We hear a lot of talk about how denominations are bad, church splits are bad, and all the various congregations in a city are bad. Some look at this and say the church is broken. But I’m not so sure.
A few posts ago, I floated out the idea that the primary way the church is gathered together is in Christ. Yes, some of us gather together physically from time to time, sometimes weekly, to encourage and edify one another, and while this physical gathering is one way of manifesting the church, or being the church, the physical gathering itself is not “church.” (I’m not fully sure I believe this myself, which is why I desire your feedback on the idea.)
If this is true, then the passage in 1 Corinthians 12 about spiritual gifts and the unity of the Body makes me feel a lot better. I have often heard it taught that one reason we need “larger” churches is so that every gift can be present and active. If you are only meeting with a group of ten people, there is a good chance that you are missing several spiritual gifts in the mix, some of which are quite vital for the healthy functioning of the body. I mean, how can a group of ten people function well as the church if they are missing the gift of teaching, or encouragement, or administration? To use Paul’s analogy, it would be like trying to live life without an eye, a hand, or a foot. It’s possible, but not easy.
However, IF the church is primarily a spiritual gathering of all believers into Jesus Christ, then we are spiritually unified together as the Body of Christ even when we are not physically gathered. And if so, then maybe different groups with different emphases might be good.
Is it possible (and wise?) for one group that gathers on a certain day in a certain place to focus more on teaching and knowledge gifts, and not as much on service and evangelism, while another group at another place and time focuses on service and evangelism, but not as much on teaching and knowledge, and that from God’s perspective, this is all okay?
I look at my own life (as well as that of most Christians I know), and it seems I have gone in cycles. For a few years, I want to do nothing but learn and study the Scriptures. Then I go through a few years where I wan to put into practice what I have learned, serve others, and meet needs. Then I start feeling a little burned out, so I return to a heavy emphasis on study and prayer. I don’t think this is Christian Schizophrenia; it may be the seasonal cycle of Christian development.
And that is why it is good to have various groups focus on different things. We don’t all need to look the same, act the same, do the same, believe the same, or get involved in the same tasks. And it is not that each individual group will have all the Body parts. Maybe one group is a great hand while another group is a great mouth. And when I need help being a hand, I join the hand group. When I need help being a mouth, I join the mouth group.
The mouth group, however, should not tell the hand group that they need to focus more on teaching and preaching, and the hand group should not tell the mouth group that they need to focus more on serving and caring. Since all believers are spiritually unified into one body around the entire globe and throughout time, we each serve in our particular role for our God-designed purpose.
From one perspective, the church may look fractured, with a hand going one way, a foot going another, while the mouth yells strange things. But when you back up and see the big picture, you witness the entire Body engaged in the most amazing and intricate dance. So amazing, the entire universe gasps in awe.
How is this possible? Because the Head, Jesus Christ, is choreographing and guiding the entire Body as He sees fit. The church is not broken. It is going exactly where and how He wants.
Yes, different groups may focus on different things. That would be the ideal. However, when we moved here we checked out lots of churches and could see very little difference between them in terms of focus. If it was there, it was not apparent.
I wonder if that idea might feed into the idea that some of us are not “called” to do certain things. For example, I remember hearing several financially secure people saying that they were not “called” to help the poor. So they didn’t. They were “called” to do things they liked (which didn’t involve giving away their money or stuff). I wonder – Is it o.k. if I don’t feel “called” to keep a few of Jesus’ commands and do what I like instead? That course of action might get me into trouble.
Would I use the term “the church is broken”? Probably not, because it seems to mean different things to different people. On the other hand, do I observe the church “going exactly where and how He wants”. Obviously I don’t know exactly what He wants, but based on so much I see and hear that is supposedly being said and done by some who are part of the church, including lots and lots of nasty things, I just don’t see how that can be happening. Perhaps the people doing and saying those things are not really part of the church (as is often suggested). But who are we to say? Perhaps they are. If so, is Jesus telling them to do their nasty deeds?
Is Jesus telling them to do their nasty deeds? I hope not!!! Did Jesus tell Terry Jones to burn the Koran? No.
I’m sure my post was a little idealistic. I guess I meant the general direction of the church is guided by Jesus. I’ll have to think about it some more.
My take on this is similar – the church is guided by Jesus. If we all were perfectly attuned to Him perhaps the dance would be perfect.
Most of my friends are not Jesus followers. They look at things like the Koran burning, WBC’s hate campaign, the nastiness directed toward LGBTs, weekly arrests of pastors and priests for various crimes and so on and ask how this looks like Jesus.
Yes, that is probably a good way of putting it.
I was part of a bible study to where we learned more about scriptures and the knowledge of Christ, but also needed church for the worship and word. I think it’s important to have both and not one or the other. Cool photo by the way.
-Amanda
Scripture study and worship are definitely important. And while I agree they can be done in a big building, it doesn’t always have to be that way.