Flexibility and strength, at the gym and church

Evidently being able to bend over and touch the palms to the floor isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And here I thought I had received high marks for my excellent flexibility. Why did I not learn this until I was 50? To make a long story short, here is my learning: flexibility is great, as long as it is matched by strength. The opposite is true, too—strength is great as long as it is matched by flexibility. So my chiropractor tells me I’m not allowed to stretch anymore, not until I’ve built up some strength.

I think this might be true for church, too. I read a lot of blog posts and articles about the 21st-century church—that we need to go beyond our walls; that we need to be authentic to reach the millennials; that there is nothing we in the church can do about the nones and the dones; that we must hold on to worship as the expression of our core identity; that we must be about outreach/mission/social justice. That the bigger church is better. That the smaller church is better. That the full-time pastor is optimal. That the tent-making pastor can best handle the paradigm shift we’re in. That we’re not in a paradigm shift at all.

You get the point. Really, with regards to church work or anything, you can always find someone who’s written something to support your position.