Church outside the institution

I am finding that the institution of the church is often more of a hindrance to the community of faith then God intended the church to be. This is not a new argument but is a realistic turning point in relation to my personal journey.  I see clearly the church turning to program and away from passion of the missio Dei.  The church begins to decline at that point. The power for posture and position poisons the authenticity of the community. The Church outside the institution concerns itself with equality and eliminates  posture and position. It has it’s focus on Jesus as Lord and service in His mission. It values Kingdom principles over modern statutes creating a paradox the institution can not support. It changes from self possession to  shared expression and creates dynamic in the community. The church must brake out of this cage and be free. What a great day that would be!

What if…

What if Jesus was the center of everything we do? Not our history, not our doctrine, not our culture, not our church, not our denomination, just Jesus and His mission.

What if we focused on His mission? Reaching out to and building relationships with the marginal, the outcast, the lonely, the sick. What if we would love God and Love people?

What if our Sunday morning worship was a time to adore and stand at awe to our God and our weekdays was a time of loving, giving, forgiving, helping, healing, caring, sharing, building relationships with people?

What if we would read his Word as a story we are a part of and not a doctrine or a creed? How would we live, how would we act?

What would happen if we allowed Jesus to impact our lives so we could impact others?

What if…

The Scent of a Saint

Lately I have been deep in thought and spirit. Writing my thoughts on the tablet of my heart instead of my blog. I have a lot of books to read which fuels the fire of my thoughts.

Yesterday evening I went to a seminar with Peter Halldorf who just published a new book called “Doften av helgon” or “The Scent of a Saint”. Ironically he speaks and writes about the topic I have been interested in maybe for a longer time but has now become more actual, learning from the early church and the Church Fathers. Perhaps one could say a ancient-future approach. I think this is a result of my existential hunger for passionate truth on which I have been on a pilgrimage for a long time. My existential hunger for passionate truth is also a reason why I find interest in the emerging missional church which has called me to look back at the roots of the early church.

My blog may be silent for a while as I continue on my inner journey. I hope I can publish some of my thoughts and experiences. I will also try to publish what is happening on my outer journey with our church plant which has now been officially called New Life Church Gothenburg.

Hope you have a great 2008!

2007 has been a good year of conversations and making new blog friends. Learning that I am not alone in my thoughts and journey. There are people who think like me!!! Well almost! Thank you to everyone who pops in on this blog and puts up with my provocations and thoughts. I hope I can provoke you more in the coming year. Hope we can learn from each other through more conversation. Hope we can encourage one another to live more like Christ in our communities. Hope we can see our world become a better place.

I hope this blog will reflect the wisdom of Kierkegaard in his journal;

On each of the later works there is, on the title page:

Poetic, in order to show that I do not proclaim myself to be an exceptional Christian, or to be what I describe.

Without authority, or to denote that I do not lay others under an obligation, or judge them.

A spiritual revival, in order to show that I have nothing to do with outward changes, or that kind of reformation.

One man alone can not help or save the age in which he lives; he can only express the fact it will perish.

The Journals of Kierkegaard 1834-1854,  p.165