I once believed that a different church on every corner reflected the need for differing forms of worship according to the various personalities of people. I have come to realize that there is such division within the body of Christ, for no nobler reason that our inability to get along with one another.
The eye believes that the foot and the hand and the mouth and the head all ought to look and function just as he, the eye functions. The mouth cannot understand why the toe will not carry the same passion for speaking or tasting as he, so rather than try to function with the toe to accomplish a united vision; the mouth begins his “mouths only” church.
The metaphor for the church that dominates the New Testament is “family”, however if the Body of Christ of today is a family it is certainly the most dysfunctional family the world has ever known. This family is far from the one that is quipped to welcome the unchurched into the church family.
The American ideal of what the church is to be is far from what Jesus ever described; Hal Miller says, “UNFORTUNATELY, THE METAPHOR THAT DOMINATES MOST OF AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY DOESN’T HELP US MUCH; WE USUALLY ENVISION THE CHURCH AS A COPORATION. THE PASTOR IS THE CEO, THERE ARE COMMITTEES AND BOARDS. EVANGELISM IS THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS BY WHICH WE MAKE OUR PRODUCT, AND SALES CAN BE CHARTED, AND FORECAST. OF COURSE, THIS MANUFACTURING PROCESS GOES ON IN A GROWTH ECONOMY SO THAT ANY COPORATION-CHURCH WHOSE ANNUAL SALES FIGURES AREN’T UP FROM LAST YEAR’S IS IN TROUBLE. AMERICANS ARE QUITE SINGLE-MINDED IN THEIR CAPACITY TO THE COPORATION METAPHOR, AND IT ISN’T EVEN BIBLICAL.”
In reinstating Peter, Jesus did not say, “Do you love me? Go to church!” He said, “PETER, DO YOU LOVE ME? FEED MY SHEEP, CARE FOR MY LAMBS; in so many words, “BE THE CHURCH!” One cannot separate the call of God for one’s life from the call of God for Community. Community is not just fellowship and fellowship is not just eating at Stan’s Restaurant together with other Christians. Gilbert Bileziken says, “COMMUNITY IS DEEPLY GROUNDED IN THE NAME OF GOD. IT FLOWS FROM WHO GOD IS. BECAUSE HEIS COMMUNITY, HE CREATES COMMUNITY. IT IS HIS GIFT OF HIMSELF TO HUMANS. THEREFORE, THE MAKING OF COMMUNITY MAY NOT BE REGARDED AS OPTIONAL FOR CHRISTIANS. IT IS A COMPELLING AND IRREVOCABLE NECESSITY, A BINDING DIVINE MANDATE FOR ALL BELIEVERS AT ALL TIMES. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR HUMANS TO REJECT GOD’S COMMISION FOR THEM TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND TO BE IN COMMUNITY. BUT THIS MAY HAPPEN ONLY AT THE COST OF FORSAKING THE CREATOR OF COMMUNITY AND BETRAYING HIS IMAGE IN US; THIS COST IS ENORMOUS, SINCE HIS IMAGE IN US IS THE ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTE THAT DEFINES HUMANITY.”
There is no struggle within the community of the Godhead of the Trinity; Jesus does not resent the Holy Spirit for having separate desires or function, God the Father doesn’t resent that God the Son walked among us, in skin as one of us and He hasn’t; no, God is community. Community accepts, receives believes and supports.
How do you define church?
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