disenfranchised
(To skip to LCC’s plans for Sun night worship at Alex Tech this fall, skip to paragraph 9)
Marginalized…shrugged off…left to fend for yourself. 85% of the people of my own county in small town Minnesota are ‘disenfranchised’. These forgotten lives are caught in a wandering sea of half-truth and mixed messages. The TV says you just need the fast car, or the beautiful girl. If you don’t have them, then work out more or shove someone out of the way to get the better job. Our town prides itself in the lake home, the big boat, the 2.5 kids that are sports prodigies..if you don’t have any of the three, everyone seems to question what you really have to offer. It’s funny that even though many do follow our culture’s advice, when they are honest they admit that this too is a shallow approach to life, or ‘disenfranchised’. And when you ask, these 85% have given up on figuring out ‘church’ or ‘following Jesus’…too much confusion, not enough explanation.
Tons of adults and students I talk to feel like they are tired of the routine of life, void of real relationships they can trust, clueless as to God’s purposes in the world, or where to go even to find those purposes to live by. Most, if they are honest, have the viewpoint of Orson Welles, “We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”
Why is it that we have more social websites than ever to keep us ‘connected’ with each other, yet when it comes down to it, this year we still have yet to have a meaningful conversation with a trusted friend (more than 5 minutes in passing)? And if we are gifted enough to have a trusted friend, why can’t we find the time to do something special for that friend to show them we care? What does that say about our self pre-occupation about our own lives?
And I’m in the same boat. I am way too self-preoccupied with my own life. Do I need to actually schedule in time to do something out of the ordinary for someone I care about? These last months, my personal passion has been to encourage the ‘disenfranchised’ to a life much different than they know. My wife, Anna, and I have been trying to make changes in our lives to be more intentional with relationships, writing down the things you want to say to someone, praying for the things you really want to see God do (not just thanking Him for the same things over and over). Yes, we are grateful….we tell Him every day we are. But we know God has amazing plans for people that trust in His Son Jesus, and God the Father delights in using His children to reach the ‘disenfranchised’.
This fall, Anna and I are investing in ‘doing church for the disenfranchised’. People that are weary of traditional forms of church are welcome. People that could care less about knowing God or Jesus or the Bible are welcome. People that have a strong passion to reach out to the hurting, wounded, and marginalized are welcome. We will be authentic in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, and authentic in building a relational community of those wanting to simply be like Jesus and follow Him.
Ive tried countless times to teach my parents how to use the internet and their DVD player. However, my dad remains content with ’60 minutes’ and the evening news while my mom lives for the hallmark channel tear-jerker. Why? Their generation is comfortable with doing things in a certain way, thus avoiding a different way of doing things. A ‘better way’ or not, the 85% disenfranchised are pleading for ‘different’? Could it be that different is actually within the story of the first church of Jesus’ first followers? Explanation for the real Jesus and being like Him are out there, but they are just unsure or leery of the traditional church settings to help them figure it all out.
SO, where do we go from here? Anna and I have a passion to sit with people and explain our story to them, and help explain God’s story as it has been revealed to us through the scriptures (Old and New Testaments of the Bible). Isn’t it a lot of fun to explain to someone your new car, or new house, or new girfriend/boyfriend? In the same way, and much more, we find it thrilling to explain to someone this ‘old, but new’ rediscovered picture of the God of the Bible- the person that created you and I, the person that in Himself includes a ‘trinity’ of persons (Father, Son, and Spirit), the person who sacrificed His own life to pay the punishment of our treachery against Him. It’s an amazing story!
Some of the ‘disenfranchised’ respond to this explanation, some don’t. Most don’t. Not because they are left with major questions- we get through most of them. We try to explain why we aren’t perfect as followers of Jesus, why God doesn’t just destroy evil from the world, why other followers of Jesus seem depressed and cold towards others who don’t agree with them. Those are pretty simply questions when we can talk about who God really is, and who mankind is created to be. Most don’t respond to the claims of Jesus Christ because they love sin rather than God. The love the pleasures of lust, greed, and pride rather than love, giving, and purity. They simply love the world too much, and do not want to change. And that’s OK with me, if we can simply be honest about it. Let’s not cover that up with a line like ‘I’m already a good person, and that’s why I know I’m going to heaven.’ That’s simply religion without Jesus- the Author and Creator of Heaven.
This fall at Alexandria Technical College on Sunday nights, we intend to have an informal time and space to hear what the disenfranchised are thinking and feeling. We intend to talk about the real heart of the issues- Who Jesus Christ really is, who we really are, why it all matters to everyday life, etc. (The first century followers of Jesus knew nothing of people who claimed Jesus but lived their lives for themselves) We see students gathered to talk as young adults and be changed by God to become the core of what God is doing in the world. We see families and couples gathered to encourage one another in parenting, marriages, and work relationships- so that moms, dads, and kids would follow Jesus no matter what the world says or what names their friends assign to them.
If you’d like to know more about this gathering of the ‘disenfranchised’ please contact me. Even if you want to discuss the post above, Id love to grab a coffee with you if you are even in West Central MN. I will drive to you and pay for your coffee- Honest! It’s time for real conversations that would really change lives- Jesus is most definitely the strongest, fiercest, bravest, and most compassionate One you will ever dare to meet. And He is ready for us to come to Him in humility and respect. For starters, read the Gospel of John, and let’s talk today.