KFC>KGC: A New Self-Perception
by Michael Ruhl
The mirror is a marvelous thing. It gives us a 'picture
of ourselves' ~ a visual image of
how we look. There are times when the image of ourselves, which we see in the
mirror, is pleasant and attractive, perhaps after several months of a rigorous
weight-loss program or a new wardrobe for that special event in our lives. Like
the legendary Narcissus gazing at his
reflection in a pool of calm water, some people actually fall in love with their
own reflection. They are captivated with their own good looks. Such people are
relatively easy to spot, and their vocabulary is often laced with the pronoun
"I". On the other hand, there are times when our own image is more discouraging
and alarming, if not plain frightening, perhaps after going without refreshing
sleep for two days or suffering a prolonged anxiety attack.
Recently
the Orange County Register carried an
article, which illustrated the "mirror principle", "KFC Is Experimenting with
KGC - Kentucky
Grilled Chicken." It appears that Colonel Sanders is no longer pleased with his
image and reflection, and is finally "going lean"! As you know, KFC is a
fast-food giant, which built its empire on fried foods. Recently KFC announced
that it is testing grilled chicken in
parts of the country, including Southern California.
The upcoming rollout of grilled chicken comes 65 years after Colonel Sanders
first introduced his fried chicken to America.
If the
saints of your congregation would gaze into a mirror, what kind of image, reflection,
or self-perception would they see? What would emerge as the purpose of the
congregation?
Church
consultant Paul Borden has suggested that there are only three "reflection possibilities".
1. We do it for ourselves. Congregation ministries, activities, and stylistic preferences
are positioned to nurture the members and satisfy consumer expectations of
the saints. This is a reflection of the "inward focused" (disciple-nurturing)
church.
2. We do it to reach people who
are not here yet.Ministries, activities, and
stylistic preferences are positioned to reach spiritually disconnected people
in the community culture. This is a reflection of the "outward-focused" (disciple-making)
church.
3. We do it for both - ourselves
and for the people who are not here yet. Saints who see this
reflection are well-advised to contemplate a related question: Who gets the priority; ourselves or
those people are not here yet?
I would
imagine that the KFC people are squirming a bit as they contemplate a transition
to a new reflection-image as KGC. A number of cultural and dietary realities
have them thinking about moving from the frying pan to the open-flame grill. The
key product (chicken) remains the same, but the packaging and delivery of the
product are subject to a significant change and re-focus.
Many
churches are caught up in writing "purpose (mission) statements" that shape and
drive their activities and provide a true reflection of the congregation. But
Jesus already wrote that purpose statement prior to His ascension into heaven
(Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:18-20).
God grant
us the faithfulness and courage to make this the true and beloved reflection of
our church.
