Transforming the Church

Since the birth of the Church, there have been catalysts that have helped transform the Church in every generation. From Paul to Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Perpetua; from Tertullian to Augustine, Jerome to Origen, from Justin Martyr to John Chrysostom, from Athanasius to Ambrose, from Thomas Aquinas to Francis of Assisi to Joan of Arc, from Thomas a Kempis to Catherine of Siena and Teresa of Avila, from John Wycliffe to John Hus to John Calvin and John Knox, from Martin Luther to Ulrich Zwingli, from William Tyndale to John Wesley, from George Whitefield to Jonathan Edwards, from Charles Finney to D.L. Moody, from William & Catherine Booth to Billy Sunday to Billy Graham to Bill Bright, from William Seymour to Martin Luther King, from Aimee Semple McPherson to Jack Hayford, from Oral Roberts to John Wimber, from RW Schambach to Rod Parsley and TD Jakes, from Pensacola to Toronto, from megachurches to microchurches, simple churches, and house churches! The Church, the Body of Christ, is ever-changing, constantly growing, evolving, moving forward, and transforming into the Image of Christ.

God uses men and women as catalysts to spur us forward. Every generation adapts to meet the needs of the culture and society around it.

Today it's our turn! What are we going to do? Are we going to sit idly by waiting and watching to see what happens? Or will we become the catalysts God will use to transform the Church for the next generation? With or without us, transformation is coming.

The principles and foundations of the Church will never change. The mission of the Church will never change. But the methods must change! The language of the Church must change, the structure of the Church must change. It is our job, our responsibility, yes, our duty to become the catalysts of transformation in the Church today. We cannot wait for the next generation to rise up. By then, it may be too late.

What is transformation?

To follow up on last week's post, we move to the subject of "transformation." When we say "catalyzing transformation," what exactly does that mean?

Well last week, we looked at the scientific definition of "catalyst." So, let's look at the scientific definition of transformation. In genetics, the term transformation means "the genetic alteration of a cell resulting from the direct uptake and incorporation of foreign DNA from its surroundings through the cell membrane." In biology, the term means "any change in an organism that alters its general character and mode of life; post-natal biological transformation or metamorphosis."  A more general definition is "the act, state or process of changing, such as in form or structure; the conversion from one form to another."

This is intriguing. transformation is the process of changing form, or shape. That is the literal definition from the Latin. But another word previously mentioned is the word "metamorphosis," which comes from the Greek "metamorphóō," which means "to transform or change shape." Once again, in biology, the process of metamorphosis involves the abrubt physical development or transformation of an organism from one embryonic or larval state into another form or structure. Caterpillars and butterflies tend to the most common example, but certainly not the only one.

In chemistry, transformation is the conversion of a substrate to a product. In other words, a transformation is the result of adding a catalyst to a chemical substance. The evidence is a new form or structure. When the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5.17, that in Christ, we are "new creations," he was talking about transformation.

As catalysts of transformation, we are called to help ignite the spark that produces change in people's lives. We are the one thing that may help bring about life-change. True, permanent, life change.

What is a catalyst?

Scientifically, a catalyst is an agent which, when added to an existing compound, creates a chemical change in its composition, thereby creating a new substance.

Understanding this definition leads us to what it means to be a catalyst in the Church. A catalyst is a person or program, that when added to an existing church environment, creates a change, a transformation, in the very fabric of its being, thereby creating something brand new.

That's exciting! It means that the ministry of a catalyst is constantly changing. It's about finding ways to improve what's already there.

The Apostle Paul was a catalyst. The Church existed before Paul. In fact, Paul's original mission was to eliminate the Church. But then something happened... he met Jesus! He had a life-altering encounter with the Son of God and his life's mission changed dramatically. And when Paul the catalyst was added to the existing structure of the Church, a new thing was born. The Church was no longer just for Jews. It expanded to the Gentiles. It became more organized. Paul established the systematic theology of the new sect called "the Way." So much so that it could no longer be identified as a sect of Judaism; it became its own living, breathing thing, the Church of Jesus Christ.

Paul's ministry launched the fledgling church into the international spotlight. He utilized every avenue available to him for one purpose: to execute the mission and expand the Kingdom of God. Arguably, Paul's ministry was so influential that the Church as we know it today might not even exist had he not been the catalyst he was.

The question for you today is: are you willing to be the catalyst God wants to use today? It will take a lot of pushing against the current, patience, determination, streamlined focus, and a crystal clear understanding of your identity, but if you are willing, God is looking for a new catalyst.