Another trend that began to emerge on the heels of the Charismatic/Full Gospel wave, alongside the house church movement, was the shocking departure of many traditional evangelicals moving into the high church ranks. When I speak of “high church” I am referring to denominations such as Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Episcopal, Anglican, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and the like. Strictly speaking, the term high church is associated with the Anglican tradition that emphasizes the Catholic traditions, especially in relation to the sacraments, its rituals, and obedience to church authority.
High church is characterized by liturgical formality, fine utensils, incense, holiness, sanctity, ceremony, dignity, education, social status, cultural development, sensationalism, and splendor. When questioned about their move to high church congregations, many people explained that the more ritualistic settings fulfilled a longing for elements such as mystery, worship, the sacraments, historic identity, an ecclesiastical home, and holistic spirituality. Some of the same people gave these examples of evangelical shortcomings in their view: exclusivism, rationalism, evangelical services, preaching emphasis, entertainment, focus on preacher, and false spirituality.
While this high church trend continues into the 21st century, I struggle to imagine why any genuine believer who has Christ living in them by the Holy Spirit would actually be content to practice church within the “cathedral” ranks. Everything about it screams religion, bondage, death, and boredom. Granted, many an authentic believer can trace their early roots to some form of high church expression. Granted, I recognize that God can and does use whatever He can to the extent that He can. But in all of my travels, observation, and experience I have never seen high church serve for more than a tutor to bring the truly seeking to Christ. Then the next thing I know, they are lead immediately out by the Spirit into a church setting that is more compatible with the Lord’s nature - to a place that is actually building their faith. I personally have a relative by marriage who was raised Baptist but who later as a college student gravitated to Catholicism. It absolutely turns my mind and heart over toward “tilt” to attempt to understand what would possess a person who has tasted the richness of the Lord Jesus to remain in or move to a supposed Christian atmosphere that is so dull, dry, and un-like Him! I must admit that I have nearly concluded that they are either so suppressed by culture, so romantically delusional, or have never really received the heavenly gift with their heart of hearts. There simply is no other possible reason that makes sense to this soul.
I’d really like to give high church the benefit of the doubt but let’s look at a few things here: their traditions, rituals, practices, and ceremony are irrefutably borrowed from pagan culture throughout the centuries – namely that of Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Asian origins. Their ways have little to no connection or inspiration with what was practiced by the first-century Christians who were traversing a pure, innocent, and narrow path. The leadership models installed in the high church ranks are hierarchical, oppressive, and exploitive to say the least. The histories of these groups throughout the centuries are closely intertwined with a satanic influence. Coming away from the church history books, one feels ashamed and bewildered, not knowing whether to cry, vomit, kill, or pray. Especially when it comes to the track record of the Catholic Church. What they have done to even their own! It’s amazing they still have the nerve to show their faces in public and keep the doors open. The religious spirit is a hundred times more destructive than the most ignorant of sinners – whether in Jesus’ time on earth or in our present postmodern world. Its existence grieves the Holy Spirit of God. It is an anti-Christ force. You will be hard pressed to find the real Jesus Christ in these kinds of places brother and sisters. My statements would be so harsh if they weren’t so true.
Please keep in mind that I am not attacking genuine believers who can be found in the high church denominations. They are my precious sisters and brothers. My desire is to simply expose the shortcomings of the systems and structures that are in place within these ranks. I don’t believe all of the “highness” is instinctively compatible with the Lord that they profess. All of the ritualistic promenading instead leads to a suppressing of the Headship of Jesus Christ in relation to His church and to the realization of every member functioning in the gathering and daily life of the ecclesia. Further, the basilica models found in high church, by there very nature, are not authentically human in their feel. When gathering with intimate relations, we do not feel comfortable sitting around in a school lunch room, a hospital, or a theatre. No, we would certainly prefer a cozy living room or perhaps an ideal outdoor setting along the lake, if the weather was nice. The cold, sterile, institutional character of most high church denominations surely fill the religious, old, fallen man with a sense of “goodness” but it will never do for the rustic, wild-eyed New Man. Lastly and most importantly for me, high church doesn’t seem to deliver that counter-cultural punch that it is so central to the very essence of what The Church is. Sadly, it has nearly morphed to its surroundings, a product of culture instead. Like city hall, the bank, the public school, and the park, the high church is just another landmark of the worldly landscape. And this speaks volumes.
I have to say though that I certainly appreciate the theology of The Church that is held by most high church denominations, especially in the areas of oneness, true spiritual authority, connection with the Trinity, identity with Christ, and collective community. But in my mind, their practice betrays them. Their words in print do not match their deeds. In most cases, such as in authority and in oneness, they are manufacturing in their own strength (in the flesh) an aspect that only God can work by His Spirit according to His ways. This crutch is ever present because of a consistent lack of the spiritually genuine and authentic. Outside of a few charismatic waves of renewal that have swept through some high church settings at different times, the prioritizing of ritual, form, and sacrament has made it nearly impossible to create an atmosphere where Jesus Christ is allowed to reveal and express Himself to His flock. This strict adherence to form has lead to unbelievable abuses and exploitation and yet the insanity continues. If high church were actually serious about realizing their creeds and theologies, they would have to instantly employ the services of a good wrecking ball crew!
In a time when evangelicalism may be collapsing and the denominations are emptying in droves, scores of devoted followers of Christ are gravitating toward house church (or micro-church) and high church in record numbers. I feel compelled to steer these folks away from the high church trend as well as the clergy dominated house churches. I am instead encouraging these scattered living stones to seek to be built together with their fellow pilgrims in gatherings that are outside of an institutional influence – in a grass roots, rustic, organic, and ragamuffin way. I believe that only as we come together in this kind of rawness, laying down our pretension, willing to be stripped of our religion and pop-culture Christianity, will we witness The Church meeting and being as God Himself originally envisioned according to His purpose, in a truly “high” way.
(an unedited excerpt from the Bonus Chapters section of Jon's upcoming book "Contending For The Church: Desiring The Way of Christ In How Christians Gather Today, to be released this Fall.)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Will The Emerging Church Conversation Truly Say Anything New?
The emerging church conversation has made its way to the forefront of the alternative Christian landscape as the latest trend in recent years. This para-movement apparently had its origins with a group of youth pastors and leaders who had a desire to network and explore greater ways to be more relevant and creative in their ministry to teens and college students. It has actually been around for more than a decade and has grown steadily in influence as a very attractive segment. Similar to the house church movement in that it does not have central organization, the emerging church attempts to defy definition, labels, and stereotypes. The trend touches every corner of Christianity, crosses denominational lines, and involves all interested parties. To be “emergent” means you ask a lot of questions, remain open-minded, resist resolutions, and encourage dialogue as the golden key to enlightenment. Most recently, some have attempted to shape their expression of emerging church into more of a defined denominational thing (no surprise there), while others have threatened to “begin” a new spin-off segment in defiance of anything resembling centralization. If interested in more of a history and definition of “the conversation”, I encourage looking up a good Wikepedia article online. Because it is in the “headlines” so to speak and its many voices do have the ears of many seeking, out-of-the-box Christians, my purpose in addressing the emerging church trend in this chapter is to tell what I applaud about the conversations, describe where I believe the movement is falling short, and share my thoughts about the validity of the emerging church as a potential revolutionary force.
Things I Appreciate
There are several things on the surface I wholeheartedly applaud as spiritually healthy and viable coming from the emergent ranks. Many of the same attitudes I practice myself and encourage others in. I support the questioning of structures, systems, and traditions found in the church today. I would not be where I am today in my practice of church life if I had not participated in boldly asking important questions. Discovering the origins of our modern church practices is vital in our following the Lord in an organic way. I appreciate the desire to be relevant to post moderns. There must be a relevant gospel message presented in every generation. If we are a genuine, spiritual Christian people who are engaging our culture, I believe we will – as a by-product of our new nature – relate in a common and accessible way. I applaud wanting authentic and open dialogue. There must exist a place between us and among us where there is the opportunity for discussing the sensitive, controversial, and difficult issues. An atmosphere of acceptance, respect, and trust available for the sincere who are seeking help, hope, and feedback. A place where ego, judgment, negativity, agendas, and quarrels are absent. I believe a people who are touching Christ will in turn be a people who are teachable, shapeable, and welcoming without being susceptible to error or deception.
Items of Deep Concern
I would like to continue by highlighting what I believe are monumentally important issues the emerging church conversation is grossly neglecting.
I feel the para-movement has failed to take aim at the modern pastoral office. This office, regardless of motives and intentions, is a slave to the systems and traditions supposedly being questioned. The modern pastor props up and perpetuates the structures and institutions that restrict The Body of Christ. Remove him and you are well on your way toward an organic expression of church life.
The emergents have neglected the role of the itinerant church planter. Neglected is not the correct word – not even on the radar is more like it. This is a core reason why most cutting edge movements always return to the same old structures and Sunday morning ritual of active clergy and passive laity.
Where is God’s eternal purpose in all of this conversing? Does anyone know it? Is anyone sharing it? The eternal purpose was central to Paul’s church planting and ministry in century one. Is our message and method better? Have we evolved and out-grown it? I say we are man-centered!
Like so many movements and trends of the past, I see so much talk and theory with little to no actual adjustment to the way we practice church, so we could expect some real change. Why doesn’t anyone have the courage to try this? Do we really want to see anything change? I have my real doubts.
Why isn’t an indwelling Lord being mentioned? Where is the talk on Jesus residing habitually in us and among us? We appear to still be stuck on revival, WWJD, much activity “for the Lord”, numbers & nickels, and miracles. All outward, sensational, and surfacy. How are we to live by the life of our Lord if we are not acquainted with the inward journey and its reality? Scripture tells us that “Christ in us” is the hope of glory. That we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Our outward manifestations will not be fruit of the Spirit if they are not an overflow of the work of God within our spirits. This is largely how we come to know Him, by recognizing and responding to His inner life installed in us. Christ is to first be revealed in us then to be revealed through us to the outside world.
Is anyone operating with a knowledge and understanding of the first-century narrative? Why are we not more acquainted with the chronological story of the early church? Does anyone care to search it out? Because we cling to our regurgitated Bible study methods, our chapters and verses, our prooftexting approach to “topics”, and our hyper-appreciation for knowledge, we invariably hold to traditions, systems, and structures that perpetuate practices that actually have no Biblical or New Testament basis at all. We are blinded and at a disadvantage because we do not know the story. This can not be overstated in my opinion. We are literally unable to see Christ, The Church, and God’s eternal purpose in their rightful context because we do not use a holistic approach when touching the NT. The other great travesty is that we miss the overwhelming emphasis by the NT writers that our faith is intensely and irrefutably a CORPORATE experience. Because we are ignorant of the story, today’s gospel (fueled by the great influences of culture – the enlightenment & the scientific method) is individualistic through and through and to the core! We are alone and don’t have to be! The Christian life was never intended to be attempted solo. A whole other universe is available to us when we are able to see the Lord’s intention through the local church as a body life habitat where fallen saints, living at close quarters, work out this great salvation as a company – growing in conformity to their Head who is Christ. Question: Why is the chronological narrative of the first-century church not passing the lips during the emerging church conversation? Why is it eerily absent when we claim to be so Scriptural? If our ecclesiastical traditions are built on a faulty and sandy foundation because we do not even know (or are even aware of) the story of our early sisters and brothers, is it any wonder we are long overdue in questioning our modern church practices? How have we justified the way we do things then? We have used the Bible but we have not applied the real Story! If we are ready to stare into the mirror of our own ignorance, I am convinced we will be moved to godly sorrow over this forgotten woman (The Bride of Christ). Without a people who know and operate from the narrative, I fear we will fail to see a truly counter-cultural church expression in this generation.
Two last things:
Where are the truly Christ-centered ministries and messages out there in the emerging world? Why so institutional and academic? Why are we still so topical and systemic? We preach “its” and “things”. We share doctrines and formulas. We have a mastery of principles and themes. We are so organized and … dare I say predictable and boring? Methodical and numbing. God’s people have been sermonized to death! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is fiery. It is spontaneous, wild, and barbaric. It is inspiring and enthusiastic. It is passionate, different, and carries weight. Yes, it is peaceful and sound, but it is not asleep! Do we forget that our message is a Person! The King of the Universe. The All in All. The all sufficient One. Is He not enough? All the fullness of God is found in Him. When He comes in, all of the “things” come with Him. We have no need for analyzing and dissecting and compartmentalizing when it comes to Jesus. He is a whole Person who wants to be wholly embraced. He is enough. If we would just stick to sharing Him in a simple way, we would find that He has a way of covering it all. We would have no need to deploy our precision management techniques we have added to the Gospel. Count how many times Paul directly references Christ in his letters. He is saturated with Christ and he means to saturate the saints with nothing but their glorious Lord. At one point he stated, “I purpose to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified among you.” Where are the workers of today who have that approach? Jesus Christ is not an ideological system that must be proved. He is the ultimate personality. Our Gospel Message is a Him. And He ought to dominate the entirety of our communications with each other and to the world.
With all of this open dialogue, endless questioning, ultra-transparency, never-arriving, and all-inclusiveness that seems to be the banner of the emergent ranks, I wonder if the world can detect that we are actually standing for anything at all? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate being teachable. I despise an exclusive mindset and spirit among God’s people. I admire hunger, desperation, and seeking in our pursuit of knowing the Lord. I prefer an open heart to a closed mind, any day. I don’t think I would be much of a Christian if I didn’t possess these attitudes. My concern is that we may be allowing our “openness” to dominate the headlines so to speak, when the posture that the emergents claim as their identity should probably be quietly taking place behind the scenes. What ought to be at the forefront of the emerging movement is a stance for Christ Himself being given first place in all things related to the church and ministry. From the vantage point of glory, there is no other vision in view. Anything else is resorting to subjects and topics and behavior modification for the Lord’s people. Christ is the answer. Christ is certain. Christ is absolute. Christ will not fail. We can build and stand on Him by the Spirit and it will always produce (by nature) wholeness, both inwardly and outwardly.
I will stop there …
Closing Observations
In my personal experience I have witnessed many similarities within the Third Wave (3rd generation Pentacostal & Charismatic – including Word of Faith, Full Gospel, Vineyard, and Apostolic and Prophetic movements) movement and the Seeker-friendly/Willow Creek circles that I see playing out in the emerging church conversation drift. Both seemed to have had their times in the sun as the latest ear-tickling trends and dominated the headlines of the popular evangelical Christian world for a season. There was a lot of talk about being “New Testament”, returning to the ways of the early church, the cutting edge, being relevant, disdain for “religion”, community, being Biblical, creative expression, changing our cities, signs and wonders, restoration of the “five-fold ministry”, 10/40 window mass evangelism, remote missions, small groups, body ministry, and abandoning traditional worship styles. But when it came down to it, and this is the hinge pin for me, nobody was willing to radically alter the way they practiced church or their leadership models to realize the major changes they were frequently suggesting. Nobody was willing to sacrifice anything out of the ordinary. The old adage “If you always do what you’ve always done then you’ll always have what you’ve always had” proved true yet again. It was all a bunch of talk that resulted in zero change. None. That was eventually what drove me from their ranks. I wanted to be with people who were willing to abandon such things as comfort, convenience, positions, titles, popularity, money, influence, and security for the dream of God. That is why I believe the emerging church is headed in the exact same direction as her predecessors; a case of history repeating itself, just dressed up in different clothes. Church history has proven time and again that whenever practice and leadership is left untouched during times of reform, there is inevitably a return to the stale old default setting of an active clergy and a passive laity. Puke!!!
So ultimately my question for the emerging church conversation is this: Does this movement signal a true paradigm shift or not? If the issues I have brought up in this chapter are not addressed with pure Christ-centeredness then the answer emphatically must be NO!
Also, why does there not seem to be an appreciation for the simple, the poor, the not-so-educated, and the wild at heart (ala 1 Cor. 1:18-31) among the emergents? Why does there seem to be an intellectual bent with all of their communications, books, articles, websites, and messages? It seems that if you are not waxing witty then it is unlikely that you will be taken seriously or become well received.
After reading this chapter, some may ask me, “So what is your prescription for what will work?” My answer would resemble something like this: I believe I have been outlining that very thing throughout this book. Simply put, only a radical abandoning of all things institutional, an attempt to start over at ground zero in our Christian experience, and abhorrence to all modern leadership styles, could even give us a fighting chance at revolutionary change. We desperately need a revelation that The Church is something contrary and outside of culture. Perhaps then can we only begin to “emerge” from the ashes of devastation that centuries of pagan Christianity brought on. I wish that we would fully emerge sisters and brothers!
Also, some reading this from the emerging ranks may falsely accuse me of being elitist, closed-minded, and opposed to dialogue. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, I purposely practice a lifestyle of resisting an elitist and sectarian mindset (which can be found in most every Christian denomination, movement, segment, and circle). With a church world and culture so tolerant and politically correct in our time, I can easily see how someone who actually had conviction and stood firm for something could be mistaken for being elitist. The radical, the extremist, and the non-conformist certainly are an endangered species and appear as an oddity to the postmodern mind. I want to assure you that I am of the barbarian type!
(an unedited excerpt from the Bonus Chapters section of Jon's upcoming book "Contending For The Church: Desiring The Way of Christ in How Christians Gather Today", to be released this Fall)
Things I Appreciate
There are several things on the surface I wholeheartedly applaud as spiritually healthy and viable coming from the emergent ranks. Many of the same attitudes I practice myself and encourage others in. I support the questioning of structures, systems, and traditions found in the church today. I would not be where I am today in my practice of church life if I had not participated in boldly asking important questions. Discovering the origins of our modern church practices is vital in our following the Lord in an organic way. I appreciate the desire to be relevant to post moderns. There must be a relevant gospel message presented in every generation. If we are a genuine, spiritual Christian people who are engaging our culture, I believe we will – as a by-product of our new nature – relate in a common and accessible way. I applaud wanting authentic and open dialogue. There must exist a place between us and among us where there is the opportunity for discussing the sensitive, controversial, and difficult issues. An atmosphere of acceptance, respect, and trust available for the sincere who are seeking help, hope, and feedback. A place where ego, judgment, negativity, agendas, and quarrels are absent. I believe a people who are touching Christ will in turn be a people who are teachable, shapeable, and welcoming without being susceptible to error or deception.
Items of Deep Concern
I would like to continue by highlighting what I believe are monumentally important issues the emerging church conversation is grossly neglecting.
I feel the para-movement has failed to take aim at the modern pastoral office. This office, regardless of motives and intentions, is a slave to the systems and traditions supposedly being questioned. The modern pastor props up and perpetuates the structures and institutions that restrict The Body of Christ. Remove him and you are well on your way toward an organic expression of church life.
The emergents have neglected the role of the itinerant church planter. Neglected is not the correct word – not even on the radar is more like it. This is a core reason why most cutting edge movements always return to the same old structures and Sunday morning ritual of active clergy and passive laity.
Where is God’s eternal purpose in all of this conversing? Does anyone know it? Is anyone sharing it? The eternal purpose was central to Paul’s church planting and ministry in century one. Is our message and method better? Have we evolved and out-grown it? I say we are man-centered!
Like so many movements and trends of the past, I see so much talk and theory with little to no actual adjustment to the way we practice church, so we could expect some real change. Why doesn’t anyone have the courage to try this? Do we really want to see anything change? I have my real doubts.
Why isn’t an indwelling Lord being mentioned? Where is the talk on Jesus residing habitually in us and among us? We appear to still be stuck on revival, WWJD, much activity “for the Lord”, numbers & nickels, and miracles. All outward, sensational, and surfacy. How are we to live by the life of our Lord if we are not acquainted with the inward journey and its reality? Scripture tells us that “Christ in us” is the hope of glory. That we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Our outward manifestations will not be fruit of the Spirit if they are not an overflow of the work of God within our spirits. This is largely how we come to know Him, by recognizing and responding to His inner life installed in us. Christ is to first be revealed in us then to be revealed through us to the outside world.
Is anyone operating with a knowledge and understanding of the first-century narrative? Why are we not more acquainted with the chronological story of the early church? Does anyone care to search it out? Because we cling to our regurgitated Bible study methods, our chapters and verses, our prooftexting approach to “topics”, and our hyper-appreciation for knowledge, we invariably hold to traditions, systems, and structures that perpetuate practices that actually have no Biblical or New Testament basis at all. We are blinded and at a disadvantage because we do not know the story. This can not be overstated in my opinion. We are literally unable to see Christ, The Church, and God’s eternal purpose in their rightful context because we do not use a holistic approach when touching the NT. The other great travesty is that we miss the overwhelming emphasis by the NT writers that our faith is intensely and irrefutably a CORPORATE experience. Because we are ignorant of the story, today’s gospel (fueled by the great influences of culture – the enlightenment & the scientific method) is individualistic through and through and to the core! We are alone and don’t have to be! The Christian life was never intended to be attempted solo. A whole other universe is available to us when we are able to see the Lord’s intention through the local church as a body life habitat where fallen saints, living at close quarters, work out this great salvation as a company – growing in conformity to their Head who is Christ. Question: Why is the chronological narrative of the first-century church not passing the lips during the emerging church conversation? Why is it eerily absent when we claim to be so Scriptural? If our ecclesiastical traditions are built on a faulty and sandy foundation because we do not even know (or are even aware of) the story of our early sisters and brothers, is it any wonder we are long overdue in questioning our modern church practices? How have we justified the way we do things then? We have used the Bible but we have not applied the real Story! If we are ready to stare into the mirror of our own ignorance, I am convinced we will be moved to godly sorrow over this forgotten woman (The Bride of Christ). Without a people who know and operate from the narrative, I fear we will fail to see a truly counter-cultural church expression in this generation.
Two last things:
Where are the truly Christ-centered ministries and messages out there in the emerging world? Why so institutional and academic? Why are we still so topical and systemic? We preach “its” and “things”. We share doctrines and formulas. We have a mastery of principles and themes. We are so organized and … dare I say predictable and boring? Methodical and numbing. God’s people have been sermonized to death! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is fiery. It is spontaneous, wild, and barbaric. It is inspiring and enthusiastic. It is passionate, different, and carries weight. Yes, it is peaceful and sound, but it is not asleep! Do we forget that our message is a Person! The King of the Universe. The All in All. The all sufficient One. Is He not enough? All the fullness of God is found in Him. When He comes in, all of the “things” come with Him. We have no need for analyzing and dissecting and compartmentalizing when it comes to Jesus. He is a whole Person who wants to be wholly embraced. He is enough. If we would just stick to sharing Him in a simple way, we would find that He has a way of covering it all. We would have no need to deploy our precision management techniques we have added to the Gospel. Count how many times Paul directly references Christ in his letters. He is saturated with Christ and he means to saturate the saints with nothing but their glorious Lord. At one point he stated, “I purpose to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified among you.” Where are the workers of today who have that approach? Jesus Christ is not an ideological system that must be proved. He is the ultimate personality. Our Gospel Message is a Him. And He ought to dominate the entirety of our communications with each other and to the world.
With all of this open dialogue, endless questioning, ultra-transparency, never-arriving, and all-inclusiveness that seems to be the banner of the emergent ranks, I wonder if the world can detect that we are actually standing for anything at all? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate being teachable. I despise an exclusive mindset and spirit among God’s people. I admire hunger, desperation, and seeking in our pursuit of knowing the Lord. I prefer an open heart to a closed mind, any day. I don’t think I would be much of a Christian if I didn’t possess these attitudes. My concern is that we may be allowing our “openness” to dominate the headlines so to speak, when the posture that the emergents claim as their identity should probably be quietly taking place behind the scenes. What ought to be at the forefront of the emerging movement is a stance for Christ Himself being given first place in all things related to the church and ministry. From the vantage point of glory, there is no other vision in view. Anything else is resorting to subjects and topics and behavior modification for the Lord’s people. Christ is the answer. Christ is certain. Christ is absolute. Christ will not fail. We can build and stand on Him by the Spirit and it will always produce (by nature) wholeness, both inwardly and outwardly.
I will stop there …
Closing Observations
In my personal experience I have witnessed many similarities within the Third Wave (3rd generation Pentacostal & Charismatic – including Word of Faith, Full Gospel, Vineyard, and Apostolic and Prophetic movements) movement and the Seeker-friendly/Willow Creek circles that I see playing out in the emerging church conversation drift. Both seemed to have had their times in the sun as the latest ear-tickling trends and dominated the headlines of the popular evangelical Christian world for a season. There was a lot of talk about being “New Testament”, returning to the ways of the early church, the cutting edge, being relevant, disdain for “religion”, community, being Biblical, creative expression, changing our cities, signs and wonders, restoration of the “five-fold ministry”, 10/40 window mass evangelism, remote missions, small groups, body ministry, and abandoning traditional worship styles. But when it came down to it, and this is the hinge pin for me, nobody was willing to radically alter the way they practiced church or their leadership models to realize the major changes they were frequently suggesting. Nobody was willing to sacrifice anything out of the ordinary. The old adage “If you always do what you’ve always done then you’ll always have what you’ve always had” proved true yet again. It was all a bunch of talk that resulted in zero change. None. That was eventually what drove me from their ranks. I wanted to be with people who were willing to abandon such things as comfort, convenience, positions, titles, popularity, money, influence, and security for the dream of God. That is why I believe the emerging church is headed in the exact same direction as her predecessors; a case of history repeating itself, just dressed up in different clothes. Church history has proven time and again that whenever practice and leadership is left untouched during times of reform, there is inevitably a return to the stale old default setting of an active clergy and a passive laity. Puke!!!
So ultimately my question for the emerging church conversation is this: Does this movement signal a true paradigm shift or not? If the issues I have brought up in this chapter are not addressed with pure Christ-centeredness then the answer emphatically must be NO!
Also, why does there not seem to be an appreciation for the simple, the poor, the not-so-educated, and the wild at heart (ala 1 Cor. 1:18-31) among the emergents? Why does there seem to be an intellectual bent with all of their communications, books, articles, websites, and messages? It seems that if you are not waxing witty then it is unlikely that you will be taken seriously or become well received.
After reading this chapter, some may ask me, “So what is your prescription for what will work?” My answer would resemble something like this: I believe I have been outlining that very thing throughout this book. Simply put, only a radical abandoning of all things institutional, an attempt to start over at ground zero in our Christian experience, and abhorrence to all modern leadership styles, could even give us a fighting chance at revolutionary change. We desperately need a revelation that The Church is something contrary and outside of culture. Perhaps then can we only begin to “emerge” from the ashes of devastation that centuries of pagan Christianity brought on. I wish that we would fully emerge sisters and brothers!
Also, some reading this from the emerging ranks may falsely accuse me of being elitist, closed-minded, and opposed to dialogue. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, I purposely practice a lifestyle of resisting an elitist and sectarian mindset (which can be found in most every Christian denomination, movement, segment, and circle). With a church world and culture so tolerant and politically correct in our time, I can easily see how someone who actually had conviction and stood firm for something could be mistaken for being elitist. The radical, the extremist, and the non-conformist certainly are an endangered species and appear as an oddity to the postmodern mind. I want to assure you that I am of the barbarian type!
(an unedited excerpt from the Bonus Chapters section of Jon's upcoming book "Contending For The Church: Desiring The Way of Christ in How Christians Gather Today", to be released this Fall)
Why Leaving The Institutional Church is Still Important
A thorough examination of the origins of our modern church practices is beyond the scope of this volume, though it is touched on in a few places. A few titles mentioned in the back of this book do the job nicely and are important reads in my opinion. Therefore I will not spend a lot of time here trying to convince you of the why you should leave the organized and institutional church. Instead, I will simply be sounding the alarm for you to run out of the building and also be the one shouting that it is still vitally important to do so, despite the creepy opinions out there who would try to convince you otherwise that the edifice is really not on fire and smoking. I prefer reality. Many times it is more important to pay attention to your protective instincts than to wait to digest all of the reasons why. Both are available to you but sometimes time is of the essence. It could be a matter of life or death.
AS A PRACTICING BELIEVER IN CHRIST, YOU SHOULD RUN, NOT WALK, AWAY FROM THE INSTITUTION AS FAST AS YOU CAN AND NOT LOOK BACK!!! There I’ve said it. Are you running yet? You need to flee that organized church setting because your spiritual life does depend on it. You will eventually die there – die on the vine. You must flee because that is not your rightful habitat. You are a fish out of water there. It is not of God, it is most certainly man-made. Now, here comes my only disclaimer on the subject: You are excluded from this if you are perfectly content in your place of worship and fellowship, if you are seeing and receiving your Lord there, and if you are being fed and serving your brothers and sisters with a conscience that is at peace. You should stay and not leave as long as that is your true condition. God can and does use the institutional church, everyday, to the degree that he is allowed to. Especially in the areas of salvation and baptism. I know in my own life and in others, God has used organized church atmospheres to bring us along progressively to Himself and to an expression of His Body that is organic. But be forewarned, the deeper you go in your walk with the Lord, be assured that you will outgrow that institutional tutor and you will find Christ leading you out to just Himself as your experience and practice. This has been His way over the centuries. And just because God can and does use something (need I bring up the donkey?), doesn’t dismiss His preference and pleasure in regards to His Church. Some argue that in our time. The institution and organization is NOT His choice and intention. It is an unfortunate detriment that He graciously puts up with because of His great love and endless patience. Now, if you are a “content one” in the pew and or sanctuary then you are not really my intended audience anyway. The ones that I am shouting to and calling out are those who are already dissatisfied and who are looking for a way out – looking for more of their Lord than their present situation reveals. Their instincts are going off like sirens inside them. They are groping for the pastures green.
There are some who believe that the institutional church could be reformed from within. While I applaud their good and godly intentions and admire their hopeful spirit, it is mere wishful thinking at best, not at all grounded in the reality of Christians gathering together. If there were no Christian people involved I would say maybe, but lo and behold, “people” IS the thing in view here. From what I have witnessed in my experience, I am convinced now that we must completely abandon the structures, systems, organization, and offices that perpetuate this beastly imposter and start over from ground zero if we are to have half a chance at realizing a truly organic church atmosphere. If we are to be emboldened to even attempt such a radical move, we must be desperate people and revelation must be granted by the Spirit. Revelation that The Church is something outside of culture – not a product of it – and that there is absolutely nothing new for us under the institutional church sun.
My main axe to grind and primary purpose for sounding the alarm that it is still important to leave the organized system is centered on the doing away with the common but scripturally unsupported pastoral office. This splinter under the nail is almost solely the responsible party for keeping the mechanism running. Regardless of motives and intentions (most pastors I have known are great people with a sincere desire to serve God’s people), the modern pastor is a victim and slave of his office. If only this slightly reformed priest would give up his post and God’s people would be delivered from their co-dependence on the “preacher” then real change could begin. The main point at which the modern pastor frustrates the very purposes and work of God through The Church is that his dysfunctional ways hinder the reality of Christ’s invisible headship in the midst of The Body and render the functioning of every member impossible. It is for those two crucial items that I must contend for and insist upon. Without these being permitted, the saints are NEVER equipped and the ecclesia of Jesus Christ is NEVER realized as intended by the Father.
For the majority of folks who have left and for those who presently are leaving the institutional ranks, there are four general reasons that drove them out: The testimony of the New Testament and the first-century story (our modern practices are nowhere to be found!), most churches and para-church ministries being shallow and superficial (we seem to be content to be entertained a little), no true power to deliver the oppressed and struggling (why has the good stuff supposedly passed away?), and grossly neglecting the poor (we tend to cater to the “got it all together” crowd because they’ve got money). My own reasons include those four and many others. I had been in home meetings as well as church services for as long as I had been a Christian. I hadn’t grown up in church so I didn’t have any natural or cultural attachments that fostered a sentimental dependence. I had studied church history and the origins of our modern practices. I had read the books and listened to the messages. I was convinced and my departure was long over due. The two things that actually led me into a “crisis of conscience” and pushed me to finally act were one, instinctively I felt all “wrong” on the inside and couldn’t sit through another service or clergy led meeting. My spirit and God’s Spirit in my human spirit were restless, disenfranchised, and uncomfortable. I was squirming in the pew! Knowing screaming out loud and disrupting everything wasn’t an option – I had to do something to relieve my struggle. And two, I had discovered a church in a nearby large city that was actually practicing the very things that I was so longing to see and experience. A living, breathing, touchable, locatable example and model that I could visit. Now looking back on it, years later, I see how vital it is to have access to a real display, even if you have digested all of the convincing material. In the following section you will read an account by a believer who recorded their experience of visiting an organic church life setting and how important and satisfying it was on a journey of leaving the institution in search of the organism.
(an unedited excerpt taken from the introduction of Jon's upcoming book titled "Contending For The Church: Desiring The Way of Christ In How Christians Gather Today", to be released this Fall)
AS A PRACTICING BELIEVER IN CHRIST, YOU SHOULD RUN, NOT WALK, AWAY FROM THE INSTITUTION AS FAST AS YOU CAN AND NOT LOOK BACK!!! There I’ve said it. Are you running yet? You need to flee that organized church setting because your spiritual life does depend on it. You will eventually die there – die on the vine. You must flee because that is not your rightful habitat. You are a fish out of water there. It is not of God, it is most certainly man-made. Now, here comes my only disclaimer on the subject: You are excluded from this if you are perfectly content in your place of worship and fellowship, if you are seeing and receiving your Lord there, and if you are being fed and serving your brothers and sisters with a conscience that is at peace. You should stay and not leave as long as that is your true condition. God can and does use the institutional church, everyday, to the degree that he is allowed to. Especially in the areas of salvation and baptism. I know in my own life and in others, God has used organized church atmospheres to bring us along progressively to Himself and to an expression of His Body that is organic. But be forewarned, the deeper you go in your walk with the Lord, be assured that you will outgrow that institutional tutor and you will find Christ leading you out to just Himself as your experience and practice. This has been His way over the centuries. And just because God can and does use something (need I bring up the donkey?), doesn’t dismiss His preference and pleasure in regards to His Church. Some argue that in our time. The institution and organization is NOT His choice and intention. It is an unfortunate detriment that He graciously puts up with because of His great love and endless patience. Now, if you are a “content one” in the pew and or sanctuary then you are not really my intended audience anyway. The ones that I am shouting to and calling out are those who are already dissatisfied and who are looking for a way out – looking for more of their Lord than their present situation reveals. Their instincts are going off like sirens inside them. They are groping for the pastures green.
There are some who believe that the institutional church could be reformed from within. While I applaud their good and godly intentions and admire their hopeful spirit, it is mere wishful thinking at best, not at all grounded in the reality of Christians gathering together. If there were no Christian people involved I would say maybe, but lo and behold, “people” IS the thing in view here. From what I have witnessed in my experience, I am convinced now that we must completely abandon the structures, systems, organization, and offices that perpetuate this beastly imposter and start over from ground zero if we are to have half a chance at realizing a truly organic church atmosphere. If we are to be emboldened to even attempt such a radical move, we must be desperate people and revelation must be granted by the Spirit. Revelation that The Church is something outside of culture – not a product of it – and that there is absolutely nothing new for us under the institutional church sun.
My main axe to grind and primary purpose for sounding the alarm that it is still important to leave the organized system is centered on the doing away with the common but scripturally unsupported pastoral office. This splinter under the nail is almost solely the responsible party for keeping the mechanism running. Regardless of motives and intentions (most pastors I have known are great people with a sincere desire to serve God’s people), the modern pastor is a victim and slave of his office. If only this slightly reformed priest would give up his post and God’s people would be delivered from their co-dependence on the “preacher” then real change could begin. The main point at which the modern pastor frustrates the very purposes and work of God through The Church is that his dysfunctional ways hinder the reality of Christ’s invisible headship in the midst of The Body and render the functioning of every member impossible. It is for those two crucial items that I must contend for and insist upon. Without these being permitted, the saints are NEVER equipped and the ecclesia of Jesus Christ is NEVER realized as intended by the Father.
For the majority of folks who have left and for those who presently are leaving the institutional ranks, there are four general reasons that drove them out: The testimony of the New Testament and the first-century story (our modern practices are nowhere to be found!), most churches and para-church ministries being shallow and superficial (we seem to be content to be entertained a little), no true power to deliver the oppressed and struggling (why has the good stuff supposedly passed away?), and grossly neglecting the poor (we tend to cater to the “got it all together” crowd because they’ve got money). My own reasons include those four and many others. I had been in home meetings as well as church services for as long as I had been a Christian. I hadn’t grown up in church so I didn’t have any natural or cultural attachments that fostered a sentimental dependence. I had studied church history and the origins of our modern practices. I had read the books and listened to the messages. I was convinced and my departure was long over due. The two things that actually led me into a “crisis of conscience” and pushed me to finally act were one, instinctively I felt all “wrong” on the inside and couldn’t sit through another service or clergy led meeting. My spirit and God’s Spirit in my human spirit were restless, disenfranchised, and uncomfortable. I was squirming in the pew! Knowing screaming out loud and disrupting everything wasn’t an option – I had to do something to relieve my struggle. And two, I had discovered a church in a nearby large city that was actually practicing the very things that I was so longing to see and experience. A living, breathing, touchable, locatable example and model that I could visit. Now looking back on it, years later, I see how vital it is to have access to a real display, even if you have digested all of the convincing material. In the following section you will read an account by a believer who recorded their experience of visiting an organic church life setting and how important and satisfying it was on a journey of leaving the institution in search of the organism.
(an unedited excerpt taken from the introduction of Jon's upcoming book titled "Contending For The Church: Desiring The Way of Christ In How Christians Gather Today", to be released this Fall)
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Does Anyone Have An Answer For Division? - pt. 2
now for the conclusion ...
The first problem area I see is that the Local Church groups in the U.S. are not indigenous but rather have a definite Chinese cultural feel of expression. There exists a certain stiffness, rigidity, and sterile order in the air that is very un-American. It is my belief that when Christian workers are delivering the kingdom of God to a particular people group that those people should be allowed the freedom and purity to come to a unique expression of The Church on their own and not be given a cultural conformity spirit from the worker as well. This is overwhelmingly evident in the affects of English and American missionary efforts around the globe. Not only have certain people groups been given a weak gospel but they also now speak, dress, and act like their foreign workers. Somewhere along the line someone did not take their culture to the cross and die to it. The only culture and expectation that we should be transferring to God's people is that of the kingdom of heaven and none of the kingdoms of this world!
The second area that I would like to point out is hero worship toward Watchman Nee and Witness Lee and in particular with regard to their written materials. There exists an unhealthy affection for the ministries of these two men in my opinion. The root of this problem lies in the belief that these brothers were "the minister of the age" during their respective lifetimes. This mentality was obviously borrowed from Chinese Confucionism philosophy and religious culture. This attitude does not come from Christ! The most obvious dangers this poses for The Church are one, it smacks of a "Papal" position and two, it does not allow for true "brotherhood" to exist as was displayed among "The Twelve" (that Christ trained) and those that came after them (Stephen, Philip, Barnabas,etc.). This hero worship is most evident today in the Local Church's practice of using Witness Lee's materials almost exclusively as the content for their meetings. There doesn't seem to be much room for content to come from the saints themselves or from other workers with fresh revelation.
The third problem area I would like to mention goes hand in hand with the first. It is that of religious chanting and is definitely a borrowed Chinese practice. This is most visible when they are practicing calling on the name of the Lord. And there is certainly nothing wrong with calling on the name of Jesus within itself, that should be encouraged, but the Local Church's practice of it has become repetitive, lifeless, and ritualistic. To be around it in person leaves one feeling a bit strange.
The next thing I will mention is that they definitely have ruling elders as a part of their structure. Perhaps not so much in the meetings of the Local Church but in every other aspect of daily church life, the elders operate and function very much like a pastoral staff found in an institutional church setting. They are managing, making decisions, leading, and being paid much like modern pastors. This practice of elders is not compatible with the first-century story or the Lord's nature in my mind or to the hearts of those I practice church with. Elders (or overseers, pastors, or shepherds) should come along organically and could change through seasons. They do not wear titles, make all of the decisions, or do all of the ministry. They should be mostly invisible until there is a crisis or the church is facing a major decision. By nature of the church, any elders should be more passive than what is commonly practiced in the Local Church and in Christendom at large.
The next and most important troubling area I will state is the evidence of a destructive elitist and sectarian mindset. The mentality that they are the Church, the move of God in the earth, the stream, have the revelation, have the ministers of the age, are the mouthpiece for God, and alone are standing for the local boundary of the church permeates their character and reputation. They unmistakeably think of themselves as The Thing. This is dangerous on a number of levels. Granted, most every Christian church, ministry, or group on the planet I have come across carries with it an air of superiority. Every single one! It would be exotically rare to find one that doesn't. I guess it is just human (fallen) nature to believe that what we are involved with is the thing of God. We don't like the idea that we have joined ourselves with something that is possibly 2nd class, sub par, or not the best. That might reflect poorly on us - we can't have that - we will appear weak (God forbid!). I certainly understand the feeling of being on the forefront of revelation and practice - of being a part of something revolutionary. But the fact of the matter is even if we are a part of something that could be labeled as "the thing of God" (and it's possible), we are never beyond humility, remembering where we have come from, teachableness, correction, adjustment, maturity, and mystery. We never have the scriptural or Spirit right to develop an exclusive attitude that separates us apart from our brothers and sisters in Christ universal. We must avoid this at all costs - even if it leads to our suffering. We must reject it and avoid it because it comes from the evil one - intended to divide our indivisible nature. Even if we have stumbled upon a radically fresh truth, we must maintain a humble, submissive posture while practicing our new found light from the Lord. This is for the sake of our brothers and sisters. That they could receive any reality from us to add to their experience and vise versa. And this is where the Local Church has gone far afield. As I have mentioned earlier in this section, they have carried a tremendously glorious testimony, but they have fallen into elitism, they have treated other Christians as outsiders, and have become insular. This is unfortunate and worthy of sorrow and repentance. It has ended up hurting The Church's oneness and its testimony to the world. And God deals with it. I have heard Stephen Kaung speak on audio tape from a message he gave sharing the history of The Little Flock in China. He communicates a startling perspective as an insider. He believes that God allowed the communists to take over in China as a result of The Little Flock's elitism. He believes they stopped "standing for The Church" and had fallen into believing they "were The Church" - mentalities that are worlds apart. Quite interesting. Unfortunately, that spirit followed Witness Lee to the U.S. and was transferred to the Local Church.
The last area of concern I would like to briefly mention is the Local Church's acquisition of buildings and property and numerous lawsuits to defend its name. It is obvious to me that something has long since dammed up the flow of life within the Local Church circles. A religious spirit has settled in clouding things. I believe they have gone the way of most denominations - starting off with a fresh revelation but ending up having to prop itself up with structures to keep the doors open. I have observed that they have conformed to the religious culture by purchasing land, constructing buildings, meeting on Sunday mornings, and adopting programs. I have also heard that they have a long history of initiating numerous lawsuits against other Christian groups defending itself against the cult label. All of this points to a lack of life and supports the fact that even "right" or "correct" practice in the wrong spirit can lead to the all too familiar dead end road named religious bondage for God's people.
The sad thing about the areas of concern I pointed out is that Watchman Nee specifically ministered on and taught against everything I mentioned. With all of their reverence and respect for his ministry, the Little Flock and the Local Church still fell prey to spiritual blindness in these problem areas. Certain religious practices (like women's head covering) of groups like The Brethren also were a heavy influence on those involved with the work of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. Ultimately, timely adjustments were not made to uproot religious strongholds that had crept in, damming up the flow of the fresh life of God. The people that are currently involved with the Local Church are precious people indeed and there is much we can glean from them all the way around. But all organic groups (including the ones I meet with who have similar roots to the Local Church or who have come out of the Local Church) who are attempting to meet outside of the institutional system and to stand for The Church and the centrality of Jesus Christ had better stay alert to these pitfalls or we are doomed to repeat them. If we are concerned for the Lord's work in the earth and desire to be vessels for His glory in a current way then we must be a people who are open to adjustment. I have heard it said that Jesus Christ is consistently revealing Himself in ways that make it easy for us to reject or miss Him. We must learn from church history and cling to our Head in fear and trembling. We must not be given to any particular form or pattern or we may find one day that He has moved on without us in relation to our church practice.
Practically Walking It Out
As I move on here to close out this article I would like to restate the two questions we began with: Is Christ divided? And, does anyone have an answer for division? I believe we have answered both here. Of course Christ is not divided. His nature is oneness. His people are not divided either (in reality and identity) because they share His nature. There is an answer for the plague of division - it is Christ centeredness practiced by a people who meet solely under their invisible yet living Head. The question is will there be a people who are willing to "leave all" that is culturally comfortable and convenient to see this true Spirit unity realized in visible expression for the long term? That remains too be seen. In Ephesians 4:13 Paul writes, "... until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." (NASB). When I read this I trust that it is possible for The Church. I tell you what though, it will not be realized inside the walls of the institutional structure. It is impossible there. It is not the proper habitat for the unity of the Spirit. We must have an organic church life situation where people are living in community in the real world and without leaders. Only in that improbable atmosphere will there even be a chance!
We now come to the place where I must take my leave of you in this article on the issue of division. I will close with the following suggestion: If you were touched and challenged by this message and share a similar burden for true unity in the church of Jesus Christ then you must determine to follow a narrow path toward being a Christian who is part of a people who have chosen to be a solution to the problem. If you can no longer remain in the crippling state of where you currently "do church" then please begin by leaving quietly. Next, seek to join yourself with other believers who share the same vision for unity as described in this article. Whether that means helping to gather people together where you live to form a new group or moving somewhere where a group already exists, you be lead and decide. I offer myself to you as a resource. You can contact me through this blog site or at info@amcrex.com if you could use help in locating interested folks in your area or in finding an existing community of believers who are standing for the unity of the Spirit. If you are attempting to start a fresh group then I recommend you find a true Christian worker, an experienced church planter who first lived in an organic church community before becoming a worker, and who will leave the group on their own after laying a solid foundation. I can also help put you in touch with such a person or with a group of seasoned brothers and sisters who can visit you with some help. It would be my absolute joy to assist you in such a way - just let me know. Once you get yourself into such an atmosphere then prepare yourself to hang on for dear life. It will be "glory and gore" as you flesh out the reality of what it takes to realize the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. But as time goes on, as you survive the sacrifices (there will be many), as you lose your life (your worldly identity and soul life) to take up Christ's, as you resist the causes of division and disunity, and as you learn to prefer, serve, and care for one another, you will quietly discover something together: You will find that you are beholding the Lord in His fullness, making a home fit for the Father, walking as the One New Man, and changing the course of church history. This endeavor will take you far from the glitz and glamor of culturally popular Christianity. But the ache you sometimes feel from living "outside the camp" is nothing when compared to catching a glimpse of the loving and deeply satisfied look on your Savior's face as He surveys your unity. The glory and riches that are revealed in this pursuit greatly overshadow all that you will leave behind for this lifestyle of knowing Him together.
May grace be multiplied to you on this quest -
Jon K. Slusser
A Mature Way to Respond
I would next like to share something from Watchman Nee in the form of a challenge. It is mainly aimed at those who have a burden for a solution to division and who might be meeting with a group who is actively standing for the oneness of The Body. I believe the following passage is chock full of wisdom and great insight. If we instantly began applying its suggestions tomorrow we would no doubt see sweeping change all over the kingdom of God. This is taken from Nee’s tremendous work titled The Normal Christian Church Life, chapter five on the basis of union and division, in the overcomers section. The content more than speaks for itself. Adopting the following attitude would show great maturity and insight into the mystery of Christ as well as provide an opportunity to be used as a living sacrifice for your Lord’s glory:
“The sphere of the church is local, and the local church should on no account be divided. The question naturally arises, if the spiritual life of a local (not denominational) church is very low, can a few of the more spiritual members not gather together and form another assembly? The answer from the Word of God is emphatically, No! God’s Word only warrants the establishment of churches on local ground. Even lack of spirituality is no adequate reason for dividing the church. Should local methods, government and organization be far from ideal, that still constitutes no reason for division. We must lay it to heart that the difference of locality is the only ground for dividing the Church of God. No other ground is scriptural.
In the second and third chapters of Revelation we see seven different churches in seven different localities. Only two were not rebuked but actually praised by the Lord. The other five were all definitely censured. Spiritually they were wrong, but positionally they were right; therefore God only commanded those in them to be overcomers. The Lord said not a word about leaving the church. A local church is a church which you cannot leave – you must remain in it. If you are more spiritual than the other members, then you should use your spiritual influence and your authority in prayer to revive that church. If the church does not respond, you have only two alternatives: you must either remain there, keeping yourself undefiled, or else you must change your abode.
What a tragedy it is when a few spiritual members leave a local church and form another assembly, simply because the other members are weak and immature. Those stronger members should remain in that church as overcomers, seeking to help their weaker brothers and sisters and claiming the situation there for the Lord. Oh, how prone we are to despise the believers we consider inferior to us, and how we delight to associate with those whose fellowship we find especially congenial. Pride of heart and a selfish enjoyment in spiritual things causes us to overlook the fact that a church in any given place should consist of all the children of God in that place, so we narrow down Christian fellowship and make selection among the children of God. This is sectarianism, and it is a grief of heart to the Lord.”
Personally, I would like to see us at least try this and see what happens. I believe we would do well do adopt this posture rather than picking up the common tools of the flesh that seem to run rampant in God’s house. I believe we have yet to see what fruit can result from our staying put, praying, and giving God the opportunity to work in those around us. The Lord can work through this type of mature and spiritual reaction. His hands are tied if all He has to work with is gossip, slander, backbiting, division, and strife. In a day and time when the prophetic and prophets seem to be so popular in The Church (especially in Charismatic circles), I am surprised that we seem to miss the most prominent activity practiced by the prophets of old. It was not speaking “a word” as many would have us believe. It was actually intercession on behalf of God’s people. Let this return to the forefront of our practice as we endeavor to stand for the oneness of The Body of Christ.
A Lesson From The Local Church Movement
There is a group of Christians that are scarcely known by most mainline evangelicals called the Local Church. They even make it on certain cult lists (unfairly in my opinion). They have their roots with the ministry of Watchman Nee in China during the 1920's, 30's, and 40's and with the Little Flock. After the communists took over in China, two of Nee's trainees fled to Taiwan and then later made their way to the United States. Stephen Kaung landed in the Richmond, VA area and Witness Lee to Los Angeles. Lee was a tireless worker and an extremely gifted individual. The Local Church is almost exclusively a result of his efforts. Back in 1994-1995 I had the opportunity to spend some months with a Local Church group here in Atlanta. That time has proven to be an important point of reference in my life. I believe there are a number of important lessons we can learn from these folks in regard to the oneness of The Body and the plague of division.
I would like to first briefly describe the personality of The Local Church movement for the benefit of those who have never had any contact with them. In a nutshell, The Local Church has been standing for the deeper Christian life, the oneness of the Body of Christ, every member functioning, and the local boundary of The Church. As I mentioned already, Witness Lee's ministry was based in Los Angeles and later Anaheim, CA. The Local Church movement was launched on the heels of the Jesus and Charismatic movements of the late 1960's and early 1970's. The mainline denominations could not provide a relevant refuge for the new generation Christians (because of their traditions and institutional ways) so many were looking for alternative ways of "doing church". Today Local Church groups can be found in just about every major and semi-major U.S. city. They are a deeply committed and confidently functioning people. Fueled by their conviction to stand for the true nature of The Church outside of cultural Christianity, they have seen much growth especially through transplanting. Transplanting is the "Jerusalem model" of church planting where a group of people from an existing church will move to a new city to help start a new fellowship. Once the new group is up and thriving, most of those transplantees will move back to their previous locality but some will decide to stay on. This has been startlingly effective for them. I've also seen that the men are very efficient at starting and running their own businesses which has greatly helped stabilize a new work in a relatively short amount of time.
The Local Church has provided a tremendous testimony to the oneness of The Body of Christ in the U.S. but there are some glaring problem areas that I would like to highlight for us that would be helpful. In fact, if it were not for these areas I am going to present, I believe I would be meeting with them myself.
The first problem area I see is that the Local Church groups in the U.S. are not indigenous but rather have a definite Chinese cultural feel of expression. There exists a certain stiffness, rigidity, and sterile order in the air that is very un-American. It is my belief that when Christian workers are delivering the kingdom of God to a particular people group that those people should be allowed the freedom and purity to come to a unique expression of The Church on their own and not be given a cultural conformity spirit from the worker as well. This is overwhelmingly evident in the affects of English and American missionary efforts around the globe. Not only have certain people groups been given a weak gospel but they also now speak, dress, and act like their foreign workers. Somewhere along the line someone did not take their culture to the cross and die to it. The only culture and expectation that we should be transferring to God's people is that of the kingdom of heaven and none of the kingdoms of this world!
The second area that I would like to point out is hero worship toward Watchman Nee and Witness Lee and in particular with regard to their written materials. There exists an unhealthy affection for the ministries of these two men in my opinion. The root of this problem lies in the belief that these brothers were "the minister of the age" during their respective lifetimes. This mentality was obviously borrowed from Chinese Confucionism philosophy and religious culture. This attitude does not come from Christ! The most obvious dangers this poses for The Church are one, it smacks of a "Papal" position and two, it does not allow for true "brotherhood" to exist as was displayed among "The Twelve" (that Christ trained) and those that came after them (Stephen, Philip, Barnabas,etc.). This hero worship is most evident today in the Local Church's practice of using Witness Lee's materials almost exclusively as the content for their meetings. There doesn't seem to be much room for content to come from the saints themselves or from other workers with fresh revelation.
The third problem area I would like to mention goes hand in hand with the first. It is that of religious chanting and is definitely a borrowed Chinese practice. This is most visible when they are practicing calling on the name of the Lord. And there is certainly nothing wrong with calling on the name of Jesus within itself, that should be encouraged, but the Local Church's practice of it has become repetitive, lifeless, and ritualistic. To be around it in person leaves one feeling a bit strange.
The next thing I will mention is that they definitely have ruling elders as a part of their structure. Perhaps not so much in the meetings of the Local Church but in every other aspect of daily church life, the elders operate and function very much like a pastoral staff found in an institutional church setting. They are managing, making decisions, leading, and being paid much like modern pastors. This practice of elders is not compatible with the first-century story or the Lord's nature in my mind or to the hearts of those I practice church with. Elders (or overseers, pastors, or shepherds) should come along organically and could change through seasons. They do not wear titles, make all of the decisions, or do all of the ministry. They should be mostly invisible until there is a crisis or the church is facing a major decision. By nature of the church, any elders should be more passive than what is commonly practiced in the Local Church and in Christendom at large.
The next and most important troubling area I will state is the evidence of a destructive elitist and sectarian mindset. The mentality that they are the Church, the move of God in the earth, the stream, have the revelation, have the ministers of the age, are the mouthpiece for God, and alone are standing for the local boundary of the church permeates their character and reputation. They unmistakeably think of themselves as The Thing. This is dangerous on a number of levels. Granted, most every Christian church, ministry, or group on the planet I have come across carries with it an air of superiority. Every single one! It would be exotically rare to find one that doesn't. I guess it is just human (fallen) nature to believe that what we are involved with is the thing of God. We don't like the idea that we have joined ourselves with something that is possibly 2nd class, sub par, or not the best. That might reflect poorly on us - we can't have that - we will appear weak (God forbid!). I certainly understand the feeling of being on the forefront of revelation and practice - of being a part of something revolutionary. But the fact of the matter is even if we are a part of something that could be labeled as "the thing of God" (and it's possible), we are never beyond humility, remembering where we have come from, teachableness, correction, adjustment, maturity, and mystery. We never have the scriptural or Spirit right to develop an exclusive attitude that separates us apart from our brothers and sisters in Christ universal. We must avoid this at all costs - even if it leads to our suffering. We must reject it and avoid it because it comes from the evil one - intended to divide our indivisible nature. Even if we have stumbled upon a radically fresh truth, we must maintain a humble, submissive posture while practicing our new found light from the Lord. This is for the sake of our brothers and sisters. That they could receive any reality from us to add to their experience and vise versa. And this is where the Local Church has gone far afield. As I have mentioned earlier in this section, they have carried a tremendously glorious testimony, but they have fallen into elitism, they have treated other Christians as outsiders, and have become insular. This is unfortunate and worthy of sorrow and repentance. It has ended up hurting The Church's oneness and its testimony to the world. And God deals with it. I have heard Stephen Kaung speak on audio tape from a message he gave sharing the history of The Little Flock in China. He communicates a startling perspective as an insider. He believes that God allowed the communists to take over in China as a result of The Little Flock's elitism. He believes they stopped "standing for The Church" and had fallen into believing they "were The Church" - mentalities that are worlds apart. Quite interesting. Unfortunately, that spirit followed Witness Lee to the U.S. and was transferred to the Local Church.
The last area of concern I would like to briefly mention is the Local Church's acquisition of buildings and property and numerous lawsuits to defend its name. It is obvious to me that something has long since dammed up the flow of life within the Local Church circles. A religious spirit has settled in clouding things. I believe they have gone the way of most denominations - starting off with a fresh revelation but ending up having to prop itself up with structures to keep the doors open. I have observed that they have conformed to the religious culture by purchasing land, constructing buildings, meeting on Sunday mornings, and adopting programs. I have also heard that they have a long history of initiating numerous lawsuits against other Christian groups defending itself against the cult label. All of this points to a lack of life and supports the fact that even "right" or "correct" practice in the wrong spirit can lead to the all too familiar dead end road named religious bondage for God's people.
The sad thing about the areas of concern I pointed out is that Watchman Nee specifically ministered on and taught against everything I mentioned. With all of their reverence and respect for his ministry, the Little Flock and the Local Church still fell prey to spiritual blindness in these problem areas. Certain religious practices (like women's head covering) of groups like The Brethren also were a heavy influence on those involved with the work of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. Ultimately, timely adjustments were not made to uproot religious strongholds that had crept in, damming up the flow of the fresh life of God. The people that are currently involved with the Local Church are precious people indeed and there is much we can glean from them all the way around. But all organic groups (including the ones I meet with who have similar roots to the Local Church or who have come out of the Local Church) who are attempting to meet outside of the institutional system and to stand for The Church and the centrality of Jesus Christ had better stay alert to these pitfalls or we are doomed to repeat them. If we are concerned for the Lord's work in the earth and desire to be vessels for His glory in a current way then we must be a people who are open to adjustment. I have heard it said that Jesus Christ is consistently revealing Himself in ways that make it easy for us to reject or miss Him. We must learn from church history and cling to our Head in fear and trembling. We must not be given to any particular form or pattern or we may find one day that He has moved on without us in relation to our church practice.
Practically Walking It Out
As I move on here to close out this article I would like to restate the two questions we began with: Is Christ divided? And, does anyone have an answer for division? I believe we have answered both here. Of course Christ is not divided. His nature is oneness. His people are not divided either (in reality and identity) because they share His nature. There is an answer for the plague of division - it is Christ centeredness practiced by a people who meet solely under their invisible yet living Head. The question is will there be a people who are willing to "leave all" that is culturally comfortable and convenient to see this true Spirit unity realized in visible expression for the long term? That remains too be seen. In Ephesians 4:13 Paul writes, "... until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." (NASB). When I read this I trust that it is possible for The Church. I tell you what though, it will not be realized inside the walls of the institutional structure. It is impossible there. It is not the proper habitat for the unity of the Spirit. We must have an organic church life situation where people are living in community in the real world and without leaders. Only in that improbable atmosphere will there even be a chance!
We now come to the place where I must take my leave of you in this article on the issue of division. I will close with the following suggestion: If you were touched and challenged by this message and share a similar burden for true unity in the church of Jesus Christ then you must determine to follow a narrow path toward being a Christian who is part of a people who have chosen to be a solution to the problem. If you can no longer remain in the crippling state of where you currently "do church" then please begin by leaving quietly. Next, seek to join yourself with other believers who share the same vision for unity as described in this article. Whether that means helping to gather people together where you live to form a new group or moving somewhere where a group already exists, you be lead and decide. I offer myself to you as a resource. You can contact me through this blog site or at info@amcrex.com if you could use help in locating interested folks in your area or in finding an existing community of believers who are standing for the unity of the Spirit. If you are attempting to start a fresh group then I recommend you find a true Christian worker, an experienced church planter who first lived in an organic church community before becoming a worker, and who will leave the group on their own after laying a solid foundation. I can also help put you in touch with such a person or with a group of seasoned brothers and sisters who can visit you with some help. It would be my absolute joy to assist you in such a way - just let me know. Once you get yourself into such an atmosphere then prepare yourself to hang on for dear life. It will be "glory and gore" as you flesh out the reality of what it takes to realize the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. But as time goes on, as you survive the sacrifices (there will be many), as you lose your life (your worldly identity and soul life) to take up Christ's, as you resist the causes of division and disunity, and as you learn to prefer, serve, and care for one another, you will quietly discover something together: You will find that you are beholding the Lord in His fullness, making a home fit for the Father, walking as the One New Man, and changing the course of church history. This endeavor will take you far from the glitz and glamor of culturally popular Christianity. But the ache you sometimes feel from living "outside the camp" is nothing when compared to catching a glimpse of the loving and deeply satisfied look on your Savior's face as He surveys your unity. The glory and riches that are revealed in this pursuit greatly overshadow all that you will leave behind for this lifestyle of knowing Him together.
May grace be multiplied to you on this quest -
Jon K. Slusser
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
"Division" article pt. 2 update
Hey folks,
Due to my work schedule and raising 5 kids (wow!), I was unable to post the conclusion to "Does Anyone Have An Answer For Division?" in the month of April. I will do my best to get that posted here in the first half of May.
Thanks -
Jon
Due to my work schedule and raising 5 kids (wow!), I was unable to post the conclusion to "Does Anyone Have An Answer For Division?" in the month of April. I will do my best to get that posted here in the first half of May.
Thanks -
Jon
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Does Anyone Have An Answer For Division? - Pt. 1
“Has Christ been divided?” (1 Cor. 1:13 NASB)
I believe the above question posed by Paul to the Corinthians should also be haunting the modern church right now. At least Corinth only had four factions. Christianity today has been scattered to the four winds! True Spirit-birthed unity in practice is an endangered species.
A History of Disunity
Time and space will not allow me to provide a thorough church history lesson here. I think it is safe to assume that if you are reading this article then you are already aware of the degradation that has plagued Christianity for the better part of the last 1800 years. Outside of a few suppressed remnants through the centuries, The Way has been buried under a mountain of ignorance, paganism, carnality, and fallen human nature. Mishandled in just about every way possible, the true nature of Christ and The Church has been reduced to a religion and a philosophy - to a mental exercise and a search for signs and wonders. Having become “a byword among the nations” due to layer upon layer of misrepresentation, The Church is grossly out of touch with its true identity and has abused a trusting public. It is being shamed by God’s enemy and not fulfilling its place of shaming God’s enemy. Like the nation of Israel after Solomon, Jeroboam, and Rehoboam, the Kingdom of God has been severed and scattered. And yet, the indestructible life of The New Creation bursts out of its shackles in every generation, determined to make Christ as All in All a visible reality in expression.
Like or not, believe it or not, we have inherited a Christianity that is about as divided and sectarian as it can get. We have our Catholics and Protestants. We have our denominations and our denominations splitting. We have the non-denominational denomination. We have our para-church organizations. We have our various ministries, camps, and circles. We have countless anemic cell groups and house churches. Most all are missing the mark when it comes to representing the true nature of the Lord Jesus Christ! Most are products of human invention and not fruit by the Spirit of God!
Most denominations and groups throughout church history have gotten their beginning and ultimately their identity as a sect (that’s what they are) by splitting with some other group over some particular pet doctrine or emphasis and then making that same emphasis their center and identity. This vicious cycle is indisputable! They camp out at a particular truth or aspect of the Lord, become topical in teaching, and make idols out of emphasis in their worship. This comes as a result of a few things I believe: since the passing on of the first-century apostles and those they trained, our quality of Christian workers has been poor. Outside of a few scattered souls, “ministers” of our faith have not been trained organically, have not had a revelation of God’s eternal purpose, do not become stewards of the mystery, and do not train up faithful ones to carry on after themselves. Because the workers have been misled, they have misled others and perpetuated retarded churches and movements. Another thing is that God’s people have not understood the oneness of the Godhead fellowship and in turn have not understood the Lord’s oneness with The Church His bride - that The Church is Christ – in bodily form. By not properly discerning the Body and recognizing that it is as vast, full of variety, and all-encompassing as Christ Himself is, we have failed to receive the gifts, functions, and ministry of The Body to edify itself and express a unity of the faith. When testing has come to “try” our unity we have failed in our immaturity. We have chosen tools of the flesh and not walked in the Spirit - thinking we were doing God a favor.
The thing that frustrates me and those I practice church with, is that the majority of Christians (so called leaders included) don’t seem to discern that our lack of unity is a monumental problem. They don’t appear to care. They think it is normal. They believe unity is impossible (contrary to what The Word says) so they apply no effort. And outside of a few unity parades and arm-chair conversations, no one seems to be attempting any practical solutions that will bring revolutionary change and healing on a local level. Yet, there is a fool’s hope that there will be groups of believers rising up who will abandon all and pay any price to see their Lord’s dream of unity actualized. The Spirit of the Lord is determined and provision has already been made in the heavenlies. He is awaiting a move of the people of God. As long as there is grace and the promise of finding what we seek, I believe there is a solution. It is an ancient and narrow way. It is a road less traveled. It is traversed by the poor in spirit, by desperate and hungry sojourners who are searching for the city whose architect and builder is God. I would like to present the solution here. But discovering and knowing the solution is not the highest hurdle. The issue, you will find, is will there be willingness? Will a people be willing to deny self? To go to the cross? To abandon old wineskins for a radically new approach? To start over in their Christian experience? To behold the Scriptures and their Lord in a whole new light? To bear the reproach of being outside of popular culture? It will take faith and courage beyond their capacity and the odds are overwhelmingly against them. How badly do they want more of their Lord? He does not give away His secret treasures to the passive. “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22 NASB).” If you can be counted among the willing then by all means, please read on.
The Indivisible Nature of God and The Church
Let’s take a moment to revisit the nature of the Godhead and consequently of The Church. God is one. Before creation of the invisible and visible realms, only God existed. Though we have the mystery of God in three persons, they exist in a state of perfect harmony and unity. Though they each seem to have different expressions and functions, they are virtually indistinguishable. They prefer one another. They speak and act as one. They are one Spirit. They are unity personified. Likewise The Church, who has been installed with the same Spirit as God, also has the same nature. By nature she is one with God. Her members are one. Her nature is to be a unified organism. According to Paul in his letter that is called Ephesians, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” If she appears to be divided then she is betraying her true nature. This is how we can tell a genuine expression of The Body of Christ from a false one or one that is missing the mark. If we are truly touching Christ in our worship lifestyle and community, then we will be touching His nature of unity - becoming compatible with it. Because of the indwelling Spirit of God in The Church, she is by nature indivisible. Therefore, any division is a product of God’s enemy and the fallen nature of man. Our unity in The Body of Christ is no human product. Watchman Nee writes, “We cannot make this unity, since by the Spirit we are one in Christ, and we cannot break it, because it is an eternal fact in Christ; but we can destroy the effects of it, so that its expression in the church is lost.”
As far as the visible outworking of The Church’s earthly expression goes, we must be willing to be reduced to a simpler view. In a day and time when choices, options, and distractions are so readily available to the individual, believers of Jesus Christ must endeavor to protect the nature of The Church. I’m not talking about a rigid adherence to a NT pattern but a continuous checking-in with our organic instincts, which are one with the Lord. I believe that if we are in touch with our Christian instincts then we will come to see that the only Scriptural and Spirit-led right we have to divide The Church (universal) is for practical and geographic reasons. Because it is not possible for The Church universal to gather and live in one place, The Church is divided into churches on a local level. All of those who belong to the Lord and who call on His name gather together where they live. They are simply The Church in the given place that they reside. Be it a city, township, burgh, or district, they are The Church in the name of that place. In whatever way society marks out its limits, the church has its boundary. If it is a large metro area, it can be distinguished by what is common – such as the south side of Chicago, the north side of Atlanta, or the east side of Los Angeles. This is not a division of nature but of practicality and locality. It does not weaken the Lord’s testimony. This was the way in the first-century. They were simply the church at Corinth, or the church of Smyrna, or the churches of Galatia (a province). They did not take on trendy, stand-out names like what is common today. They were just known as The Church in their particular city.
It is important to now also mention the main areas where division takes place among God’s people in their weakness and immaturity. The NT tells that the church need not be ignorant of the devil’s devices. We also need not be ignorant of our frailty as fallen humans and where we tend to break down in our attempt to cooperate with the Lord. If we are alert and aware of the “foxes that spoil the vine” then we can better resist and overcome as we endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (1) Hero Worship. Sometimes it is human nature to glamorize a certain spiritual leader or an instrument of our salvation because we received a particular benefit. This comes from not properly discerning man and understanding that it is the grace of Christ that is being shared through a “vessel” and not human charisma. This was happening in Corinth. (2) Spiritual Pride. This comes in many forms but if we feel that we are “better” than other believers because we have certain light or a higher level of truth or depth then we are being divisive. Even if we are “correct” in what we are promoting and maybe even if we are making a stand for not being divisive, we can bring division through our attitudes and treatment of other Christians. If we are truly coming into deep revelation of the Lord then it should be producing deep humility within us and driving us to greater intercession, inclusiveness, and love. (3) Doctrinal Differences. The mother of them all it seems. Simply put, we have no Scriptural right to divide ourselves from other believers because of our pet doctrines. What it boils down to is actually different angles of interpretation. The differences are usually limited to eschatology (last days), the nature of The Kingdom, super-natural manifestations, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. A doctrine can never be our center and God will never sanction division based on doctrinal differences. We must learn to meet around the Lord’s Person and to include those that have different interpretations than we do. Only through the unity of the Spirit will we come into truth and rightness of interpretation. Jesus said, “If anyone wants to do His (God’s) will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.” If we get to know Christ in the context of His multi-various Body then we will come to the “true doctrine” (more on this in the next section). (4) Racial, National, and Social Distinctions. The Lord Jesus Christ has destroyed every human distinction on the cross and has created One New Man from every tribe, nation, and tongue. A local church cannot be determined by race, only by residence. Moreover, it is the nature of the One New Man and the testimony of The Church to be full of variety in its expression.
Restoring Christ-Centeredness – The Only Solution
I would like to now present the solution – the only solution – to the problem of division, the main problem that is plaguing Christianity. First we must start by humbly realizing that most of what we know about Christianity is probably wrong. This takes a delicate balance of laying down your spiritual pride without becoming a blind follower. It is crucial that we adopt a mindset that we are starting over at ground zero in our Christian experience and practice. There is simply too much religious fog for us to have to cut through in order to see a truly Christ-centered organic expression of the church. It is a lost cause unfortunately. It is a necessity for us to start from scratch if there is to be any hope! Second, we must be willing to dump all of our other centers, topics, and emphasis’. In essence, we must lower ourselves to just having the person of Christ as our one and only pursuit. And trust me, we have a plethora of other centers out there. Regardless of whether it is a traditional, institutional or house church we have an “other” emphasis that is usually our basis for fellowship when we gather. For some it is Bible study, for others it is the gifts of The Spirit. For some it is a style of praise and worship music, for others it is baptism. For some it is politics, for others it is signs and wonders. Still others include homeschooling, scholarship, vegetarian diet, social activism, hanging out, missions, and prophecy. All of these might be fine pursuits unto themselves but they are not to be the center of the ekklesia of Jesus Christ. Regardless of the motives involved, we have missed the mind of God when it comes to what is to be the focal point of why we meet together as saints - we have enjoyed our special interests. The next thing is we must determine to know Christ together as a group and not as a mob of individualists. Individual devotion to the Lord certainly has its place but it takes a backseat to the corporate pursuit of knowing and touching Him. Christ is a living Head that the church can meet around. He is full able to speak, lead, and feed His flock. We have no need for some other human mediator. Like the description of Jesus in the opening of John’s Revelation actively walking among the lampstands, He is still out walking today – with something to share and love to give. It is the Lord’s way that we are able to only go so far in our individual walk. It is by design that we only come to find the depths and heights of the Person of Christ in the fires of body life. This was the norm in century one. The early church knew nothing of the rugged individualism that so dominates the character of western Christianity. The practice of their faith was one and the same with an intense community lifestyle.
At this point you might be thinking, “So what would a truly Christ-centered expression look like?” For starters, those involved have come a long way in process with the Lord to where they are desperate and poor in spirit. They have exhausted just about everything that organized religion can offer. They are willing to abandon all to follow their Lord. They are screaming on the inside for genuine and authentic Christian community. The majority of their meetings take place in homes. Many have even made the decision as a group to all move into the same neighborhood (as their love for each other grew, so did their desire to live closer) in an urban/suburban area (not on some great acreage far removed from society to live the semi-monastic life but to let their light shine before men). They have ditched those two great hindrances – the clergyman (pastor, priest, reverend, etc.) and the worship leader. Every member functions and shares Christ in the meetings here. Christ is their doctrine. Christ is their creed. Christ is what they seek to know and encounter. Anyone can suggest and begin a song. Their singing is not a show or entertainment but a high, organic expression of their living Lord who overflows. The gatherings are creative, full of variety, and truly edifying. When the group makes decisions they make them by consensus – realizing that their unity is more important than the decision that is before them. The sisters have a first-class and honored status among all. The saints are careful to be non-sectarian and non-elitist in the testimony they are standing for, creating an atmosphere where Christians of all backgrounds can find a welcome common ground of easily accessible simplicity. They care for each other’s needs in all seasons of common life together. They want to raise their kids together. They want to grow old together. They want to marry and bury each other. It is a tribe. It is a divine-life village.
The above description of ekklesia life is exotically rare in our time and in our world today but it is a living reality for some. It is a daily reality for the group I meet/live with. It is realized by others I know in various cities around the globe. It is an ancient way – the way of the early church – when “she” was young, organic, and less distracted. Contrary to a popular notion that The Church today has somehow evolved and matured beyond the early quality of the first century (a sick joke in my opinion), the postmodern church is grossly out of touch with her true pristine nature. As we become familiar with the first-century story (narrative – not chapter and verse and letters out of order) we see a habitat for the new creation come into focus. Its ways developed naturally, a by-product of an indwelling Lord who is encountered by a people together. The church will grow into the fullness of Christ – with all of His gifts, riches, and supply - if she is allowed to. If she has Christ alone as her center. If she is built on Christ. If she is fed Christ. If she is watered with Christ. If she learns to eat and drink Christ herself. If she is allowed to enthrone Him as her Head - she will match His characteristics because it is in her DNA to do so. I am not talking about strict adherence to some New Testament pattern or formula to produce her but recognizing the natural way of an organism – life reproducing life after its own kind! The above description of a church life community with Christ as its center reveals the ways of The Way. I know my own daughter by her ways and characteristics – they distinguish her. I also know what she is not. The proof is in the pudding they say. If Christ is the center of a group of people then they will visibly reflect His image and He is satisfied. If He is not, then the traits of whatever is the center will be seen for what it is, a false image and lacking. The ways of this organism also transcend culture, they are not time bound. It matters not whether it is century one, 1492, 1640, 1950, or 2008. It matters not what country or society The Way is planted, her ways will thrive and show endemic to The Seed. These ways are organic, natural, and common to the nature of man and to The Godhead. They are relational and promote community. This cannot be said of the postmodern or institutional church. The ways of the organization are actually taken from culture, the traits of which reflect God’s enemy, fallen man, and pagan influences as its center – regardless of the motives involved. The intentions of the organization are betrayed by its practice. The ways of the postmodern church divide and scatter ultimately. God is limited at best, frustrated and unsatisfied.
Please consider my final thoughts in this section very carefully! The description I gave above of the ways of the organic ekklesia show an example of the fruit that will be seen when Christ is central. Only such a church can and is making inroads toward shaming God’s enemy and towards fulfilling God’s eternal purpose. This is the vital importance behind restoring Christ-centeredness to the gathering of God’s people. This is The Church’s very reason for existence on the earth! Paul wrote, “so that the manifold wisdom of God might be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose [of the ages] which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Eph. 3:10,11). Our reason for gathering as the saints in oneness is of gigantic proportion! We are participating and cooperating in nothing short of satisfying the beating heart of our Father. He has a purpose and an intention that He put into motion before the foundation of the world – that Christ His Son would have first place in ALL things – and He is looking at us as the vessels for realizing this dream. This is huge folks! The way that we practice church is a major key to whether or not we are on the road or just stuck in the mud for another generation. It reveals whether we are living by the nature of our glorified Lord or by the devices of the fallen man. We don’t have time to waste in the mire of ritual, pagan practices, propagating a man-centered gospel, and religious politics – scattered about by every wind of whatever. Church is not about satisfying my personal needs (though the secret is my needs will be met more fully as His satisfaction is first place in my life) or about getting “a touch” from God. It is all about God in Christ! It is time for the living stones to gather at the building site to be formed together as God’s house so He can be satisfied in His longing. It is time to restore the centrality of Jesus Christ in our practice. It is time to be conformed to His desires. It is time to be unified together with Him in The Spirit. The time is now sisters and brothers.
This article is to be continued next month ...
I believe the above question posed by Paul to the Corinthians should also be haunting the modern church right now. At least Corinth only had four factions. Christianity today has been scattered to the four winds! True Spirit-birthed unity in practice is an endangered species.
A History of Disunity
Time and space will not allow me to provide a thorough church history lesson here. I think it is safe to assume that if you are reading this article then you are already aware of the degradation that has plagued Christianity for the better part of the last 1800 years. Outside of a few suppressed remnants through the centuries, The Way has been buried under a mountain of ignorance, paganism, carnality, and fallen human nature. Mishandled in just about every way possible, the true nature of Christ and The Church has been reduced to a religion and a philosophy - to a mental exercise and a search for signs and wonders. Having become “a byword among the nations” due to layer upon layer of misrepresentation, The Church is grossly out of touch with its true identity and has abused a trusting public. It is being shamed by God’s enemy and not fulfilling its place of shaming God’s enemy. Like the nation of Israel after Solomon, Jeroboam, and Rehoboam, the Kingdom of God has been severed and scattered. And yet, the indestructible life of The New Creation bursts out of its shackles in every generation, determined to make Christ as All in All a visible reality in expression.
Like or not, believe it or not, we have inherited a Christianity that is about as divided and sectarian as it can get. We have our Catholics and Protestants. We have our denominations and our denominations splitting. We have the non-denominational denomination. We have our para-church organizations. We have our various ministries, camps, and circles. We have countless anemic cell groups and house churches. Most all are missing the mark when it comes to representing the true nature of the Lord Jesus Christ! Most are products of human invention and not fruit by the Spirit of God!
Most denominations and groups throughout church history have gotten their beginning and ultimately their identity as a sect (that’s what they are) by splitting with some other group over some particular pet doctrine or emphasis and then making that same emphasis their center and identity. This vicious cycle is indisputable! They camp out at a particular truth or aspect of the Lord, become topical in teaching, and make idols out of emphasis in their worship. This comes as a result of a few things I believe: since the passing on of the first-century apostles and those they trained, our quality of Christian workers has been poor. Outside of a few scattered souls, “ministers” of our faith have not been trained organically, have not had a revelation of God’s eternal purpose, do not become stewards of the mystery, and do not train up faithful ones to carry on after themselves. Because the workers have been misled, they have misled others and perpetuated retarded churches and movements. Another thing is that God’s people have not understood the oneness of the Godhead fellowship and in turn have not understood the Lord’s oneness with The Church His bride - that The Church is Christ – in bodily form. By not properly discerning the Body and recognizing that it is as vast, full of variety, and all-encompassing as Christ Himself is, we have failed to receive the gifts, functions, and ministry of The Body to edify itself and express a unity of the faith. When testing has come to “try” our unity we have failed in our immaturity. We have chosen tools of the flesh and not walked in the Spirit - thinking we were doing God a favor.
The thing that frustrates me and those I practice church with, is that the majority of Christians (so called leaders included) don’t seem to discern that our lack of unity is a monumental problem. They don’t appear to care. They think it is normal. They believe unity is impossible (contrary to what The Word says) so they apply no effort. And outside of a few unity parades and arm-chair conversations, no one seems to be attempting any practical solutions that will bring revolutionary change and healing on a local level. Yet, there is a fool’s hope that there will be groups of believers rising up who will abandon all and pay any price to see their Lord’s dream of unity actualized. The Spirit of the Lord is determined and provision has already been made in the heavenlies. He is awaiting a move of the people of God. As long as there is grace and the promise of finding what we seek, I believe there is a solution. It is an ancient and narrow way. It is a road less traveled. It is traversed by the poor in spirit, by desperate and hungry sojourners who are searching for the city whose architect and builder is God. I would like to present the solution here. But discovering and knowing the solution is not the highest hurdle. The issue, you will find, is will there be willingness? Will a people be willing to deny self? To go to the cross? To abandon old wineskins for a radically new approach? To start over in their Christian experience? To behold the Scriptures and their Lord in a whole new light? To bear the reproach of being outside of popular culture? It will take faith and courage beyond their capacity and the odds are overwhelmingly against them. How badly do they want more of their Lord? He does not give away His secret treasures to the passive. “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22 NASB).” If you can be counted among the willing then by all means, please read on.
The Indivisible Nature of God and The Church
Let’s take a moment to revisit the nature of the Godhead and consequently of The Church. God is one. Before creation of the invisible and visible realms, only God existed. Though we have the mystery of God in three persons, they exist in a state of perfect harmony and unity. Though they each seem to have different expressions and functions, they are virtually indistinguishable. They prefer one another. They speak and act as one. They are one Spirit. They are unity personified. Likewise The Church, who has been installed with the same Spirit as God, also has the same nature. By nature she is one with God. Her members are one. Her nature is to be a unified organism. According to Paul in his letter that is called Ephesians, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” If she appears to be divided then she is betraying her true nature. This is how we can tell a genuine expression of The Body of Christ from a false one or one that is missing the mark. If we are truly touching Christ in our worship lifestyle and community, then we will be touching His nature of unity - becoming compatible with it. Because of the indwelling Spirit of God in The Church, she is by nature indivisible. Therefore, any division is a product of God’s enemy and the fallen nature of man. Our unity in The Body of Christ is no human product. Watchman Nee writes, “We cannot make this unity, since by the Spirit we are one in Christ, and we cannot break it, because it is an eternal fact in Christ; but we can destroy the effects of it, so that its expression in the church is lost.”
As far as the visible outworking of The Church’s earthly expression goes, we must be willing to be reduced to a simpler view. In a day and time when choices, options, and distractions are so readily available to the individual, believers of Jesus Christ must endeavor to protect the nature of The Church. I’m not talking about a rigid adherence to a NT pattern but a continuous checking-in with our organic instincts, which are one with the Lord. I believe that if we are in touch with our Christian instincts then we will come to see that the only Scriptural and Spirit-led right we have to divide The Church (universal) is for practical and geographic reasons. Because it is not possible for The Church universal to gather and live in one place, The Church is divided into churches on a local level. All of those who belong to the Lord and who call on His name gather together where they live. They are simply The Church in the given place that they reside. Be it a city, township, burgh, or district, they are The Church in the name of that place. In whatever way society marks out its limits, the church has its boundary. If it is a large metro area, it can be distinguished by what is common – such as the south side of Chicago, the north side of Atlanta, or the east side of Los Angeles. This is not a division of nature but of practicality and locality. It does not weaken the Lord’s testimony. This was the way in the first-century. They were simply the church at Corinth, or the church of Smyrna, or the churches of Galatia (a province). They did not take on trendy, stand-out names like what is common today. They were just known as The Church in their particular city.
It is important to now also mention the main areas where division takes place among God’s people in their weakness and immaturity. The NT tells that the church need not be ignorant of the devil’s devices. We also need not be ignorant of our frailty as fallen humans and where we tend to break down in our attempt to cooperate with the Lord. If we are alert and aware of the “foxes that spoil the vine” then we can better resist and overcome as we endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (1) Hero Worship. Sometimes it is human nature to glamorize a certain spiritual leader or an instrument of our salvation because we received a particular benefit. This comes from not properly discerning man and understanding that it is the grace of Christ that is being shared through a “vessel” and not human charisma. This was happening in Corinth. (2) Spiritual Pride. This comes in many forms but if we feel that we are “better” than other believers because we have certain light or a higher level of truth or depth then we are being divisive. Even if we are “correct” in what we are promoting and maybe even if we are making a stand for not being divisive, we can bring division through our attitudes and treatment of other Christians. If we are truly coming into deep revelation of the Lord then it should be producing deep humility within us and driving us to greater intercession, inclusiveness, and love. (3) Doctrinal Differences. The mother of them all it seems. Simply put, we have no Scriptural right to divide ourselves from other believers because of our pet doctrines. What it boils down to is actually different angles of interpretation. The differences are usually limited to eschatology (last days), the nature of The Kingdom, super-natural manifestations, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. A doctrine can never be our center and God will never sanction division based on doctrinal differences. We must learn to meet around the Lord’s Person and to include those that have different interpretations than we do. Only through the unity of the Spirit will we come into truth and rightness of interpretation. Jesus said, “If anyone wants to do His (God’s) will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.” If we get to know Christ in the context of His multi-various Body then we will come to the “true doctrine” (more on this in the next section). (4) Racial, National, and Social Distinctions. The Lord Jesus Christ has destroyed every human distinction on the cross and has created One New Man from every tribe, nation, and tongue. A local church cannot be determined by race, only by residence. Moreover, it is the nature of the One New Man and the testimony of The Church to be full of variety in its expression.
Restoring Christ-Centeredness – The Only Solution
I would like to now present the solution – the only solution – to the problem of division, the main problem that is plaguing Christianity. First we must start by humbly realizing that most of what we know about Christianity is probably wrong. This takes a delicate balance of laying down your spiritual pride without becoming a blind follower. It is crucial that we adopt a mindset that we are starting over at ground zero in our Christian experience and practice. There is simply too much religious fog for us to have to cut through in order to see a truly Christ-centered organic expression of the church. It is a lost cause unfortunately. It is a necessity for us to start from scratch if there is to be any hope! Second, we must be willing to dump all of our other centers, topics, and emphasis’. In essence, we must lower ourselves to just having the person of Christ as our one and only pursuit. And trust me, we have a plethora of other centers out there. Regardless of whether it is a traditional, institutional or house church we have an “other” emphasis that is usually our basis for fellowship when we gather. For some it is Bible study, for others it is the gifts of The Spirit. For some it is a style of praise and worship music, for others it is baptism. For some it is politics, for others it is signs and wonders. Still others include homeschooling, scholarship, vegetarian diet, social activism, hanging out, missions, and prophecy. All of these might be fine pursuits unto themselves but they are not to be the center of the ekklesia of Jesus Christ. Regardless of the motives involved, we have missed the mind of God when it comes to what is to be the focal point of why we meet together as saints - we have enjoyed our special interests. The next thing is we must determine to know Christ together as a group and not as a mob of individualists. Individual devotion to the Lord certainly has its place but it takes a backseat to the corporate pursuit of knowing and touching Him. Christ is a living Head that the church can meet around. He is full able to speak, lead, and feed His flock. We have no need for some other human mediator. Like the description of Jesus in the opening of John’s Revelation actively walking among the lampstands, He is still out walking today – with something to share and love to give. It is the Lord’s way that we are able to only go so far in our individual walk. It is by design that we only come to find the depths and heights of the Person of Christ in the fires of body life. This was the norm in century one. The early church knew nothing of the rugged individualism that so dominates the character of western Christianity. The practice of their faith was one and the same with an intense community lifestyle.
At this point you might be thinking, “So what would a truly Christ-centered expression look like?” For starters, those involved have come a long way in process with the Lord to where they are desperate and poor in spirit. They have exhausted just about everything that organized religion can offer. They are willing to abandon all to follow their Lord. They are screaming on the inside for genuine and authentic Christian community. The majority of their meetings take place in homes. Many have even made the decision as a group to all move into the same neighborhood (as their love for each other grew, so did their desire to live closer) in an urban/suburban area (not on some great acreage far removed from society to live the semi-monastic life but to let their light shine before men). They have ditched those two great hindrances – the clergyman (pastor, priest, reverend, etc.) and the worship leader. Every member functions and shares Christ in the meetings here. Christ is their doctrine. Christ is their creed. Christ is what they seek to know and encounter. Anyone can suggest and begin a song. Their singing is not a show or entertainment but a high, organic expression of their living Lord who overflows. The gatherings are creative, full of variety, and truly edifying. When the group makes decisions they make them by consensus – realizing that their unity is more important than the decision that is before them. The sisters have a first-class and honored status among all. The saints are careful to be non-sectarian and non-elitist in the testimony they are standing for, creating an atmosphere where Christians of all backgrounds can find a welcome common ground of easily accessible simplicity. They care for each other’s needs in all seasons of common life together. They want to raise their kids together. They want to grow old together. They want to marry and bury each other. It is a tribe. It is a divine-life village.
The above description of ekklesia life is exotically rare in our time and in our world today but it is a living reality for some. It is a daily reality for the group I meet/live with. It is realized by others I know in various cities around the globe. It is an ancient way – the way of the early church – when “she” was young, organic, and less distracted. Contrary to a popular notion that The Church today has somehow evolved and matured beyond the early quality of the first century (a sick joke in my opinion), the postmodern church is grossly out of touch with her true pristine nature. As we become familiar with the first-century story (narrative – not chapter and verse and letters out of order) we see a habitat for the new creation come into focus. Its ways developed naturally, a by-product of an indwelling Lord who is encountered by a people together. The church will grow into the fullness of Christ – with all of His gifts, riches, and supply - if she is allowed to. If she has Christ alone as her center. If she is built on Christ. If she is fed Christ. If she is watered with Christ. If she learns to eat and drink Christ herself. If she is allowed to enthrone Him as her Head - she will match His characteristics because it is in her DNA to do so. I am not talking about strict adherence to some New Testament pattern or formula to produce her but recognizing the natural way of an organism – life reproducing life after its own kind! The above description of a church life community with Christ as its center reveals the ways of The Way. I know my own daughter by her ways and characteristics – they distinguish her. I also know what she is not. The proof is in the pudding they say. If Christ is the center of a group of people then they will visibly reflect His image and He is satisfied. If He is not, then the traits of whatever is the center will be seen for what it is, a false image and lacking. The ways of this organism also transcend culture, they are not time bound. It matters not whether it is century one, 1492, 1640, 1950, or 2008. It matters not what country or society The Way is planted, her ways will thrive and show endemic to The Seed. These ways are organic, natural, and common to the nature of man and to The Godhead. They are relational and promote community. This cannot be said of the postmodern or institutional church. The ways of the organization are actually taken from culture, the traits of which reflect God’s enemy, fallen man, and pagan influences as its center – regardless of the motives involved. The intentions of the organization are betrayed by its practice. The ways of the postmodern church divide and scatter ultimately. God is limited at best, frustrated and unsatisfied.
Please consider my final thoughts in this section very carefully! The description I gave above of the ways of the organic ekklesia show an example of the fruit that will be seen when Christ is central. Only such a church can and is making inroads toward shaming God’s enemy and towards fulfilling God’s eternal purpose. This is the vital importance behind restoring Christ-centeredness to the gathering of God’s people. This is The Church’s very reason for existence on the earth! Paul wrote, “so that the manifold wisdom of God might be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose [of the ages] which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Eph. 3:10,11). Our reason for gathering as the saints in oneness is of gigantic proportion! We are participating and cooperating in nothing short of satisfying the beating heart of our Father. He has a purpose and an intention that He put into motion before the foundation of the world – that Christ His Son would have first place in ALL things – and He is looking at us as the vessels for realizing this dream. This is huge folks! The way that we practice church is a major key to whether or not we are on the road or just stuck in the mud for another generation. It reveals whether we are living by the nature of our glorified Lord or by the devices of the fallen man. We don’t have time to waste in the mire of ritual, pagan practices, propagating a man-centered gospel, and religious politics – scattered about by every wind of whatever. Church is not about satisfying my personal needs (though the secret is my needs will be met more fully as His satisfaction is first place in my life) or about getting “a touch” from God. It is all about God in Christ! It is time for the living stones to gather at the building site to be formed together as God’s house so He can be satisfied in His longing. It is time to restore the centrality of Jesus Christ in our practice. It is time to be conformed to His desires. It is time to be unified together with Him in The Spirit. The time is now sisters and brothers.
This article is to be continued next month ...
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
New Article and New Book
Readers,
Two things to mention to you. I will be posting a new article here soon titled, Does Anyone Have An Answer For Division? I believe that division in the Body of Christ doesn't get enough airplay far and wide. It is often avoided altogether I've found. I believe we must face it head on. Only a courageous surrender to being "reduced" to a pure Christ-centeredness can cure this disease that is crippling Christianity. Check back soon for this sobering plea!
The other thing is, I would like to take a moment to recommend a new book that is just coming out. It is actually an older book that was authored by my friend Frank Viola. The title is Pagan Christianity and a new revised and updated version has just been released by Tyndale, co-authored by George Barna. It is remarkable that someone like George Barna has gotten involved and hopefully it will lead to wider exposure. You can visit www.paganchristianity.org to view more details.
Until next time, have a great and safe New Year -
Jon
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