4 From Lifeform to Machine: How Ritual Replaced Relationship

The earliest believers had no rituals. I mean NONE.

They had relationships that produced:

• transformation
• conviction
• joy
• repentance
• miracles
• unity
• generosity
• boldness
• awe

There were no:

• pulpits
• titles
• sacraments
• priests
• worship leaders
• Sunday performances
• stage lights
• budgets
• membership rolls

There was Jesus.

And there was each other.

But machines can be built (at least, initially) faster than organisms can grow, so no patience and prayer and authenticity are required. Just enthusiasm, cleverness, marketing wizardry, bop music, and slaps décor.

I had a “Mega-pastor” point out to me as we walked into his super-structure that they had even picked out the lobby paint colors to ride the wave and vibe of being a magnet for people. “Like fly paper, they won’t leave.” An amazing paint color it truly was.

Organizations, Systems, Machines feel safer.

Machines can be controlled.

And so Christianity traded:

• “one-another-daily”

for

• attend weekly

The machine looked organized.

It looked holy. It had all the parts, sort of. “What’s wrong with prayer and prayer meetings on a schedule? What’s wrong with hearing another wonderful message from the Word? What’s so wrong with having a worship-service?

It looked safe and structured.

But a machine, no matter how well engineered, is not alive. Something, like with the scheduled kiss, is missing. A System is not an Ecosystem.