Us Lions II

"Us Lions: Belonging Before Believing" was one of my first blogs - ever.  I'm re-posting it today because last night I was reminded of the power of this idea, this practice, this lifestyle of including, inviting and collaborating with anyone who is willing.  I'm finding that this invitation to belong before you believe is an incredibly effective and transforming (for both the invited and the inviters) and a largely ignored and untapped practice in the Church today.  Certainly there are limits to belonging before believing.  So this is what I'm hoping to get some feedback on:  1)  Why do so few communities of faith fail to/choose not to invite the lost/missing/disconnecteds/non-christians to belong, participate and contribute?  And 2)  What are the drawbacks, dangers and limitations of being this kind of community. 

If you have a minute, read "Us Lions" and tell me what you think.

Thanks,

Didymus

Comments

[Imperfect Christian]

How to bring unbelievers into the faith is a question I've pondered in general over the years. Usually, the question returns when I'm confronted by a media report of some notorious evangelist pointing out some splinter in his neighbor's eye. I think the answer to your first question is that too few really know how to extend an invitation to an outsider.

My own hesitation comes from the fear that, if it's not done just right, I may turn that person even further from the church. Mind you, I would be much more at ease if the other party were to approach me. In that instance, I'd be perfectly comfortable with bringing anyone to my church, hoping their curiosity eventually draws them to understand the significance of the Word in their own lives.

Your second question brings up a scenario that we see playing out in churches that may have overextended themselves in this regard. By this, I'm referring to the Anglican and Baptist churches ordaining openly (read, "practicing") gay church members.

I guess trick is to remember that we are all sinners, and hope that those we invite are moved to recognize their particular sin and seek redemption. We can only ask God for his great wisdom should we have an opportunity to guide someone through this process.

[Philomena]

I think I fail to extend invitations to others because I am afraid they will say yes. When they do, I have lost some control of my environment and the demands it might make on me. I'm somehow more vunerable. I think God wants us to expose our lives of faith (let the light shine!), but it's a daunting proposition. I would much rather pick and chose who gets my time and energy, to my own detriment.

[Timothy]

Didymus,

I think that your first question deals with an issue of value, or as you put it in one of your comments on your first blog, worth. It appears that those who fail to/choose not to invite outsiders into the fold do not properly understand the value, or worthiness, of God in general or the value of having God as their God.

I believe that accurately internalizing the benefits of having the God of the universe using all of His unlimited resources working everything for your own tangible, present joy would naturally breed invitations to others to share in this incredible event. Like you said, we need something that is worth inviting others to. Moreover, I believe we are seldom taught of the "double joy" that we are missing out on by ducking the opportunity that we are given to be a part of the process that brings others into this realization. As Christians, we often lack the contagious joy that our name should connote.

Secondly, our minor amount of joy and faith that we do possess seems to always be in jeopardy since we fear that bringing other in threatens the loss of what we now possess. Even though, when thinking clearly, we attribute our initial act of faith to God, we somehow feel that it is subsequently up to us to cling to it and protect it at all costs. This, I believe, is one of the dangers of being a part of a community that seeks to bring in hordes of people with lifetimes full of preconceived notions and wrong mind-sets. We obviously believe that the thoughts and questions of the unregenerate pose a plausible threat to the foundations of our faith.

I think that at any given place in our fight of faith, probing questions that cause us reevaluate and internally own the theology that we propose to beleive can only strengthen us.

Thoroughly chastised by my own thoughts,

Timothy

p.s. As a point of clarification, Didy, in what way are you proposing that these disconnecteds "contribute"? I humbly admit that I am not sure that I understand the reference.

[Didymus]

Thank you for the input Timothy, Philomena and "Imperfect Christian." Very helpful.

By contribute Tim, I mean we invited talented and willing muscians to play at our "gatherings", talented and willing a/v people and comptuer techs to "contribute." In other words we aren't waiting for themt to be "in" before they can join us in attempting to join God in redeeming the world for His sake. We build with Habitat and that has been a great place to invite all willing to contribute.

Didy.