BLOG 11/18/13. (CONT.) THE CHURCH AND THE MONDAY MORNING WORLD
Continuing on from my last (11/13) Blog … the church, essentially, has two forms: 1) the church gathered for encouraging and equipping, and 2) the church scattered as the sons and daughters of light engaged in the mission of God. These two forms need each other. We need to gather: “teaching and admonishing one another” and so having our vision and purpose clarified for ourengagement in the other six days of the week. But our being gathered is so that we may be faithful and effective in that mission of God for which we are called during the other six days. Each of these two forms is incomplete without the other. A gathering that is rich in causing the word of Christ to become incarnate in our lives is only ultimately purposeful if we, then, are faithful in being authentic as God’s New Creation people when we are scattered. (Have I dinged that theme often enough now?)
Yesterday, with my own ‘church gathered’ I had conversations with: a youth worker, an architect (actually two architects), a graduate student in neuroscience, a tattoo artist (who is also a New Testament scholar), a surgeon, a delivery truck driver, an actress, a script writer, an environmentalist, parents and homemakers, and a machinist (among others). It is thrilling to contemplate their calling to be the light of the world in the ‘ordinariness’ of their other six days.
One of the church’s dimensions is that it is a community of knowledge (see last Blog). But it is also a community in mission, in the praxis of the gospel, and so we need to have a basic grasp of the other three gifts that Paul says (in Ephesians 4) are necessary for God’s people to be equipped: apostle, prophet, and evangelist. The knowledge of the word of Christ (the role of gift of pastor-teacher ) is foundational for the other three gifts. It instills a passion for Jesus Christ along with the understanding of his calling, and the scope of his great salvation in each believer. But it is not an end in itself. The knowledge equips for the mission, for the praxis of the gospel through each believer.
Accept my interpretation of these other three gifts for what they’re worth, but check them out. The apostles in the New Testament are the missionary church planters, i.e., those who formed new Christian communities wherever they sojourned—house churches, conventicles, community groups, small gatherings of believers that were demonstrative of the relationships of love created as expressions of God’s new creation. The church is to be a community of apostles.
The prophets are those who have somewhat adequately ‘exegeted the culture,’ i.e. who understand the social, cultural, political, etc. context in which they operate (in the midst of the “stink and stuff” of daily life). The church is to be a community of prophets.
And, finally, the evangelists are those who have skills in communicating the message of Christ both by their new creation behavior, their good works, … but also are skillful in good purposeful conversation with those whom they meet along the way. This involves good listening, the ability to ask gentle questions, and the capacity to answer gently and sensitively those who ask a reason for the hope that is in us, with grace and good humor. Evangelists are the incarnation of the love of God to their neighbors. So the church is to be a community of evangelists.
These gifts equip the people of God for ‘the other six days’ and are be expressed in the life of every believer. But these gifts are also given substance by the excellence of our daily lives and work and responsibilities. God has called us to his own glory and excellence (II Peter 1:3). If people are to take us seriously, then our lives must deserve such.
Does that sound like a plan? Let me hear from you, and (if you can do it with good conscience) recommend these Blogs to your friends.
