Times of disruption and seasons of change are hard to manage. Our resting state prefers stability and so we dislike disruption. But sometimes disruption creates unique opportunities for innovation, as Clayton Christensen described in his celebrated theory on Disruptive Innovation.

Other times disruption creates opportunities to take stock, reflect, and return to the fundamentals. That’s what Coach Vice Lombardi did when the Green Bay Packers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1960’s championship. Their dream of becoming NFL champs was severely disrupted at the end of the game, but Lombardi didn’t waste his pain.

At training camp the next year Lombardi walked to the front of the meeting room, a football under his arm. Thirty-eight Green Bay Packers players sat waiting to hear what he had to say. Coach Lombardi’s plan for the 1961 season was to go back to the fundamentals. Lombardi took the football out from under his arm, looked at his team, and gave what has become perhaps one of the greatest if not most memorable football speeches of all time. “Gentlemen,” he said, gripping the football in front of him, “this is a football.” Coach Lombardi knew that for his team to be champions, they needed to go back to the basics. They never lost another playoff game.

When the church experiences disruption (as we do today) we can innovate, which has its benefits, but we can also go back to the fundamentals of what it means to be a Christian. We need pastors who will stand up before their congregations and preach the word of God by saying, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a Christian.”

Christians are men and women who conform to a standard, as Jesus taught saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20) Christians conform to the teachings of Christ.

The church comes into greater conformity with the standard as we practice. The essential practices that Christ calls the church to are: Worship, Discipleship, Fellowship, Stewardship and Mission.

In June, Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church offered a class entitled Back to Basics in which we explore these essential practices You can watch the classes BHPC's YouTube channel.

Last year, Peter Kye and Nate recorded a Parrhesian Podcast episode in which they focused on worship and discipleship and how expressive individualism makes us terrible worshippers and even worse disciples.

https://theparrhesians.com/

In this Special Edition of the Parrhesian Podcast, Nate, Peter and Kyle discuss the POA’s report on the Theopolis Institute and Dr. Peter Leithart.

Your link to the report: https://theparrhesians.com/2024/05/30/the-theopolis-report/

https://theparrhesians.com/

Rev. Eric Phillips is the pastor of Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church and long-time friend and colleague of Nate Devlin. Pastor Eric is finishing his Doctor of Ministry degree at Covenant Seminary in St. Loiuse, MO. His area of research is on pastoral leadership and in this Special Edition of the Parrhesian Podcast, Eric interviews Nate on the subject of conflict in the church. Join Nate and Eric and find out why it is important to engage the conflict faithfully and courageously.

https://theparrhesians.com/