Professionalism is the death of authentic church.
If the church was designed to be led by professionals, then pastors could come and go as and when opportunities arise, maybe looking for better pay, or better hours, or some other personal benefit. The church itself would be a different kind of organisation, prizing efficiency at the expense of relationships, control over reality.
But the church is not professional in that sort of way because it is a family. And this changes how we view pastors and leaders, and how they see themselves. As pastors, we are not in this to merely work for the church as you might engage in many other jobs, but to be a part of the church in a deep and intimate way.
Because of this, it will be a profoundly important moment for us when we welcome Tobias Brown as a pastor along with his family, and say goodbye to Jeremy & Jen Moses and their kids. We are marking both of these moments on 15th of June at our Together Sunday.
Jeremy and Jen have had an extraordinary impact over these past 10 years at Grace. They have embodied the same heart that Paul spoke of: ‘But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us’ (1 Thessalonians 2.7–8).
And we know that the Browns will touch many lives in the years to come, not just because of their gifts and callings, but also because that’s how families work. We become entwined, and we share our very lives with one another.
I’m sure you understand that this is an emotional and poignant time for me, full of conflicting emotions, including hope and happiness, as well as a sense of loss. Being ‘unprofessional’ (so to speak) makes the highs a little higher, and the lows a little lower. But I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Let’s embrace this precious moment as a church family with expectation and prayerfulness.
Put Down Roots
Back in January, I spoke to a group of our church leaders giving them sixteen tips on flourishing in the city. Soon after, I began writing a series of short letters to the whole church enlarging on each of these tips. You can catch up on these here. In the coming weeks, I want to resume this series and aim to write a few more.
I once knew a pastor and wife from abroad who spent decades living and ministering in London. They enjoyed real success in ministry, and as a result many people appreciated them and their work. And so it was surprising for me to visit their home in London, as they were preparing to leave the city, and discover that in all the decades they had lived here, they had never decorated or made it their own. When asked why this was the case, they explained, ‘Because we always thought, there’s no point; we’ll be going home next year.’
Living in a place whilst thinking about the next place is a uniquely miserable way to live. It fosters many of the worst conditions of soul – discontentment, dissatisfaction, and disconnection from the people you are with and the place God has put you. Worst of all, it makes you unhappy, and joylessness is the soil in which all kinds of sins may grow.
As humans, for the good of our souls, we need to behave more like plants and put down roots. This is a biblical image that speaks primarily to the need for spiritual joy and nourishment drawn from God, his Spirit, and his word (see Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17.7–8). Now, it is possible to be rooted in God alone even when living an unsettled existence, moving from place to place. That was Christ’s own experience for the three years of his ministry on earth. ‘Foxes have holes,’ he said, ‘and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’.
But, the Lord designed you to flourish by being settled in some place, with some people. Adam and Eve were put in a garden. Abraham was called to a land. Caleb laid claim to his mountain. Christ has asked his Father for the entire earth (Psalm 2). I conclude: our modern, nomadic way of life is not normal or particularly healthy, in most cases.
One of the most important pieces of advice on flourishing in the city is this: put down roots. There are things outside your control, such as whether or not you’re ever able to marry, or to buy a home, or to raise a family. But putting down roots is more about your mindset. As the missionary Jim Elliot once put it, ‘Wherever you are, be all there!’
The Transformative Power of the Sofa
In contrast to my last piece, I’d like to offer you a more positive vision for the home.
Early in married life, before we had children, Sie Yan and I became inspired by the amazing story of Francis and Edith Schaeffer. This American couple had been in church ministry in the US in the early part of the last century, but after a few years they uprooted their lives and moved to the Swiss Alps. There they rented a chalet and set up a ministry called L’Abri (“The Shelter”).
Trapped in your lovely nest
Tyler Durden is no follower of Jesus. His arrogant swagger, recourse to violence, live-for-the-moment philosophy, and anarchic anti-authoritarianism set him in clear opposition to Christ on many fronts. But just as God speaks through a donkey (Numbers 22), even Tyler Durden’s ideas intersect with Christ’s once or twice.
The riot of human creativity
Live as close to community as possible
One of the defining marks of the modern world, and especially in cities, is that we live increasingly fragmented lives. Whereas most humans in history have lived, worked and worshipped in the same area, we now tend to separate these aspects of our lives out: your home, your workplace and your church may all be in different areas.
Understand how church in the city works
Whenever we have the opportunity to introduce someone to the wonder of Marmite my wife always cautions them with a brief tale. Years earlier she had watched an American friend lather on thick lashings of the stuff onto a piece of toast. He was fully expecting to bite into a mouthful of chocolate spread, and was utterly horrified at the gooey saltiness he experienced, and spat it all out. Eating salt when you expect sugar is not at all pleasant.
The Mission of City Living
The reason you chose to live in the city may not be the same reason God chose to put you here. You may have arrived here in search of professional success or escape from a provincial life. You may have been born here and never really considered moving anywhere else. Whatever your desires, the fact remains that God’s purposes are always at work in and behind all things, and part of our task is to seek his heart and know his will (see Roman 12.1-2).
Thriving in the City
When I first moved to London in 2002 I felt an overwhelming sense of joy at the opportunity to be here. I was 19 years old, and soon to start my studies in theology. I had grown up in a place that was radically different from London; a beautiful small city of around 30,000 people with nearby water meadows for wild swimming in the summer, woodland carpeted with bluebells in the spring, streets safe enough to play outside without supervision, and a church that felt like a giant extended family. Yet despite all this, I felt a powerful draw to London, and I hardly looked back.