Alignment

Many a great suspense novel or movie has somewhere within its main plot something that has to do with planets, stars or times perfectly aligning that cause a cataclysmic event to occur.  At least when this became popular for a while, there was great expectation awaiting the moment that each author or director would make that happen and how this expectation would thicken each plot.  In many ways, I feel like I have been on the cusp of some cataclysmic and/or catastrophic event waiting in the wings as I have been working on aligning my conference vision on new church start, the existing congregation leadership's vision and my own vision for this great adventure we call PlumbLine.

What I know is that just as the movement of planets seem to happen in a slow and daunting speed, we all know that the truth about movements in our galaxy.  They actually happen faster than what our human eye can even detect, but from our vantage point here on earth, it seems as though it takes eons.  According to a very reliable source, (thefreedictionary.com, hey don't hate, just investigate! LOL), alignment is defined as the process of adjusting parts so that they are in proper position one to another.  It is also defined as the arrangement or alliance of groups and positioning of players in such a way as to create a great defense line.  
Hmmmm thinking about that definition and new church starts along with all of the entities that are involved or that need to be involved, alignment sounds like a good idea!  What happens when there is no alignment between all of the parties involved, well, you can imagine the catastrophe.  It is even harder for everyone involved, but especially for the church planter to begin from this place, because the time that you should be dedicating meeting new people, forming new partnerships you are instead spending trying to work with old paradigms and getting folks to see how these have become toxic and incapable of producing life.
The short and very long of it, is that I have found myself in this past year and a half developing the gift of alignment.  It has taken endless meetings with the existing congregation, a myriad of meetings with the appointed pastor of the existing congregation (could you just imagine that source of confusion!), series of sermons on developing trust and acting without fear and parking lot conversations about the purpose of the new church start, and my role as a church plant pastor.  The truth is that this work of alignment making has been crucial for the continued success of the church plant, and to watch leaders begin to discover that being on the same page is actually a very liberating gift has meant that real ministry has room to grow because you are doing away with the mentality that it is never over and against but walking along with.
In the movie 2012, the planets alignment caused the end of the Earth as we know it, and only a few 1000 people were able to be saved on these ships that were discretely named, the ARKS.  Frankly, I think I could have directed a movie like that!  The movie was a bad attempt to raise the level of fear and superstition of wanna-be astronomers everywhere, but perhaps there is something to be said about the possibilities that arise when we allow ourselves to align and watch toxic paradigms and world views be destroyed in order for the Church to survive.  I think I remember Jesus talking about this process when he said "unless a kernel of grain die and fall into the ground it will not produce much seed." (John 12:24)

I write and I ask myself, what part of my plans need to be totally annihilated in order for God's plan to produce seed?  What systems do we have in place that are not aligned and are holding hostage dreams and plans that need to be given free range?  What amount of preparation needs to take place prior to starting on the task for planting a new congregation?  What neo-natal vitamins need to be given to the ground in order to help increase the possibilities of a healthy birth process?

I think you should know that most scholars agree that all those stories of the Mayans predicting doom and gloom for the earth on their calendar, is basically bogus.  In fact, the date of 2012 is grossly mis-represented and modern Mayan people do not even think of that date as significant to them.  Regardless of whether or not you believe that the planets have aligned or will align in the future, the bottom line for me is that PlumbLine has become an explosion of new life giving energy since the synergy parade has begun, and I can't wait for the sequel.

Peace