SEEKER

Much has been said and written about churches that call themselves seeker-sensitive. I'm not going to get into that conversation today, now that I have immediately caused half of you to get your hackles in an uproar with just the mention of it --- and the other half whom I have immediately deflated because you were ready to say: 'You GO, PK!' --- two divergent views which, frankly, accurately describe the plight of the church today.

But in that seeker conversation, what I fear we have neglected is the concept of seeker-sensitive CHRISTIANS ... people who, without any doubt on my part, must see their personal mission as helping those uncommitted become vibrant followers of Christ.

That's why our KFA mission statement is "Making it Easy to Find and Experience God" -- not because we believe it will necessarily be easy for everyone, but because we believe the reason many aren't making the choice for God is because they aren't seeing the Jesus-life lived out around them enough without hypocrisy. So, our KFA goal is to live in such a way that people see us and are attracted to what we are and in that way, the road is made easier for people to find God and experience Him.

This is instant oatmeal to say and brain surgery to do.

I believe in seeker-sensitive CHRISTIANS. I believe that in the church (not the building, but the people) we should increasingly see ourselves as existing for something beyond ourselves. We are a catalyst for something way bigger - the Kingdom of God.

Imagine we are a big construction company building a housing development. Our goal is to build a great community for the good of our company and the pleasure of future residents. So we cut down trees, scrape away topsoil, fill in the wetlands and do whatever is necessary to build the development. We clear-cut and strip-mine a mountain for the raw materials we'll need for our houses and roads. Downstream, silt from our development clogs up the bay. Animals flee. Native plants are destroyed. It's not that we don't care really; we're just focused on something else ... something 'better.' We talk about the larger success of the development. That is our real goal. We finish the work, people move in, they're happy, and we win some awards for a job well done.

This is the church we have too often practiced. The world is the source of raw materials for the church. It's all right to tear people out of their neighborhoods as long as we get them into the church (the building) more. It's OK to devalue their 'secular' jobs as long as long as we get them involved in church work more. It's fine to withdraw all our energies from arts and culture 'out there' as long as we have a good choir and a nice sanctuary 'in here.' It's acceptable - even desired - because, after all, we're about salvaging individuals from a sinking ship where all but individual human souls will sink, so who cares?

By this way of thinking, we could rescue more Uncommitteds, build more Christians - better Christians - and create dynamic sheltered Communities --- at the expense of the world, not for its good.

So as we move forward, could we ask ourselves some tough questions?

Is it OK to be a seeker-sensitive CHRISTIAN?

Is the world a mountain to be clear-cut and strip-mined for the benefit of the church?

Or are we called to be a catalyst of blessing for the good of the world?

You know which answers I believe we must choose.

And be blessed.