Kathi Allen

“I’d love to toss you all out of the boat.” –Jennifer James

I think Jennifer spoke for much of mainstream culture when she addressed the Church and said she’d love to throw us all out of the boat.

I was struck by the privilege of listening to our culture speak to the Church. We often talk about wanting to reach our culture and talk about what we perceive to be their “felt” needs, but it is truly rare for us to hear culture speak directly to the Church through one of its articulate spokespersons. While at times it was a little uncomfortable to see our shortcomings and culture’s perceptions, it was a profound experience. The challenge was loud and clear…When a culture like ours lets go of its values and you don’t see the new coming in, you have a moral void. “In this moral void is your work, but so few are willing to get out of the boat.” The crisis in our country right now is a major opportunity to look deeply into our nation’s soul.

But she also warned us of a problem—when we have big scale changes like we’ve had it becomes overwhelming. There is a tendency to focus on minutiae (like the appalling worship wars). It’s very hard to be sure of yourself if the issue is broad, it is much easier if it is small. In the midst of huge change churches can focus on minutiae and lose sight of the big picture.

She also challenged us on our role as sorters for the culture. “How hungry we are to sort out the chaos.” Society sees one of the benefits of religion as being a catalyst to gather us together and help explain the unexplainable. Buddhism is the fastest growing religion in America because it helps bring balance to chaos.

Hard truths—women in culture perceive the Church as not valuing women. She talked of growing up in a church with “no sense that God loves women.” She asked us, “How could we possibly have constructed a Church that conveys that women are not wanted?”

Jennifer chastised us about pastoral tolerance under the guise of forgiveness. She cited examples of discredited ministers saying they were “sorry” and being able then to go on as if nothing every happened. She talked of forgiveness not being a synonym for positional restoration. She also challenged us by saying, “The Church should rise up and redefine justice.”

In referring to a movement in culture, she spoke for thousands when she said to us, “You can’t call yourself a Christian if you don’t take care of the earth.” While we may not totally agree with the statement, much of culture holds us to this standard.

Jennifer urged us out of the boat saying, “You don’t how much we need you as leaders.” She was overcome by emotion as she challenged the church to HEAR the culture and rise up and be like the historical Jesus—not the patriotic bureaucratic one we have created. “You are a congregation committed to kindness. You must step out of the boat, and if you don’t who will? Please take care of yourselves so you can take care of us.”

In the halls, I heard a disgruntled few complaining about her talk. One comment was, “How could she say some of those things to us?” She was invited to tell us what culture sees and thinks. And I wondered, did we want her to lie?

Sometimes the way culture sees us is way too real and hard to look at. But we must. Mainstream culture is our mission field and we must hear what they have to say. NCNC2 was partly this—our mission field bringing what’s on their heart to us. What a gift.

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