I think there is so little detail about what CHURCH is in the Bible because how people worship God is as different as the cultures in which they live.
When a missionary goes into uncharted territory, they do not prop up their video screens and the powerpoint and start singing Tommy Walker songs. (That would be a great video. End with the Metrosexual worship leader falling on his face with a back full of poison darts and a child of the tribe coming across a Bible propping up the projector…)
I know of three people, specifically, that will not go to a church that has over 100 people in it because they have anxiety about large crowds. BUT they love to sit around with a few friends, play cards, and talk deep things about life. One of them, I know for certain, has a deep respect, love, and appreciation for Jesus. What if it were culturally acceptable for them to NOT “go” to church but were encouraged to draw near to God while they were playing poker?
I just started reading Organic Church, by Neil Cole (for the second time, never got through 1st time) and I’m intrigued at what church Jesus might build in Evansville from this sort of book. From what I gather so far, it’s a lot like what would happen if somebody took Perspectives and then applied it to their local neighborhood.
If you don’t know about Perspectives, you can check it out here¬†http://www.perspectives.org/site/pp.aspx?c=eqLLI0OFKrF&b=2806295
and you can check out Organic Church here http://bit.ly/biJXwq
or listen to them talk about this stuff here http://www.cmaresources.org/audio/missional-movements-2010-mfrost-1
more to come.
So is it your opinion that Christ’s church was more a group with common interests, customs, etc.? It almost seems to me that with Christ as the head there was something more than just common love, fellowship, and following of Christ.
Perhaps Christ as the head makes His church more than just a culture – after all, many of the so called christian churches after the apostles were all killed were more about money and power than discipleship.
Thanks for this entry – interesting stuff.
I am in the midst of that dilemma myself. I need to be in close relationship with others who love the Truth, whether they know Truth by the name of Jesus yet or not. I do not need to be used and slotted into designated “ministry slots” justifying somebody’s 4 year plan. Oh well, personal rant, sorry.
I also like the more Catholic idea of seeing the entire community, whether they attend, believe, or practice the “right” behaviors or not as part of the parish. What if more churches saw all those around them as under their care like a good parish priest?
peace