When to Quit

Like many people out there who read blogs, I utilize Google Reader to help organize and simplify my reading.  At any given time I have anywhere from 6 to 20 blogs of which I subscribe for daily scoops and insights.  With topics that range from theology to business to interesting maps and a list that is constantly changing I have developed an unofficial system for determining if a blog stays or goes.  If I can go more than 4 posts without reading past the first paragraph, it’s got to go.  Of course, I don’t recommend this strategy with my blog.

One blog that I consistently read and rarely skim belongs to one Seth Godin.  It is a business blog that is very practical and can be applied to many fields that might fall under a description other than business.  Which leads to this comment he made recently…

For a long time, we’ve created a myth in our culture that it’s worth any price to reach your goal, especially if your ego tells you that you’re the best solution. We’ve created legends of people and organizations that pursued transformative long shots to achieve great results.

I need to be really clear: pushing through the Dip and becoming the best in the world at what you do is in fact the key to success. But (and it’s a big but), if you’re required to become someone you’re not, or required to mutate your brand into one that’s ultimately a failure in order to do so, you’re way better off quitting instead.

As I read this, I couldn’t help but think how the our churches often ignore this concept.  In a place where our reasoning often includes the words “tradition” and “it’s how we’ve always done it”, perhaps there is no organization in America that needs to hear it’s time to quit.

With perseverance being one of the great teachings of Christianity, we often struggle with the idea of change and hold on tightly to the success stories of others who persevered, while neglecting some of the obvious indicators around us.  I’ve been in this uncomfortable place with youth ministry.  A few years ago, I was really excited about starting a youth worship service.  After a year of pushing it, it was all too obvious that the leaders were not in place on the student end and although a good program this was not the time.  As I planned the following year during the summer, I decided to kill the program.  I learned another humbling lesson that my own desire and perseverance will not drive a program on its own.

I think Seth’s second paragraph has even greater significance for the church.  The “professional church” world is so overflowing with paradigms and models.  Right now, there are literally hundreds of books titled “The _______ Church”.  Many of these books are good.  In fact, many of them are great books. (Even though most aren’t)  The problem with so many models is that we focus more on becoming the church in the book, down the street, or the one that doesn’t exist instead of Jesus Christ.

So many mainline Protestant church bodies are compromising their doctrine and identity in the Jesus Christ of the Bible.  If there is any truth to the statements Seth is writing here, we the church will be best served to confirm our identity in Jesus as He is the one who saved us and one we proclaim.  If our programming, attitudes, and visions are not built upon such a solid foundation, perhaps we should just quit.