I had the privilege to be selected to proofread a manuscript called Pop Goes The Church. The author is Tim Stevens and he wanted some people to read through it and offer comments before it was published. It is published by the way and if you want to be challenged about Pop Culture and it's use in the church definitely pick it up and read it. Just don't blame me if it totally challenges you and ticks you off. It's meant to. I also hope that if you read it it will provoke in you thought, discussion as well as action concerning how you may be perceiving today's culture and how it should be used by the church and what it can teach us about what the world is engaged in and why.
I've been reading Tim's Blog and he had this great explanation of what maturity is within the context of the church as explained by his senior Pastor Mark Beeson. I've copied it below so these are Mark Beeson's words not mine.
"Maturity = Immaturity
Three days ago Rick Warren proffered this question for me to mull over. What is the mature church?
I knew immediately how I would respond: "The 'mature church' is the church filled with immaturity."
Anywhere in the world, whether plant or animal, the clear delineation of maturity is the ability to reproduce. Immature animals can't reproduce. Immature plants can't replicate themselves. The definition of maturity is being fully ripe, fully aged, so the connotation of maturity is obvious. Where you see maturity you'll observe new life, babies and immaturity all over the place.
Maturity desires reproduction. Maturity tolerates juvenile behavior (from juveniles) while training its progeny for success in life. Maturity means little [babies] running all over the place.
If you attend a mature church, be prepared for immaturity. Where you find mature Christians you'll find little babes in Christ running all over the place. In fact, if you have been looking for a church where everyone tithes and everyone serves--you're not looking for a mature church, you are looking for a dying church - aged, impotent and bereft of spiritual newborns because everyone is mature.
Few things are more disturbing than a flock of adult believers standing around complaining that no one has come to Christ while refusing to do something that might result in new life. So when you bump into someone who acts immature at one of our services, don't complain, and don't be surprised. Instead, thank God the mature in Christ are busy delivering newborn babies to the family of God.
What do you think. Do you agree with this definition? I love it! Mama out.
