Actually G-D doesn’t call us to be IN church but, to BE the church. The Idea of living life as the church is the idea of BEING the church and not going. If you go back to the very beginning of why the Jewish Synagogue was set up in the first place, it was not because it was a command of G-D, but because it was a desire of the people. So, because it was the desire of the people he allowed the temple and eventually the synagogue to exist. When he did, he set down rules and guidelines as to how the temple should be run.
The idea of deacons and elders were set up to structure or help run larger groups of people who gathered together as the messianic community. It was Paul’s response to how people were not living as they should in the messianic communities.
Also, there was never a command from Jesus to be in church or a part of a church, and if there was then he broke it because he never went nor was he a part of one. The focus was always loving G-D and loving others which the heart behind all that he did and all that he talked about. Nor did he ever encourage his disciples to do so.
So, By not being in church we are not defying any command that has been commanded by G-D, especially from Jesus. Although, we are commanded to live as the body of Christ, so we are called to be in community. So, I am not denying the fact that we are to be the church, or gather with others that love Jesus. I am just arguing the idea that to be in church is not necessarily a command, but we are to be the church.
I am also not saying that church is bad or to be in church is bad. There are communities of believers who call themselves a church, that I think are doing amazing things and are doing an incredible of job of living in community or living as the church or being the church. Even the ones that I don’t think are doing a good job, I do still believe that G-D does move through many of these people.
Do I hang out with many different groups of people who passionately love Jesus? I Do! Do I belong or have a membership at any specific church? Nope!
Do I tithe to any specific organization or community of people that call themselves northstar, 4 corners, vcc etc.? at times just to support the people who put those praise gathering together, BUT most of my tithe goes towards helping the poor, helping people who need help in the kingdom of G-D, etc.
Will I ever be in church, nope because I am in the church, being The Body of Christ…The Kingdom of G-D… and that is all that I need to be.
Do I necessarily agree with the church (being the organizational church)? NO! But by no means does that mean that G-D does not move in and through the people who are there. Nor does it mean that church does not occur, as people come together to BE the church or live life as the church.
1 comment:
I will first differentiate between small 'c' church and capital 'C' church. Capital will mean the body, small will mean the institution.
I will agree, we are not called to be in the church, but to be the body (Church). But lets look at the evidence of what God has done. He has used the church (institution) to be a place of easy connection with other believers. He has used the church to help people realize their callings. He uses it as a strong vehicle. The institution is not at all bad. Like I stated before, it is not that all churches are bad or run poorly, just a few.
Mars Hill Seattle is run in amazing ways. It does have a business side, but so did Jesus (he demonstrated paying taxes even though in the US he would have been tax exempt). Sure VCC is run like a business, but it has been effective in keeping them in the business of ministry.
The Tabernacle or "Tent of Meeting"
You state, "If you go back to the very beginning of why the Jewish Synagogue was set up in the first place, it was not because it was a command of G-D, but because it was a desire of the people." but I must argue this as untrue. God commanded Moses in Exodus chapter 40 to build the tabernacle. This was so he could travel with them from place to place in the desert, and part of his promise to dwell among the people. God made the rules for the people of Israel both with the Law, and for the tabernacle without ANY input from man. He allowed David to dream up the temple later on, and he agreed to be apart of it (but would not allow David to build it, but his son would be permitted). But even though it was the wish of men, God still chose to dwell in it, physically. It was a holy place. The temple was still following the rules laid down (the ones God laid down but would later not recognize by the times of the prophets due to bad hearts of his people) at the time of Christ. They still celebrated feasts, took offerings, and wore the proper attire. They still celebrated holidays and more.
We can see this in John with the offering presented by Joseph and Mary after the birth of Jesus. I would argue the temple/synagogue was less personal and community oriented by this time.
I do not know where the pagans come in with their temples being copied by the Israelites. This may be true, it may not. It is not biblical, so it must be extra biblical. If you can give me the source that talks about Israel copying the outsiders, I would like to read it. It seems contradictory to God wanting holy, or set apart, people who looked and acted nothing like the surrounding neighbors. We know in Samuel that Israel wants a king to be like the other countries, but I have never heard they wanted a tabernacle to be like the neighbors.
Tithe
The tithe was not set up to help the poor priests. It was set up to be an offering of your first and best to God. (see leviticus, and the story of Cain and Able)
The priests benefited from only a portion of the meat. The rest was burned. Some of the offering was taken back to the house of the one who sacrificed it in order to feed his family. The main point of the tithe and sacrifice was not the people, but the Lord. The heart behind it is to give up something of need to prove you trust God, to prove your love for him.
Paul speaks of tithe in Corinthians as "whatever one sees fit." The one tenth rule is spelled out in the OT, while the NT seems to be more about giving sacrificially.
Jesus in the Church, and the church
You stated:
Also, there was never a command from Jesus to be in church or a part of a church, and if there was then he broke it because he never went nor was he a part of one. The focus was always loving G-D and loving others which the heart behind all that he did and all that he talked about. Nor did he ever encourage his disciples to do so.
I can agree with there never being a command to be a part of the church. I never said it was commanded. But, Jesus was in the church. He taught in the church. In John Chapter 2 Jesus is missing from his parents, they find him teaching in the temple. (you can argue the temple is not the institution of the church, but that would be purely semantics, it was an institution where teaching and worship happened, just like the church today). Later we see Jesus teach in the temple (Luke 4) about himself, and he kicks the money changers out of the temple while yelling "this is my fathers house..." Even if the practices had changed, he still considered it his fathers house. He defended it as his fathers house. I will defend an institution as godly and as a place made to honer God.
He may not have commanded his followers to teach in the church, but they did. Peter and company taught in Acts. Paul started churches (he is even busted teaching in one as noted in Acts 21, and a man dies falling out a window at another church meeting). Now, if you want to argue semantics, remember, the church was not called "the church" but "Church." It is not until after the first century we see Church meetings become "church" meetings. Just the way the times. Now we have para churches, ministries, small groups, bible studies, etc. Same function and purpose, just different names.
I agree churches lose heart. Many of those churches close. Actually, they close or they become something else. But I find the issue of people not understanding they are the church to be elementary, just like I find people who think worship as only music to be spiritually, just babies. I agree we need to be the Church. But I think one of the best strategies is to join a well structured group of Christ followers. They provide so much more potential and possibilities.
When my wife walked through Crossroads after being their for a graduation, she was impressed with the community she saw taking place. When I see my former small group still hanging out, I am impressed with community.
When I see I only am with community one night a week, I am sad. I am not serving in any real capacity. WIthout a structure, I have stopped being disciplined spiritually. When I am going to church, I am finding myself better connected with people. I find myself with more ways to serve. I find accountability. Like we have both said, some churches are not run the best. But to say the entire church is not is a broad generalization. One I think is not so common. Do I hate the business side of churches? Yes. But someone has to do it. God has gifted people to do it. If not, we would have to pay taxes. We would not know the rules on accepting large amounts of money or gifts. We need a business side. The part we need to change is how that works with the pastor, prophet, teacher, caring, community side.
On a side note (or notes...) I have never been to a church that does not try and get you to know people. I have never been to a church that does not want volunteers to serve. I have been to churches where people have ignored newcomers, and I have been to churches that do not have volunteers. That is sad.
We should not say, as you have, that people should not "attend a service, or jump into a radical program, jump into a ministry, or are looking for a hip church to go to. " I disagree. Many are called to these places and should be there. I would argue that God calls more to be in the church than outside it.
Like the Temple, it is a man-made institution, but God may still call it his house. We do not know. We know it is a place where his people gather, and in that respect, he is there as well. If someone wants to "jump into a ministry" or hear a good sermon, I tell them to go to a good church. It is a place where one can get connected. If God did not like this idea, he would have creamed it a long time ago. But as we can see, large, structured gatherings are very popular, and very amazing.
I have to wake the baby for food and go to bed.
-Don-
Post a Comment