Sixth insight: Listening is the center point of church.
As I've been living in this passage (Lk. 10:38-42) this week, what has emerged is another important adjective to place before the word "church". Maybe it's the most important adjective. We have "house" church, "organic" church, "simple" church. All of these are good. Each one conveys an important aspect of what God is doing.
I now want to add "listening" church.
Seeing the Martha and Mary story as a church planting story (i.e., connected to Jesus' teaching in the first part of the chapter) sheds new light on the meaning of a "person of peace". On one level, Martha is that person because she "opened her home to him" (10:38). This is what Jesus described in 10:8. "When you enter a town and are welcomed..."
However, at a much deeper level, Mary is the true "person of peace" because she "sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said." (10:39) And, of course, Jesus encourages Martha to join Mary at this deeper place.
Seeing this as a story about church planting leads us to paraphrase and expand the dialogue this way...
Martha, you don't yet understand the true nature of church. You are anxious about all kinds of good things but they are keeping you from the best thing. You are anxious about preparing food and taking care of the children. You are anxious about Bible study and good doctrine. You are anxious about singing and worship. You are anxious about being missional - taking care of the poor and reaching the lost. All of these are good but sometimes the good is the enemy of the best.
I want you to put them all aside and come over here and sit at my feet and give your full attention to listening to Me. When you do that, church begins for you. When you do that, you and Mary become a "church of two". Trust me when I tell you that all of the things you are anxious about will get taken care of if you give your full attention to simply listening to me. This is the true nature and activity of church. Two (or more) people seeking first an intimate conversational relationship with Me. Everything else will flow from that.
The churches that Jesus planted functioned the same way He did. (Jn. 5:19) They did nothing on their own initiative. They focused on listening to Jesus and only doing what He directed. They were...
Listening churches.
Your thoughts?
John
I love the idea of seeing Mary as a listener. Most sermons and thoughts on this passage see Mary as a worshipper. Mary as a listener puts it in better perspective because she will have to respond to what she hears. Mary as a worshipper always seemed a bit passive for me. Martha was being proactive Mary is being responsive.
ReplyDeleteGood comment Wade. It reminds me of our discussion on prevenience and God's initiation.
ReplyDeleteI imagine most people who have a heart for church planting, most of us starters and initiators of new things, are a lot like Martha by nature. It is fun and brings joy to start a new thing, but without paying attention to the Lord, the end result is not always satisfying. I have found a lot more peace and joy in a listening approach. I am still learning, but have come a long way. When God really does lead, it becomes a no-brainer. Why would we do anything else?
If God made us to be initiators, how do we step into that without taking over God's initiation? How does our starting new things become a response to what God does or says?
That is the hardest thing for me Hobby. I always am steps ahead in my mind of where things are today. Being responsive is a constant struggle. Initiating without getting ahead of God seems to be a start and stop type thing. Listen, respond, listen some more, respond, Listen, respond. I think as we become more comfortable with this type of leadership from the Holy Spirit it can become a natural rhythm for us. In the beginning it seems choppy and unnatural. In the past, I would get a word and then run with it in my own strenth. When I ran out of strength, I would stop and pray and listen. Then go running ahead again. Staying in step with Christ is so important.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an important conversation! Wade, I love your words - proactive or responsive.
ReplyDeleteHi John, Maree from Australia, thanks for this great discussion. In my recent journeling I have been talking to the Lord about my 'pet rocks', I have a huge sack full! Learning about preveniance and practicing listening is a revelation. The Lord has given me a gift of empathy, I am naturally a rescuer and intiator, a very exausting combination! Listening Church is a keeper for me, it will remind me first to listen and then to listen again. What he puts in our hands is so much better than the pet rocks we keep picking up and trying to polish.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a huge concept! One of the hardest hints for most people, I think, is learning to let go of their own agendas and truly let God lead. It feels so counter-intuitive, and nothing in our church backgrounds has given us any footing on which to stand for this kind of approach to church. And, there's a great deal of fear, in my experience; people are scared to death that, for example, their kids won't get what they need, community won't develop, the Bible won't get taught, etc. - in other words, nothing that's "supposed to happen" will happen unless we make it happen. Of course, if we're making stuff happen, God isn't really needed, but it's so hard for folks to really see this. Listening and waiting just seems like such a colossal waste of time. That's why we must start with genuine people of peace - people whose hearts have been prepared by God. People of peace are not merely people who are frustrated with traditional church and eager to try organic church - they're people who have a hunger for increased intimacy with God, and are willing to do anything to get it. These people have a God-prepared stance toward him that makes listening (and thus church planting) possible.
ReplyDeleteThis is the best description yet of a "person of peace" - one who is prepared in their heart to listen to Jesus. However, most of the time, the gospel-bearer must listen too - listen to the person's story, their brokenness, their longing for the Gospel and where the story of God might intersect their lives. It is a dance of listening.
ReplyDelete