What This is NOT
A few things you can expect and NOT expect to find here.
A Campaign Against the Institutional Church
First, you will not find arguments to persuade people to leave their institutional church. Those are already well documented. It would be disingenuous to suggest that I don’t agree with some of those reasons, but this movement is about moving forward in freedom and victory after that decision has been made. As I share my story and my plan for moving forward, I think my opinions will become clear enough.
A Call Back
You will also not find arguments to persuade you to return to the institutional church, though God may call you to do that someday. Who knows, maybe He’ll call me to return someday. It’s not about being stubborn. It’s not about choosing sides. God only has one church. I will validate you in your decision to move on to more.
A dear friend and mentor once told me, “Don’t let your thoughts dwell on what you’re running FROM, focus on what you’re running TO.” My focus is on how we, the Dark Horses, having made this decision to pursue Jesus outside of the conventional model, can live fruitful, satisfying lives that shine like the house that lights up the neighborhood with thousands of tiny lights at Christmastime.
A Deconstruction Echo Chamber
I also want to be clear up front that this is NOT my deconstruction story. I am as enthralled with Jesus my King as I have ever been. He has informed changes in my missiology and ecclesiology as I have pursued him, especially over the last several years. But my devotion to Jesus and his Kingdom, rooted in scripture, has only grown more steadfast.
I’ve become more aware of a concerning trend lately. There’s an unfortunate misconception among some who leave the institutional church that this must be tied to a loss of faith in Jesus. A lack of overall clarity about the church, religion, Christianity and such has made it hard for some to distinguish exactly what they’re leaving when they leave their church. Paradigms that suggest that all “Christians” must attend church services, and unhelpful language that refers to people who don’t follow Jesus as “the unchurched,” make it hard for some to decipher what exactly they’re leaving and what’s worth keeping.
If your church experience has caused you to question your faith in Jesus, that’s understandable…but also tragic, in my opinion. For those considering throwing out the baby Jesus with the religious bathwater because they can’t see how Jesus could be real when their experience with “church” and “Christians” feels so off base, let me just say losing faith in human religious systems is not the same thing as losing faith in Jesus.
I pray that this work will help restore faith in Jesus for many, many people. And with this work, I hope to help some black sheep find their way to becoming Dark Horses.
Ungrateful
Another thing I pray this book will not be- ungrateful for the blessings God has given me through the institutional church over the decades. God has used institutional structures to bring me to an understanding of my salvation, to teach me to love and serve Jesus and my neighbors, to point me to the love of my life, my wife of 37 years, and to bless me with life-long friends. Some of those friends still serve the institutional church professionally or as volunteers. The last thing I would wish is that they would feel condemnation toward them, or even ingratitude. I hope that the Dark Horses will honor the good we’ve received as we move into new territory.
OK, you’re turn. Engage with us. Here are some questions. We’d love for you to share your thoughts!
- In your own spiritual journey, what have you found yourself running from, and what do you believe Jesus may be inviting you to run toward?
2. Losing trust in religious systems is not the same thing as losing faith in Jesus. Why do you think these two things often become confused, and how can people disentangle faith in Jesus from disappointment with church institutions?
3. How can someone honor the good they received from a church while still acknowledging the reasons they moved on?
4. What qualities or characteristics might define a “Dark Horse” follower of Jesus in today’s world?
5. What practical steps or experiences might help someone rebuild trust in Jesus after a difficult church experience?