being a little reckless for the sake of the oppressed, and stick their head out of the bunker on behalf of truth, and tip over the tables of temple in the search for justice... Hmmm! People in our communities are looking for purpose, for a cause which carries a little more weight than who wins X-Factor, for a way to contribute to a better world for our children and grandchildren.

We have dozens of opportunities to do it, to be relevant, to be people who change the world! We did it and ended the legality of the slave trade, we did it and ended apartheid in South Africa. Now we need to once again open our eyes to the harsh realities this world faces and get vocal. Think of the rewards for our world and our church – now let’s take the risks.