BASE MODELS: JOIN THE WORK

Mark 1:32-34b

32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. 

This text serves as a mission statement for churches who practice discipling by issuing a call to join in activist ministries. A member will be anyone who joins the work. In some cases, there will not even be a call to share in a system of belief or espouse any credo—simply join the work of the community, and you are of the community. In most cases, though, there will come the invitation to join the work followed by an explanation for why the community is doing the work. This form of discipling is experiential. There is not so much proclamation in word as there is proclamation through action. St. Francis laid this foundation—Constantly proclaim the Gospel—use words, if necessary.

An immediate benefit to this form of discipling is that there is no issue of consistency between words and actions. Pastors leading such communities preach as a call to action. What is said will be immediately put into action. An example is the Moral Monday movement in Raleigh, NC. Rev. William Barber gained national notoriety as he took to the streets in response and reaction to actions taken by the North Carolina State Legislature. His protest, though, was intentionally grounded in his faith. His actions were expressions of his belief about Jesus and what Jesus means for society. Rev. Barber sought to live Jesus’ other-centered, self-emptying compassion as he worked for justice in his state. People joined him. As the number of followers grew, Rev. Barber taught them why he did what he did and invited those who would join to consider the faith-based nature of the movement. Hence, it was “moral” in that it sought to embody the compassionate justice at the core of Jesus’ work. We see the same sort of impetus to action on the conservative side of Christianity, as well. Many evangelical congregations start homeless ministries, hunger ministries, and health ministries in direct response to Jesus’ own work in the streets. Mother Theresa began her work in Calcutta convicted by Christ’s own work among the Least of These. As Jesus refused to remain cloistered in the Temple or in residence in a synagogue, but was always among the people in the streets, gathering everyone and anyone, so, too, are activist Christians compelled to enter the world directly, engaging in hands-on ministry. Anyone curious immediately grasps the connection between faith and work. 

What current demographic studies reveal is that folks between 20 and 40 are drawn to such ministries. They are not interested in the more esoteric faith practices found in sanctuaries and class rooms. They are drawn to what they believe to be authentic—and authenticity is defined as action. So, there is a contingent within our cultural context hungry for experiential practice of faith. Activism becomes a direct response to that hunger.

Now there are some dangers to be dealt with as a church adopts an activist form of discipling.

First, there is works righteousness—i.e., by our works, we prove ourselves superior to all others—we are the true church, all others shams. Yes, “faith without works is dead,” as St. James preached; but a faith solely built upon works is also dead. Action without meaning is lifeless and can doom practitioners to the private hell of never knowing when they have done enough. More than one person who comes to faith through activism laments, “I work and work and work; and evil remains as powerful as ever. I am tired, worn out, and broken, and, for what? Nothing changes.” Unless grace is present, work can become hollow. Moreover, in Christ’s kingdom, there are many vocations and calls. Not everyone will be in the streets, marching, but that does not mean their faith is weak, hypocritical, or false—it means they have a different vocation. In one of my congregations, I had a dear activist. He went on every mission trip, spent countless hours in the streets of town helping the neediest of all, but his wife never once went with him. Instead, she felt a different call—she prayed constantly for all doing the work, made sure there was a quiet haven of rest for her husband when he came home, and worked to gather supplies for all who would be out working. Both followed Jesus. Both were paragons of faithful life. And they saw that gift in each other.

Second, a disciple is one who accepts the validity, transformational power, and transcendent presence of Jesus. In other words, to be a disciple of Jesus means at some point accepting Jesus as the core of one’s life. Therefore, an activist ministry that never brings the sacramental into its life and work is really no more than any secular help agency. That does not mean they are not valuable, worthy, or capable of offering deep meaning to their adherents; but….to be a faith community requires there be a faith at core, one that can be explicated, shared, and confessed. As someone working with a variety of New Worshipping Communities, this challenge looms large. Some of those communities focus solely on their action and work, leaving off a direct experience of the sacred in what they do, assuming that holiness will somehow be indirectly communicated through the inherent compassion of their work. Rev Barber keeps Jesus at the center of his work as an activist, often preaching as part of his protest, and sometimes preaching through the symbolism of leading the rallies in full clerical garb—he is unmistakably a church representative. That informs the work and it informs anyone wondering about him as to the reason for his work. The sacred is woven into the action. 

A third danger is that the cause trumps the God in the center. Activism is a human response to a set of beliefs. It is an attempt to put one’s ideals into direct practice. The danger is that of losing perspective. The cause becomes the end. The cause becomes unquestioned. The world is judged through the prism of the cause. Those who are “good” or “right” or “worthy” are those aligned with the cause. Those who oppose it, disagree with it, or simply ask questions about it are declared “lost,” “unworthy,” or “anathema.” Jesus was an activist in direct witness to God, always and forever. His work was meant to point directly to the compassion, grace, and mercy of God. God was center. The work was never an end unto itself. It was always a sign, to use St. John’s terminology, of the presence of God. No one was judged by the work, but rather the work was meant as an invitation to welcome, grace, and inclusion in the Kingdom.

Still, it cannot be negated that an activist model can be a very potent antidote for those who are skeptical about the church, wondering if it is only a gathering of words without deeds. Watching a faith community work, one immediately can see what they stand for, and then one can make a decision about joining the cause—it’s all there in plain sight.