living the church organic

[thoughts in process]

what does it mean to be "church organic?" what value does being a "church organic" have in relation to being "church inorganic?" the reality for me is that most churches have started with the desire to be "church organic" but have added so many artificial flavors and ingredients that they can claim, at best, being "church inorganic." is "church organic" healthier for you then "church inorganic?" Over my personal walk in faith i have found that when i needed the church the most, it walked away from me; it was the "church inorganic." is it possible to strip "church inorganic" of all it caries and bring about "church organic?" if not, do we simply need to "start fresh, in organic soil, with heirloom seeds" to truly keep it organic? can we see past the hype and the programs that create "church inorganic" and bring about a revolution in the church organic? keeping in mind, being "church organic" means we seek smaller growing fields, natural water supply, organic soil and organic fertilizers; we also need to remember that "church organic" requires a great deal of labor; growing things organically requires a great deal of labor, and a great many workers - is the "church inorganic" truly ready to become "the church organic?" to me, and others will disagree, but the key to "the church organic" is looking at the church in the first two centuries; a deeper look at the church in Acts.

it forms a "sense of place"
what does it mean to form a "sense of place?" i believe it means it flows from the people, and is not designed around programmatic needs, but the needs of the people at any point in time. everything it is, is because it is "local." it forms a place where the local flavor is nurtured and embraced. being organic means it demonstrates a reverence for the people in the community. it sees the value of the local connection and it benefits the local community. it connects people to people and allows for the needs to be found from the ground up; it is feed by local soil. by forming a "sense of place" it allows for generations to come together and experience life in new and different ways. the idea behind a "sense of place" means we see past ideas of "generation" and we find a way to truly work to develop a common ground and in my heart, that common ground is always Christ.

in creating this "sense of place" we need to remember that a 10,000 member church can not form a "sense of place." while they can think they can by creating "smaller churches" [cell groups] within the larger church, but it still becomes "program" and it is designed to keep the church big - it's "sense of place" starts with the needs of the institution and that can never be church organic. the process of growth in such a church falls into canned programs and prescribed process that moves a person along an assembly line of "faith development."

it reduces the "toxic load"
living in "the church organic" enforces and promotes a "less toxic" environment where living, breathing ideas grow and are nurtured; where people connect and share life together. we live at risk of exposure to noxious "artificial" programs and we run the reality that we are feeding poison to those into the community. think of it this way, the church organic lives in the environment so supporting organic reality doesn’t just benefit out community, it helps all families live a less toxic theology.

messy, you need to get dirty when playing in the dirt
it takes a great deal of hard work to develop organic soil. the idea of saving "the garbage" and letting it turn into nutrients seems so far away for most of us, we are use to the "instant growth" chemicals bring into our life. but when we start looking at the church organic we need to remember that the soil needs to be rich, natural and available to use. so, in that we need to get ready to get dirty.

slow growth - growth is on God's time, not on ours
developing the church organic takes time and commitment on the part of the servant called to serve the people. they need to be connected to the lives of the people, live among the people and share their lives and struggles with the people - the people they servant must know, love and trust that servant. we have to remember that just as organic food is better for us in our heath, the organic church is better for us in our spiritual walk

before i had mentioned that whenever i had hard times in my life, i felt the church pull away from me - they never seemed to open and express a love and care. i was left to "fixing the problems on my own." but in the church organic, and because of the realization that we are to be their for others, this can never happen - when we are growing as a community, in our spirit, in our relationship to Christ, we express a desire to help - to get dirty - to be a shoulder to cry on - because we know, when the time comes and we need the support of the community, the church organic will come and be there for us.

closing:
i want to be honest, and let you know that living the church organic is costly, timely, hard, dirty and tiring work. it will bring you to the point of screaming, and it will bring you to the point of great joy. you will cry in the good times and the bad - you will experience a community of faith like you have never experienced - an "acts community of faith" where people shared life. you will find yourself sharing things you would have never thought sharing and you will forgive those who have hurt you along the way. the church organic is a place of healing, connecting and expressing the love of Christ to the world around us. when we look at the hearts of those we see, we know that they need the church organic, they need to live in a community of faith that loves them, helps them and supports them through hard time - if a church is unwilling to be the church organic, i desire to have nothing to do with it - i am looking for a church to pastor in california, and i am looking for a church with the heart and desire to be "the church organic"