The Church Turned Inside Out

   
     I hear something deep down in my spirit; I've been hearing its rumbling for several years now, yet it seems to be sounding all the louder as of recent world events. While I have heard from several different sources, some of whom being well-known and sought-after voices, that there is something new on the horizon for the Body of Christ, like a re-structuring of sorts, and that we are walking into something completely unprecedented, I don't disagree at all. While they can see a leading of the Church into a new era, many are still assuming the change will still somehow be able to fit within our created structure.

     In reality, I believe He is saying that the entire structure is coming down. It's just that that is not what anyone wants to hear; it doesn't fit our paradigm. Yet, the infrastructure, the paradigm, itself, is the very thing that is being altered... it's the delivery system. We Christians so think we've got this thing figured out. After all, we've spent centuries and millennia, perfecting our technique, and in many cases, even have needed and been willing to re-evaluate and subsequently re-conform our motives to His (sad but true). But, while many are seeing an apparent change coming, why are they insistent on forcing it to fit inside of our box of understanding? Out of their mouths they speak the language of change, but assume it to occur within our given system.

     What if this "new era" is completely outside of every systematic conformity we have ever known? Are you ready for that? What if "church" doesn't even fit into a box anymore? And, was it ever supposed to, in the first place? That will likely remain a question unanswered for the time being, or at least one to be addressed once face to face with Him... however, I would guess it to be irrelevant at that point. The bigger question I hope we are able to answer is, are we prepared for the Church to look like something not before seen, at least within recent memory? Are we ready to be re-defined? And, by "re-defined," I might mean, to go back to our original state. To go back to home-base and start the game over, except now, in new wineskins.

     While I find that I don't disagree with what I hear being spoken that is coming around the corner for the Body of Christ, I might argue that it still seems to fall short. It is being understood through a foggy lens and then spoken about in such a way as to not offend the most educated and credentialed religious ears. Plain and simple; I don't feel they are seeing far enough. They need new glasses altogether.

     It reminds me of what I found myself telling a pastor of a church where I briefly attended within the last year (which, if you knew my story, you would know that is a big deal, even of itself). There were two occasions, where upon hearing his message given to the church, I heard very strongly in my spirit a little phrase of three words. The first time I heard it, I blew it off and assumed it was just my own crazy thought, though I did find myself mentioning it to one of my daughters on the ride home. However, not long after, during another service in which the same man was speaking, I heard the same three words rising up in my spirit, repeatedly and more loudly, as His message continued on. That time, I decided that I had nothing to lose by relaying those words to him after the service. Of course, I knew that I was a "nobody" to him, and that He really would have no reason to pay any attention to me. But still. I felt compelled to speak it to him, with the understanding that it would then  be on his shoulders to bring it before the Lord to weigh. So, what were the three words?? : "Scrap it all." I know the words perhaps may sound irrelevant just by themselves, but each time I heard them, they seemed utterly relevant to the pastor's message at the time.

     So, to get to the meat of what I want to say, what I hear welling up more and more strongly in my spirit (and as a result of the church's being forced to close their doors and sent home for a month or so) is that Father is doing a most beautiful work right now, if we will take our hands off the wheel and let Him. I have a sense that He is turning the church inside out. It's the way it was always meant to be. Meanwhile, we're looking for ways in which He is going to re-structure the institution within the four walls. But, I hear that we are to set our sights and activities outside of those walls, and not to look back... at the old and out-dated way of doing community life in Christ. I'm not saying that those wonderfully-designated buildings can't and won't be used for tremendous Christian gatherings of the saints. Likely, they will finally get to be used to their full potential, just without all the carefully-formulated Christian protocol and etiquette, deemed necessary by us. We actually have an opportunity here to shed our old skin and to see what surprises may lay ahead.

     I don't think this new world we live in can accomodate old ways or old thinking patterns. The kind of power that this world needs to see must be seen within their spheres, not ours. We are already there in those places, but there has been an unfortunate line drawn between their space and ours. For the most part, we have saved all things God-related to happen within our holy four walls. Now, however, God-stuff will happen in the least-expected places and circumstances. While it's true that we most-assuredly and necessarily will refuel when we get together with other Believers, the large bulk of change that the world will now be witness to, will occur in smaller and multiplied settings, as we infiltrate and take dominion over our specialized environments, as was intended from the beginning.

     For instance, the other day as I was meeting with a friend at the park, sitting at a picnic table and observing the other park visitors, I had a download of desire that sprang forth from inside (It actually wasn't the first time, though). I observed a few small groups of people visiting, sitting around the park in circles in their folding chairs. None of the groups seemed to have any reservations or inhibitions about being seen out in the open. And, to me, it looked delightful. Talk about community and fellowship (the two premier tag words of most churches)! The thought occurred to me: What if Christians, in large scale, took it upon themselves to meet up with each other in such an overtly public way, just for the sake of being together... you know, like friends?

     My spirit was alerted to the possibility of meeting there with a small bunch of Believers, and how cool it would be to have someone who played an acoustic guitar with us who spontaneously would let loose in worshipful song, and then everyone else in the group would naturally join in. I've done such a thing in days of old. It always drew a crowd of listeners, as people usually just enjoyed the hills coming alive with the sound of music... ok, ok, I'll knock it off (we don't have any hills, where I'm from, anyways). But, it was not uncommon to be approached by someone desiring prayer, as it was spontaneously and freely offered. It was truly a thing a beauty. To watch how the Spirit would draw the most unlikely people to observe, join in, or, to in some way benefit (far beyond our knowing, I'm sure) from, what they saw in those of us who had merely gathered together to hang out together and to love on Jesus. Which, I guess, that would be a "given," by the way, that we Believers would unabashedly want to love on Jesus.

     But, it added to a vision I've had formulating in my spirit for awhile now, I believe from the Lord, where Christians appear in small clusters all around out in the open, just doing life together and loving on others and each other like only Christians can. The language I heard myself using to describe it to my friend that day over the park's picnic table was this: "I see the church being turned inside out." What we've erroneously allowed only to happen within the four walls needs to be turned inside out. I believe it will be happening more and more, out of the necessity of the hour. So, that's the kind of "re-structuring" I see that will occur. And, I didn't even mention the multiple and varied moves of Holy Spirit's power that I also see accompanying such gatherings. The power of God was never meant to be shut up inside of buildings, anyways.




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