In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

God is the Creator of all things.

What do humans “create”? In a sense, nothing. All of our work is derivative. “Derivative work” is frowned upon pretty heavily in the art world. Quit imitating someone else and do something original! Contribute something new to the mix!

But in relation to God, it’s all derivative. At the root, the very act of creating is an imitation of our Creator. And it’s good.

When we create good things, we honor a God who placed humanity in a “good” garden and tells them to work it and take care of it. From the beginning, the story of God and humanity has been that God is the ultimate Creator, but then he entrusts his creation to us and tells us to keep working, keep producing, keep adding our own sweat and energy to the mix.

So while God finished all the work he had been doing in creation on that sixth day, he didn’t tell the man and woman to leave it alone because it was all perfect. He called them to keep working on it.

When we take the good things God has given, when we stop and notice the things in front of us, and then continue to work and create and produce, we imitate the Creator in a way that he seems to have intended from the beginning.

You may have experienced a certain connection with God in your own creating. You’ve felt a little more alive – like you were doing what you’ve been made to do – discovering a few of the endless possibilities in this world we’ve been given, and making a contribution.

The world is full of possibilities. Once we start creating, we start seeing more of them. The greatest artists and inventors in history haven’t run out of things to create — hitting their crowning achievement, then running out of ideas. They’ve run out of time. Because the possibilities are endless, and the more we create, the more we see down that endless stream of possibility.

We need yours. What is it you have to create? Will it be written word, visual art, video? A new small business or a charitable organization? Actual food from the ground or fruit from the tree? The possibilities are endless…

Whatever it is we contribute, it seems that the first steps are to know our Creator and his creation. And the more clearly we see each of these, the more clearly we see ourselves and those next possibilities for creation. Derivative creations, yes, but there’s no shame in imitating the Creator of all things.

Want a place to start? You really must check out Making Manifest, just out by Dave Harrity.

And watch this excellent video trailer:

The most-mega of Lexington’s mega-churches opens a new satellite campus this weekend. For many in our congregation, their new campus is much closer and more convenient than their main campus is.

I’ve had some people ask me if I’m concerned about it; if I’m concerned about “closer competition”; if I’m worried that we might lose people to the big, bad mega-church.

On a similar note, a popular book on church stewardship came out a few years ago with a new definition of “competition.” The first paragraph of the book tells how the number of non-profits in America doubled in the last ten years. Then it says, “What these numbers show is that in ten years the competition has nearly doubled.” The rest of the book is about how to get people to give your church more money when competition for charitable dollars is so stiff. (My conference actually encouraged all of its pastors to read that book.)

According to those who asked me about the mega-church, the local church’s competition is other churches.

According to that popular book on stewardship, the local church’s competition is all other non-profits – church and non-church alike.

Friends and colleagues, let’s please not miss this:
The church’s competition is sin, injustice, and heresy!

So long as other local churches aren’t teaching heresy or condoning sin, they’re our allies. That mega-church people have asked me about has made some great strides in the battle against injustice, both in Lexington and around the world. Years ago, one of my closest friends began taking his faith seriously as a result of their ministry. They’re allies, not competition.

And the children’s hospital, the blood center, the homeless prevention center… Competition? Really?!? For Christ’s sake! Literally. Surely we see these as great allies!

Scarcity and Abundance

I think those who see the the non-profit charity banquet and the church down the street as competition are operating out of a scarcity mentality: there are only so many Christians with only so much money to go around.

If our concerns are as petty as getting people to our church rather than the one down the road, getting people to give to us rather than the shelter for battered women, is it any wonder that the American church is in decline?

Here’s the truth: there is an abundance of competition out there. There’s no shortage of evil in this world.

And there is an abundance available from God to go out into our world and fight back. If you don’t have enough money to do something worthwhile, it’s not because the blood center took it all.

So mega-church, grace and peace to you. I hope your new campus this weekend has an encouraging start. We need your help. Darkness covers the earth. We need the light you’re providing.

Children’s hospital, homeless prevention center, para-church youth outreach, grace and peace to you. Thank you for identifying some particular places that need a special outreach and witness and giving them your full attention. We need you.

Church – and especially church leaders – how about offering the gospel more and spending less time on these petty issues?

And a small note to the other side

I’m remembering some conversations I’ve had about “the Reformed folk kicking our tails.” There are some secondary “competitions” within the Church, and I think they’re okay and healthy.

So for instance, I believe every church should be celebrating weekly Eucharist – and in a meaningful, not half-baked kind of way. But those who don’t (which, as it turns out, includes that mega-church)? I still consider them friends – just in need of some more persuading – not foes!

I believe in Wesleyan theology. It has been life-changing for me. I believe it’s better and truer, richer and deeper than Reformed (often called “Calvinist”) theology. I wish it would be taught better, proclaimed more boldly, available in more resources. In that, yes, the Reformed folk are kicking our tails. But on the whole, the Reformed, the Pentecostals, the Roman Catholics, the independent evangelicals, yes, even the Dispensationalists, are allies, not competition. If any of them start a new church down the street, I wish for their success.

If I really believe a church or non-profit is doing more harm than good (e.g. the infamous Westboro Baptist), then they’re at best mis-guided allies, or perhaps outright evils that need to be combatted. The best I can wish for them is serious reform, or to go away. But those are the rare exceptions, certainly not the rule.

Right now, the ones that concern me the most are those whose Christianity is so shallow and mis-guided that they wake up each day to do battle against those villainous children’s hospitals and mega-churches.

Was this helpful or interesting to you? If so, JOIN my e-mail update list.

Related articles

• Attracting with buildings…
• “Keeping the lights on” vs “Giving to missions”
• Offer the Gospel!