A BLEAK SCENARIO - NO CHURCHES ALLOWED

If all church buildings in Canada were banned, burned down, confiscated or taxed into closure, would we refer to our movement as a churchless Christianity? My own answer is a resounding "No!"

In that bleak hypothetical scenario, Christians particularly would understand and society and judicial authorities would eventually realize that church is Christ within people; is God-filled Christ followers, unquenchable, destined for glory. Wherever they meet, they are church. Stop them from meeting and they still are the church.

This triumphant outlook is possible because Jesus loves his church, referring to the church in the feminine (her). She, the church, is his bride. He laid his life down for her and he promised to never leave her or forsake her. Not only would he build his church but he would also complete that work which he started. All these promises are fulfilled irrespective of deeded properties and towering edifices. His work with his church nears completion in remote villages, in downtown city cores, high in mountain communities, in the squalor of refugee camps, in the quiet of a student lounge and in the confines of a prison conference room.

Possibly my preferred take-away from these comments is that each reader who follows Jesus, should pledge today to be conscious that he or she represents Jesus and is an integral member of God's ongoing church building mission which may involve your love, words and life touching someone else with eternal results. Someone today may meet Jesus Christ and in that meeting find forgiveness, peace, salvation, life, joy, hope and a new network - Christ's church. In the instant of that surrender and faith, there is undeniable connection with the past and the present and the future of all the believers in Jesus as Son of God.

IN PURSUIT OF THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE

            When communicating an unenthusiastic critique on the present-day or local expression of Christ's church, besides citing deficiencies, it is appropriate to make recommendations for improvement based upon reliable sources.  

            It was impossible to plan for and to launch the earliest church assembly. It was entirely a God-thing. In the documented history of the earliest church assembly are features which when brought to 2015, can become the qualities of another impossible church.  

            The chosen apostles of Jesus were witnesses to his life. Some were spectators at his death. All of them observed and listened to, and some touched the resurrected Christ. They were convinced about this person's genuine and divine identity.  This persuasion was foundational to their establishment as a church.

            As they watched their Master ascend and vanish into the clouds, their incredulity was replaced with hope that this same departing person would on some future day return. This optimism was foundational to their formation as church.

            Before leaving, Jesus instructed them to wait together in Jerusalem until his Father delivered the promised gift about which he had spoken earlier.  Whatever it meant, and however the gift would be bestowed, the Holy Spirit would come on them with the result that they would effectively bear witness to Jesus in the city, in the district, in the country and all over the world. They obeyed. They waited with anticipation together with many other followers of Jesus, including men and women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, one hundred and twenty in total. They prayed continuously during these days. This prayer-filled obedience was foundational to their inauguration as church.

            Ten days later the Spirit of God invested with each one of them, the spectacles of raucous wind and flames of fire, the supernatural presence of Christ, the unfamiliar facility to speak in an unlearned language. This phenomenon was foundational to their commencement as church.

            Sincere practicing Jews who filled the street during the celebration of Pentecost, recognized this verbal jabber as definite languages articulating the miracles of God. Peter explained that this vocal marvel was not due to drunkenness but rather was the fulfillment in their time of one of the Jews' own prophet's predictions concerning the arrival of Messiah Jesus, whom they had crucified but who rose from the grave and at that moment was sitting in his glorious place of honour from where he had sent this occurrence that they were seeing and hearing. This good news declaration was foundational to their assignment as church.

            During this miraculous demonstration, Peter continued to enlighten listeners that the once crucified Jesus was the LORD, the Christ, the Messiah. This broke the hearts of listeners and terrified them until they asked how they could be saved, to which Peter replied, "repent of your sins, and be baptized as a testimony of your personal faith commitment in Christ, and your sins will forgiven and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." This redemptive prescription was foundational to their mission as church.

            Peter told them that this promise of forgiveness and the invested Holy Spirit applied to them, to their children, to their grandchildren and to every other person anywhere at any time whom God calls. Then Peter issued the call on God's behalf, pleading with them to save themselves from a corrupt generation. Approximately three thousand people believed his message, trusted Jesus and were baptized. This outcome was foundational to their commission as Christ's Church.

            These thousands of people dedicated time to several key activities, the lessons by the apostles, the interaction, solidarity and companionship of other believers, eating meals together and praying, sharing material goods and meeting one another's needs. These behaviors were foundational to their operation as church.

            The miracles and surprises regularly accomplished by the apostles captivated all of these believers. People were glad and their hearts were sincere and authentic as they praised God and embraced one another in a trusting harmony and developed reputations of integrity. Every day God added other new believers to their number. This increase was foundational to their emergence as God's Church.

            Those observations are lifted from the first two chapters of the ACTS of the Apostles as it speaks about ekklesia or assembly, commonly called church which always implies a plurality and when that assembly is Christian, that is, when each person of the assembly is a believer in Jesus, Jesus himself is present and that assembly possesses incredible potential for seeing God at work. That is his promise.  Matthew 18:19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

            A church today, if it is to experience the potency of that early church, must be one that is persuaded that Jesus is divine and that he rose from death and is alive; that is optimistic that Jesus is reigning now and will one day return to earth; that is obedient to Christ's word and engaged in continuous prayer; whose members are recipients of the Holy Spirit; that consequently openly declares Jesus' identity and saving mission; that makes heartfelt proclamation of the gospel; whose behaviour is in keeping with a communal identity; that is excited by regular demonstration of God's miracles and enjoying regular additions of new believers; that trust one another and care for one another's needs; that experience God's ongoing multiplication of their numbers as they live righteous lives, pray, and obey.

CHURCH, WHAT IT IS & WHERE IT CAME FROM

Our challenges to understand the church are reduced when we realize that there are at least seven different meanings or uses of the term 'church' in our North American context. Church can refer to a building, an event, a policy body, a relational group, and institutionalized denomination, an organizational style, and the practice of affirming correct confessional criteria. [i] Yet church is always more than any one of these.  The true definition for church or its foundational definition begins with God himself, living among humans. God by his Spirit lives in his people, creating unique spiritual community.

Wherever these Spirit lived-in people gather to worship God and to study what He has said, they naturally develop an identity, typically give themselves a name, implement activities and structures and in that process produce distinct and varied local churches. This is church in a elementary shape. It could be enough. It might have been enough even without a name and a distinctive delivery.

The Bible does not require that churches gather into denominations or associations but it has happened. That has been an expediency and convenience for immigrant congregations and like-minded congregations to share life and support and mission. Such associations at their best have been purposeful and missional, servicing member churches. However, when member churches are not permitted to remain autonomous cooperative congregations, denominations have become questionably bureaucratic and legislative requiring compliance of member churches.

Over time it has been recognized that local congregations and even denominations have limited capacities and occasionally organizations have arisen to conduct specialized ministries to students, youth, men, women, families, marginalized people, ethnic groups. All of these will also be staffed by Spirit indwelt persons. It is the church at work.

2015 is a complex time for the church. In spite of all that is positive about these forms, the church now must learn or redefine its raison d’être (reason to be) in this evolving postmodern culture. So much of the reshaping of church in recent decades has focused upon management and organizational practices and effectiveness but the profounder realities of church may have been missed. So we have witnessed a re-emphasis on evangelism with seeker sensitive churches; underscored discipleship with the purpose driven church; demonstrated community in cell or small group life; attracted people through user-friendly approaches; filled the week with weekday ministries offering scores of entry points and even tried a strong mother ship church with niche markets to various people groups.

So much about churches today is about what they do and how they do it. The primary interest must be how we think about church, what the church is, namely, an exceptional socio-spiritual community of God's people, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, to display and to explain God's redemptive presence to the world around it.

---

[i] Seven meanings of 'church' and ideas for the article suggested by Craig Van Gelder, Rediscovering the Church n the Twenty-First Century;

ECCLESIOLOGY AND MISSIOLOGY MUST MATCH

Some eager Christians may have a great game plan to reform society outside of the local church, or without involvement of the local churches. That’s a case of having a commendable mission concentration but having a faulty ecclesiology. That would be unfortunate since the apostle Paul called the local church “the pillar and ground of the truth.” That’s a significant role. The local churches should be the equipping and accountability agencies that facilitate the marketplace leaders who are working to reform, serve and build health into societies. Local churches disciple and build character and emotional health into the lives of the reform leaders. Does that make sense? That’s large ‘C’ Church functioning together missionally from a sound ecclesiology.