Terminally Bland (and blind)

The Terminally Bland Church

Something on the periphery of my understanding has almost come into full view in the last couple of decades. Modern, western, Christianity can become the vanilla of all flavors of our (true) religion if left to its own devices. Churches, churches, churches; ministries, ministries, ministries…which one can be bigger than the last? Which one can be more “cutting edge” than it’s neighbor? Which ministry can be “just so”…good while making it’s followers oh so rigid (or is that spiritually constipated…take your pick)? And which can make the biggest media splash?

There are the ministries that cannot abide the eclectic; who must have order or else. The sermons must be reviewed before the speaker ascends the platform for “fear of the juice”. Hard and fast rules will be laid out so the outsiders looking in won’t judge the hoi polloi of the marching ranks. We must be milquetoast don’t ya know! We must not encourage creativity (except from the direction we think it should come). This is how they did it in the first century isn’t it? This is how Moses did it and if it’s good enough for him it should be good enough for us. Wait a minute…Moses was a little different…hey a lot of the prophets were a little different…hey…

I’ve always admired the Christian who was the “different drummer” (not just marching to it); who actually had thrown off the shackles of his/ her mummified upbringing and ventured off into their own wild blue YONDER (led by the spirit don’t ya know). And it is this individual who is continually mocked by his/her peers for not being “part of the community” or not “under the leadership of a local pastor”. But this is not necessarily the case. The individual usually just wants to be him or her…self. To be the different drummer, one must know the tune to keep in the rhythm. The song might be just a bit slower or faster, higher or lower in key, syncopated a bit differently…but the song nonetheless (read: doctrine here).

And God is into individuals. He shook Elijah out from under his (juniper) tree and Jeremiah, Ezekiel…hmmmm…most of the prophets butted heads with those who wanted them to conform. Then there’s Paul. Imagine if you will, the apostle Paul, as a Pharisee, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; getting the revelation of the Secret (read: tell the world that the Gentiles are now the equals in all ways to the Jews). He was kinda’ on his own on this one mates. Jesus trusted him!

People will make mistakes. New blood in an aging (or stodgy) church or ministry will spill out of the scratched or skinned knee; no doubt about it! But do you plan to keep them infants forever? Who will take up the torch if you won’t trust them with matches? Stop being terminally bland and let go of the keys to the car once in a while. It won’t stop the world from spinning on it’s axis.