7/16/12 “EMPTY LIES THE [CHURCH] WITHOUT MEANING”
Isaiah looked at the city of Jerusalem (8th century B.C.) and lamented: “Empty lies the city without meaning” (Isaiah 24:10). The buildings were all there. The temple was there. The liturgical rites were being performed, … but Israel had forgotten why it had been called out in the first place: To be “a light to the nations.” The nation was forgetful of its purpose, its raison d’être, in the cosmic and eschatological design of God.
I am intimately familiar with all too many present day churches suffering the same forgetfulness, over which one could easily lament: “Empty lies the church without meaning,” … also forgetful of why Christ calls the church. This is a perennial danger for the church and its leadership
Allow me to share with you my own understanding of the purpose of church with four principles, or components, that I have found helpful to myself, and so keep before me in my journal in order to keep me focused on what the church, in which I have been a leader, is to be and do, and how I am to equip God’s people for such. These may be helpful to my readers. If the church is to be the glory of God, then let us define glory as “the radiant display of the divine nature” (G. Boyd).
FIRST: The church is to be the visible, flesh-and-blood communal demonstration of the lifestyle, or praxis, of the people of the kingdom of God (or God’s New Creation in Christ). This is, probably, best defined in the Sermon on the Mount, the word of Christ. As such, it is self-consciously and intentionally and radically counter-cultural (cf. Matthew 5:16). The church is the glory of God in its praxis.
SECOND: The church is to be the flesh-and-blood demonstration of the relationships within God’s New Creation (kingdom) community, i.e., the human community as God intends it to be, inter-animated by love and service as modeled in the Trinitarian community (perichoresis). (John 13:34; 15:9). The church is the glory of God in its relationships of humility, love and service.
THIRD: (I found this in the writings of our Latin American colleagues, probably Miguez Bonino) The church is to be the missionary arm of the Holy Trinity. It is to be God’s own agent to bring the gospel of the kingdom to all nations (ethnic entities). Every participant in Christ’s church is to be equipped to be a mature unit in this mission.
FOURTH: (This I have found especially in the writings of our charismatic and Pentecostal colleagues.) The church is to be so formed, to be always preparing itself, to be a beautiful Bride for the Lamb: “ … in splendor, without spot or wrinkle …” (Ephesians 5:27).
These four principles, or dimensions, or components together will focus the church and its leadership on its purpose and integrity so that is never lies empty and without meaning.
I share these, and would welcome response.
