COME TO THE EDGE: II. The Ship Made Ready © Bishop Mike Lowry June 2, 2011

Excurses – What Shall We Do? When the crowd heard this, they were deeply troubled. They said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Change your hearts and lives. Each of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you, your children, and for all who are far away – as many as the Lord our God invites.” With many other words he testified to them and encouraged them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Those who accepted Peter’s message were baptized. God brought about three thousand people into the community on that day. Acts 2: (CEB)

Excurses – A Spirit Led Fellowship The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. All the believers were united and shared everything. They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them. Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47 (CEB)

The Challenge Transition to a missionary impulse – three teams: a) going b) playing c) coming The Balancing Act Going is paying (must do superior pastoral-care) Playing is a mixture of Christendom and Post- Christendom Coming is institutionally indifferent, service demanding, spiritual seeking, and hurting & hungry

The Challenge: The Anchor You can mess with theology or worship but not both. Thus the phenomena that most theologically liberal churches are institutionally conservative and most theologically conservative churches are institutionally liberal (flexible).

The Challenge: Insights H.R. Niebuhr noted that “there are essential differences between an institution and a movement: The one is conservative, the other progressive; the one is more or less passive yielding to influences from the outside, the other is active in influencing rather than being influenced; the one looks to the past, the other to the future. In addition the one is anxious, the other is prepared to take risks; the one guards boundaries, the other crosses them.” (taken from The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch pg. 190)

The Challenge: Theological Our theology doesn’t work vague theism --why bother fundamentalism – rigid, graceless, yet attractive in a sea of moral pluralism Struggling for a 3 rd way truly Wesleyan genuinely orthodox (& open)

The Challenge: Response Where do you find yourself most theologically challenged? Where do you experience God in Christ through Holy Spirit leading you to respond? What new learning's do you need to engage in?

The Charge – Clearing the Decks New Institutional Forms Regional Churches as the new Abbeys Retraining clergy as challenge & charge Pension & Health Ins. as unsustainable The dying of the apportionment system Getting in the endowment game

Charge: The Opportunity Rediscovering the Power and Presence of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit Back to Acts A New Church (more like the original Methodist Movement) Pentecostalism as a live option (especially for new immigrants)

Charge: Concrete Actions 1.We have to live the 5 practices both corporately as a church and individually as Christ followers. Radical hospitality. Passionate worship. Intentional Faith Development. Risk-taking mission and service. Extravagant generosity. 2.We absolutely must engage in personal hands-on evangelism (sharing the good news of Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior) and witnessing to our faith.

Charge: Concrete Actions continued 3.The mission of the church – to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world – has to claim priority over how we do church. This will mean that mission needs to trump relationship. 4.Every single local church needs to be clear on what its specific path to discipleship looks like. 5.We must gain specific clarity on the outcomes, if you will the fruitfulness, we expect from local churches.

Charge: Concrete Actions Response Which of the 5 concrete actions suggested resonates with you best? Which of the 5 concrete actions are you most instinctively calls forth your resistance? What do you need to be learning?

BREAK