I admit it...
I used to be one of those people who called people outside of a local church organization a 'lone ranger Christian'. I used to consider them as a branch separated from the body that will wither and die. (little did I notice that the vine they were connected to was the Lord... Not the 'church'). Funny thing is now, I guess the Father's sense of humor comes out...
I used to call others lone rangers... Now, I is one!
or am I?
Although I now believe that the organization can never (or at least rarely) ever sprout an organism (as in the life of Christ... the church as it should be) and I have not been attending a religious institutional service or program based group for almost a year, I am still torn by a few thoughts.
I agree that much of what it means to live as a Christian is to let God love you as you are, serve His purpose out of love not obligation or to get His love, and to pursue Him with all my heart... these are personal things. Me and God. There is also the element of being a 'part of the body'... letting others with differing gifts fill the places that you are not gifted in. One is a hand, one is an Eye... This can happen in the natural (or supernatural?) connections we make with other believers as we meet with them either on a scheduled or non scheduled gathering in a home or park or a coffee shop. My family and I have been doing this and also gathering regularly with a loose knit group of believers who have also left their former religious institutional life.
Yet, the passages in the New Testament about leaders, elders, ruling elders, the authority of elders... these things spoken of in the Bible still haunt me and make me wonder if there is something more structural to the church locally than this very nebulous individualized way of being the church.
I keep finding it hard to reconcile this new freedom I have found from the mechanical religiosity and the obvious call to leaders and authority in even the localized gatherings of the church. Maybe it is just my history, conditioning and religious background (baggage?) that makes me think there must be something more structural about it all... but I am still trying to find the Father's heart on that. I know that those things we sometimes think of as 'offices of the church' are in reality (when you really study it) gifts to the church... spiritual gifts... but it does seem that 'elders' are appointed and given an 'office' or an authority... maybe not the kind we usually think of... but something.
Any thoughts?
Do you ever wonder if there should be something more 'organizational' about the church in spite of the way that most religious organizations tend turn into institutions of man and his pride?
Still working that one out.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
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5 comments:
we are creatures of habit to be sure
relational Christianity is so fluid its scary sometimes, but i think that's where God wants us. Resting in and relying on Him - not rushing around on our own safe, secure 5 step plan.
apostolic ministry provides some of the structure which you wonder about - an apostle fathering groups of believers (sons) but its not like the heirarchical structure we have become accustomed to
I understand the concepts behind the apostolic and the so called 5-fold gifts... and think that they must have some validity today... but I just don't know what that might look like anymore. I used to think I knew what it might look like. But I guess God has just overturned my view of th church so much now that I am not willing to make any specific statements like that anymore.
hmmm - i can relate to that - your understanding of church being so altered
me too, and perhaps my comments, rather than trying to give a definitive answer, are more an effort to make sense of it all myself :-)
The scripture below speaks about this. I stumbled onto your blog this morning and we too have wrestled with some of your questions. Just know you aren't alone.
1Co 14:23 If you come together as a congregation and some unbelieving outsiders walk in on you as you're all praying in tongues, unintelligible to each other and to them, won't they assume you've taken leave of your senses and get out of there as fast as they can?
1Co 14:24 But if some unbelieving outsiders walk in on a service where people are speaking out God's truth, the plain words will bring them up against the truth
1Co 14:25 and probe their hearts. Before you know it, they're going to be on their faces before God, recognizing that God is among you.
1Co 14:26 So here's what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight.
1Co 14:27 If prayers are offered in tongues, two or three's the limit, and then only if someone is present who can interpret what you're saying.
1Co 14:28 Otherwise, keep it between God and yourself.
1Co 14:29 And no more than two or three speakers at a meeting, with the rest of you listening and taking it to heart.
1Co 14:30 Take your turn, no one person taking over.
1Co 14:31 Then each speaker gets a chance to say something special from God, and you all learn from each other.
I think the translation you used in those verses you mention was probably "the Message"... I found it interesting in the "translation" in two verses he added in the words "service (as in a "church service") and Worship" ( as used in the modern concept that gathering in a meeting is called worship). Although the original and most translations simply say "when you gather" and "when they come in"
The "Worship" and "Service" names are things of our modern Christian culture... And I think people assume that these passages are describing something like we are familiar with... But in reality, the first century church had no idea what a "church service" or a "worship service"was. I guess My point is that -- yes they met... But they did not meet to practice a ritual or 'service" (Whatever that means). They met to encourage one another and learn from God through His gifts.
Thanks for the list of verses! I agree that those all fit together somehow... but I think our view of waht a "service" is is so distorted from the original simple events... we have a hard time understanding what that really means!!
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