Simplicity in the Emerging Missional Church

This morning as I was waiting for the Watkins' sprinklers to go through their 2 hour manual driven cycle (can I just say there's got to be a better way?) I was reading from Alan Hirsch's The Forgotten Ways.  The author is studying various cultures in which a Christ-following faith is actually flourishing and theorizing what makes them work.

One thing, he says, is a simplification of the gospel message, to make it "easily transferred from one person to the next."  Hirsch says that "for an underground church, all the clutter of unnecessary traditional interpretations and theological paraphernalia is removed.  It has neither the time nor the internal capacity to maintain weighty systematic theologies and churchly dogma.  It must 'travel light.'"

This intrigued me as I remember the very recent past of my life with DC.  Although I know the author is speaking metaphorically of "traveling light", I remember physically lugging around hundreds of pounds of equipment every Sunday in order to set up what I call the "church show" for the morning consumers.. er.. congregants (apologies for my cynicism).  It was so much work and I often was too worried about whether the equipment was set up correctly or not that I missed most of what God was trying to do.

What a good physical example of a spiritual reality.  The more we try to "pile on" our theologies or dogmas or interpretations, the bigger the yoke of slavery we put around our necks.  The Pharisees were really good at this.  They taught their adherents to work themselves to death and call it "obedience."  Even relaxing on the Sabbath took work to make sure you weren't working!

If this is true, if "traveling light" is the best way for the gospel to spread and for God's Kingdom to be furthered, than what do I have that is "heavy"?  And what do I do with my degree in 'Ministry' and all the time and money I have spent into learning "theological paraphernalia"?

I'm not going to take a radical approach on this one (weird, huh?).  I DON'T think that a simple theology is the PRIMARY reason the underground church takes off.  So, yes, I think there is much to be sloughed off (for instance, theological debates about whether the bread and wine actually physically BECOME the body and blood of Christ when blessed) but there is also much to be gained about involving our minds into our faith. This must be in moderation, however (interesting, kinda like drinking...), because if we get too into dogma or theological pursuits we could lose the passion and excitement in the simplicity of the Gospel.  I think there's an easy test to see if you have too much "baggage."

If someone were to come up to you today and say, "I'm really sorry this is so forward, but I heard that you are a Christian.  Can you explain to me how I can be one, too?"  And you start off by saying something like, "Well, there are many schools of thought on the issue..." or "I know someone else you can talk to about that..." or "Why don't you just come to a Bible study..."  I think it's safe to say that you're lugging around too much "Churchy" baggage.

If, however, you have excitement and passion and get that holy sensation that God is using you for His plans, and start off by saying something like: "I would love to share with you how I found God..."  and then explain how they can do the same, I think a "traveling light" philosophy is in place.  THAT is a faith that is contagious... THAT is a confidence in Christ that I want to know more about.

Do you remember how you found God?  Or maybe more accurate, how God found you?

I've got way more thoughts on the issue, but that's enough for today.

-Tim