Time to Get ReJesused

I've just completed reading a book called ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. It has my highest recommendation for others to read.

The first Christians were imitators of Jesus. They had a dream and a vision that compelled them to be missional people. They had been with Jesus and had him captured in their hearts and minds by means of the Holy Spirit. Like all of humanity, their voices eventually became silent in death.

The post-Apostolic Church then had an ominous task of keeping that original vision and passion alive. But since they had not been eyewitnesses of Jesus, they were at a decided disadvantage. This is true for any movement or institution. In order to perpetuate the vision of the founder (that would be Jesus in the case of Christianity), guidelines and ordinances need to be set in place. But the movement won't be the same.

This is what later Christianity tried to do. They invented liturgies, built cathedrals, wrote creeds, systematized doctrine, and removed themselves from the rough-and-tumble of everyday life. These things weren't bad or evil. They were for a good purpose-- to keep the passion and the vision of Jesus alive for themselves and for later generations. But they ultimately failed in their tasks.

This is where the Church is today. As we all know, Western Christianity is dying, if not already dead, as evidenced by the increasing number of empty pews on any given Sunday. Yes, we have our traditions and our creeds and our doctrines, which are fine. Some churches have gone to the opposite extreme and built stadiums complete with Jumbotrons, rock bands, gift shops, pyrotechnics, restaurants, arcades, and cafes.

Unfortunately, all of these things have had an unintended effect-- they have domesticated and tamed Jesus to the point that most Christians yawn at the mention of his name. Frost and Hirsch say that it's time for the church to be "ReJesused". In other words, Christians, both individually and corporately, need to make a conscious and deliberate effort to pour over the Gospel accounts of Jesus, look at what he did, and seek to imitate him in all areas and dimensions of life. This is the only way we have today to catch the original vision of Jesus and the apostolic Christians. A relationship with Jesus can only be had through unmediated imitation of him.

All of this will entail a complete stripping of the accoutrements of the past 2000 years, under which the Gospels are buried. Or at least digging through the layers. As Harry Wendt has said, "The Word works, but one must work the Word." This is not an easy task. People are creatures of habit and are frightened by anything that threatens their security blankets and towers of power. But if the church wants to maintain any real spiritual vitality, it will have to decide if it will follow Jesus or not. The answer will make all the difference.