Catalyst Track: The Light is Winning // Day One

This track comes from Zach Hoag’s new book; The Light is Winning.

The apocalypse that has visited Christian faith in America is challenging us to repent and reform without deconstructing ourselves to death (or undeath), without dismantling our faith to annihilation, leaving only a shell.

The necessary suffering that invites us to deconstruct our empire business is not a permanent condition. It is a temporary work meant to bring us into a second-half-of-life faith, into true flourishing.

In this 3-day track, Zach challenges church and organization leaders not to look at a post-Christian culture increasingly as a threat, but rather as a “revealing” – an opportunity to evaluate the way we do things and re-discover the life-giving power of Jesus.

What in your organizational context needs to be deconstructed, changed or made alive again in order to carry the light of Jesus to the world?

Whether you’ve been the unsuccessfully trying to champion change or you’re fearful of change,  take the next couple of days to answer the above questions. Complete the challenges at the end of each day to start your journey forward.

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Day 1 – Deconstruction

If we see the current shift to a post-Christian culture as an apocalypse—a revealing—then we can look for what is being revealed instead of bemoaning the losses.

Take the common desire among American Christians to be relevant as a reaction to the decline. When I was a church planter, I believed that my skinny jeans and American Apparel hoodie (it was the aughts, people) would at least be helpful in starting a truly missional church community. And our indie-folk worship band, which wrote rousing tunes that could just as easily be played in a club as in a Sunday service, couldn’t hurt either, right?...But this relevance couldn’t sustain us. It couldn’t prevent the inevitable failures we faced.

The apocalypse that has visited Christian faith in America is challenging us to repent and reform without deconstructing ourselves to death (or undeath), without dismantling our faith to annihilation, leaving only a shell. The necessary suffering that invites us to deconstruct our empire business is not a permanent condition. It is a temporary work meant to bring us into a second-half-of-life faith, into true flourishing.

REFLECT:

Whether you’re a leader in an organization or a leader in a church setting, take a look at the culture in which you lead and serve. What in your context might need some deconstruction – those things that feel trite or distracting from the gospel or your original mission? Share your thoughts in the comments below.