The price of simple church

Most leaders that I know are in agreement about the need that we have as Christian evangelicals to begin practicing a simple form of gospel, to live what we preach, most people who attend church on sunday morning and are involved in a leadership position with their church or they denomination feel the need to conquer the world for Jesus and to help Him establish his kingdom. Since the time I became involved with professional ministry (religion) I noticed several changes, in the late 90's we thought Rick Warren hold the key to all our solutions, our churches and denominations were declining and PDC represented a repacked way of doing church but at the core it was the same again, nothing changed, churches were still declining.
Some of us realize that things were basically the same, churches continue declining and a few years later, we decided to follow the new superhypercalvinisticespiralidocious leaders to the 1500's, we traveled back in time and revived in the name of revival and reformation a medieval religion that encompasses the Creator and His salvific work to 5 easy steps to not understand God, not different in my view from a 12 step recovery program for sinners. TULIP represented the answer to many of our prayers, we thought the diluted gospel presentations during PCD services should be attacked by a heavy dosage of indoctrination of medieval German Alpine theology. The most significant change that I observed was the creation of a new cast of super know it all arrogant young and old men and women who are in love with their theologians and their theology more than their God.

The newest trend that I witnessed is churches mega and small, and their leaders trying to become "missional", Please! Around 2006 I remember that some terminology became available among christian circles, emerging, emergent, organic, missional, and simple. Immediately some of us trying to solve our old problems began investigating and trying to embrace the change, specially since the terms suggested Christianity should happen outside the 4 walls of a building and not necessarily on Sundays. We adopted new titles, we changed labels, Sunday school became small groups, a few changes like that, but everything superficial, the core still the same, the heart still the same, leaders expecting exponential growth throughout insignificant changes. What is it the most of my friends in churches who are embracing missional principles understand? MIssional equals more altruism, few are willing to abandon their staff positions to pursue the kingdom way. I am not sure how can we justify missional principles ONLY from a pulpit, weather 20 or 20000 are listening, I am not sure that we understand the simplicity of the gospel if changes come only from our blogs and facebook pages.

This week as I battle my own desires, as I battle my own mind and depravity, as I dissect my own heart, world and those in it, I struggle with the idea of dear friends being disobedient to abandon what they know and follow He who they clam they know, this week I became frustrated once more, that all we do is read, talk and write. My conclusion is that nothing will change as long as we still hold on to what we know, as long as we still hold on to what we do. Reformation is not an option, revival is not an option, the only option is restart. Do we want to pay the price? Are we willing to leave our desk, computers, books, houses, boats, golf courses, children's programs, seminaries, auditoriums, and weekly checks for the sake of pursing the unknown? for the sake of knowing Him? No we are not.