Where is the life?

This is nothing new I know, but it has struck me again this week that growth and life are always to be found on the margins of the institutions and organisations; on the margins of society - perhaps even on the margins of the human self.

This observation clearly has implications for how we structure our churches, our businesses, perhaps even our society. In terms of our churches, increasingly we will need them to be more fluid and focussed towards those who are not currently members. (FYI - I am not talking about implementing 'seeker services' so much as ridding ourselves of services as we know them. Who is getting served after all?) It also has clear implications for how we should be living. Namely we must people who are ready to make our home on the borders of our society. As Christians we have seen this kind of life in action in Jesus. He was born on the margins and in disgrace, he lived on the margins, even died on the margins outside the walls of the city.

Let the church once again find its place on the margins of society (disestablishment?). Let us give up the search to be in with the 'in crowd'. Let's instead spend our time getting in with the wrong crowd and building communities there. Let's spend less money on new church buildings and more on building homes for the homeless. Less time working out how to best 'worship' God and more time doing it. Maybe then we will rediscover our prophetic witness to the world, which I would argue we have almost completely surrendered.

I don't pretend to be living this kind of life by the way. But I would love to try. Are you interested? It can't be done alone. It will certainly cost us the life we dreamed we might live. But I believe Jesus on this one, I think the rewards will more than compensate for the loss.