BLOG 10/18/19. IT’S NOT THE FORM OF THE CHURCH THAT’S IMPORTANT

The church of Jesus Christ exists (and has existed) in many, many forms over the centuries, but when the form becomes the focus it may be wise to stop and take stock of what we’re dealing with. Over the centuries of the Christendom era, the church became primarily focused in sacred buildings with sacred professionals, celebrating sacred rites. These institutions were a significant part of the culture (even with all the internal squabbles and contradictions within).

With the two traumatic decades of the Great Depression and World War II a lot of that went into a ‘hold’ pattern. The influence of the Christendom era was challenged, but the church was still a symbol of stability and spiritual resource for many. So, that, after the war ended, the ‘Greatest Generation’ set about to restore the stability of their culture and set about building new church buildings, getting their denominational franchises on choice locations—church architects had a field day. The Boomer generation followed in their parents’ footsteps, and for a while the church was a very influential institution. There were many significant theological studies on the nature and mission of the church taking place in the academic community, but somehow not much it permeated the inherited Christendom patterns of the church.

   Then came the Millennial generation, Generation X, and it successors who, with a streak of cynicism and mentality of pragmatism and innovation, wanted to know what all of this institutional form had to do with the anything, … and began to move away from the traditional church institutions with their stained-glass windows, and their pipe organs, and their pulpit oratory that didn’t go anywhere. So, the questions about: what is the meaning and purpose of the church? heralded the emergence of Christian communities that sought to incarnate God’s new humanity in Christ. Here are a few key principles that have taken shape in contagious communities:

1. The church is a community (from two or three, to much larger), not primarily an institution. It incarnates the human community reconciled in and by Christ, and ministering to one another in love. It is a community accountable to one another.
2. It is a community that is being transformed by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ and is passionate about his message and mission. It is a new creation community being formed into the likeness of Jesus, and like Jesus becomes “the dwelling-place of God by the Spirit.”
3. It is a community that is defined by its obedient and joyous faith in Jesus Christ and his teachings.
4. It is a community formed by the word of Christ, by Holy Scriptures, … a community in which the word of Christ dwells richly, both in small community/home groups, or by a rich teaching of scriptures from the pulpit.
5. And, finally it is a community that can only exist by the grace of God, and by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is a community in which none are passive or marginalized—a community of grace.

   Where these principles are kept clearly in focus by the community’s/church’s leadership life and growth are natural, i.e., the life of Christ flows in and through his people. It is because these are obscured that many church institutions have long-since died, and don’t even know it. The true form of the church is determined by its capacity to incarnate these principles in communities of God’s new creation.

   It is for such that we are called in and by Christ.