Rantings of a Pastor/Gamer/Historian/Geek
The Rantin’ Remnant
17Oct2007 Filed under: Uncategorized Author: KevinA few posts ago, I talked about a conversation that James and I had with an old friend. Today I’d like to talk a little bit about a very interesting part of our conversation: the Rantin’ Remnant. I know what you’re thinking, and no, that’s not a college football team mascot. Although it could be. Aside from it’s collegiate sound, when I say Rantin’ Remnant I mean those people, and if you are one of those I’m sorry, who say that God has shown them all that the church has done wrong, but then don’t actually do anything about it. That’s why we call them Rantin’. The Remnant part just rolled off the tongue and sounded cool. Oh, and the fact that most members of the Rantin’ Remnant feel that they are a part of a special, you guessed it, Remnant that God has called to move beyond the normal “church”.
[Here it should be prefaced that to truly be a member of the RR you have to be completely disconnected from the rest of the Remnant, except for the occasional chance meeting at Starbucks.]
Here are two common phrases that you may hear from a member of the RR: (NOTE: Please be careful when trying to apply stereotypical labels to a member of the Remnant, as this is one of the things that he/she is Rantin’ against.)
- The church just doesn’t get it. It’s all about relationships and community, man.* (*note - optional).
[To test whether or not the person saying this is truly a member of the Remnant, simply ask where this person is part of a “community”. A true RR’r will most likely reply with our next statement.] - Oh, I’m a member of the universal church, I can worship God wherever I am. It’s not about a building or getting together with one specific group of people.* (*note - This last sentence may read: “I just haven’t found a place where I really connect.”).[Please note the contradiction betwixt these two statements. A true member of the RR must insist on Biblical Community, while at the same time not being a real part of a local body. If the person you are talking to is seriously connected to a group of Christians, this has been a false sighting. Please continue your conversation with this person without fear of them being a part of the Rantin’ Remnant.]
The saddest thing about the Rantin’ Remnant is that by simply complaining and not trying to fix anything, they’ve become the very thing that they are Rantin’ against.
If this post describes you, please feel free to say the following prayer with me:
God, I’m sorry for simply Rantin’ and Ravin’ without trying to fix anything. I know that you’ve called me to be a doer and not just a complainer. Today I promise to take real steps towards making a change. I know that I can’t do it on my own, but with your help, I can make a difference. Amen.
Amen. Don’t you feel better? I know I do.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…Phillipians 2:14-16a
P.S. Do you know a member of the Rantin’ Remnant? If so, please leave comments with some of the best cliches you’ve heard issue forth from a member (or members) of the RR.
P.P.S. Ironically, I filed this post under the category: “Rants and Ramblings”.
- Tags: Random Rants
Jenny
October 17th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
I agree that community is important and that people who recognize that should be willing to do something about it. But I think part of the reason that some people tend to complain but not do anything to change what they’re complaining about is because they don’t know HOW to change it.
I know I was like that for a while. I could see the problems and they were easy to complain about, but changing them is difficult, especially if you have to figure out on your own how to take the the steps to make changes. Until we found LifePoint we hadn’t found a place where we really connected, and we weren’t sure how to either.
And even now that we have found a place where we connect, we obviously still believe that “it’s not about a building or getting together with one specific group of people.” Meeting with a specific group of people is great, but so is meeting with new people or spending time with God alone or in a small group, or in a restaurant or a home or a park or anywhere else.
Maybe I just don’t get what you’re saying. I agree with both of the “Rantin’ Remnant” phrases you posted, but at the same time I am trying to change things and connect with a group of people and have community.
Kevin Stover
October 17th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Hey Jenny,
Thanks for the comment. Like you, I agree with what both of those statements from the “Rantin’ Remnant”. It’s not just those statements that I think are unhealthy, but the general aura of do-nothingness that seems to hang on those statements when they are made from the type of people that I am, pardon the pun, “Rantin” about. I think it’s normal to be upset with the things within the church that we have feel are un-Christlike, the problem is when we become nothing but complainers. We spend all of our time murmuring and none of our time trying to find ways to change something. The Rantin’ Remnant may have, at one time, truly wanted to change something, but now, they use their Rantin’ as an exuse NOT to have to do anything. The Rantin’ Remnant has been upset for so long, that they’ve lost touch with why they were truly ranting in the first place.
I’m sorry that I didn’t make that clearer in my post, but hey, that’s what comments are for, right? I hope that clarifies what I meant. If not, let me know and I’ll try it again.
Jenny
October 17th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Yes, that clears things up. :) I think I understand why at least some people who once wanted to change things now rant and do nothing; maybe they tried to change things and it didn’t work out and they got even more discouraged and upset. Trying to change things can be really discouraging because you will always run into people who just don’t get what you’re trying to do or don’t think it needs to be done in the first place. But, thankfully, there are also people out there who do get it and are also trying to make changes. :)
Kevin Stover
October 17th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Yep. Sometimes I have a low tolerance for people who (generally I’ve known for long periods of time) have been complaining about the same things forever. Especially since they aren’t really even upset about it anymore, they just want something to complain about. You’re absolutely right, there are lots of ways people can get to that place. I should definitely keep that mind when I’m getting impatient with one of the Rantin’ Remnant. Maybe I could ask myself: “How’d they end up here?” Maybe I’d see them in a different light. Thanks again for the comments.
:)
James Laws
October 18th, 2007 at 9:42 am
I think we have to apply the same grace to the Rantin’ Remnant that we would to anyone who has been hurt but my take is more of frustration and many times just plain disbelief in them altogether. When I hear the RR, it’s not that I don’t agree with them, it’s that I don’t believe them.
I guess the point is I apply the idea of the RR that I personally know to all the ones that I don’t know. The sad truth is, the ones I know are not connected to a community for very different reason than they claim. They offer great reasons but because I know them, In know that they are not the real reasons. I guess I wrongfully place that idea on all of th RR. Maybe some of them really haven’t found the right community.
Then again if they are the ones with the insight then community isn’t something for them to “find” but something for them to “create”. In the words of many great leaders, “criticize by creating”.
I have no idea how that applies to my critique of the Rantin’ Remnant but I am open to suggestions.
Jenny
October 18th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
This kind of reminds me of the discussion about the wrong way to deal with a burden– complain about it, try to appease it, or ignore it. For some, this could be the approach they’re taking to the problems they see with the church. And others may think that by getting involved with a church community that’s already out there, they’re going against what they believe (by becoming a part of something they theoretically disagree with).
I had some major struggles with the latter myself. My thought process was something like “The church doesn’t get it. It’s about community, not where you meet or meeting with a specific group of people. So why exactly should I get involved with yet another church?” Obviously I did get involved with a church, and I’m glad I did– but LifePoint is different, I think. I knew I couldn’t go to another mainstream church like all the ones I’d been to before (not to bash other churches, I just knew they didn’t work for ME.)
James- what are the real reasons that the RR people you know are not connected to a community?
I think the point you made about creating rather than finding is a good one. But (as I’m sure you know!) creating can be really hard. That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done, of course, but the challenge and difficulty can hinder people sometimes.
James Laws
October 18th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
I wanted to answer your question but it got a little long so I put it in it’s own post. You can read it here.
In a nutshell, the reasons that I most commonly discover for why people are not connected to a community are pride, selfishness, laziness and poor priorities. These don’t cover everybody but they cover a whole lot of them.
I realize that these seem harsh but I am speaking about people who claim to know better not non-believing individuals.