After my experience with the "charismatic ministry" I was a little hesitant to try out any "off-band" (not denominationally tagged) churches. However hesitant I may have been, I was evidently more curious because I set out at 9:45 Sunday morning in search of Great Commission Fellowship (GCF) a church that one of the head guys of the International House of Prayer helped plant. Well after driving around for 20 minutes not finding it, I drove by Gospel Word Missionary Fellowship. I didn't want to stop, because of the "word" in the name, in fact I drove by twice, but for some reason (either the Holy Spirit's prodding or my own curiosity) I pulled in the parking lot and went to Sunday school and church there. I was hoping upon all hope that this wouldn't be like the last church I attended. I didn't want "word of faith" stuff, I wanted good bible teaching, I wanted to commune with passionate believers, I wanted to be formed and to help form others. The name was enough to drive me away, but I pressed on through my trepidation and walked it. Sunday school had already started so I walked in and sat in the back of the room. I was greeted by a large man who told me what passage we were studying as the women teaching the class continued. Even before I grasped the teaching I felt that this was a good church. Maybe it's because I was the minority (one of only 5 or 6 white faces... Which I loved), maybe it was because there was a woman leading the class, or maybe it was because of the sense of desire for God in the place (I'm thinking it's the last reason).
I almost jumped up and shouted for joy in between Sunday school and the regular service when the little kids' class (5-10 yr olds) came in and recapped their lesson for the adults. They told us how they learned about the Trinity, yes the blessed and neglected doctrine of the Godhead. They explained how each member is God, how they are united in will and in purpose, and substance (thought they didn't use those words) while functioning uniquely. This wasn't some cheesy; let's watch Veggie Tales Sunday school class... No this was teaching kids doctrine while focusing on the practical implications of the doctrine. The kids seemed to understand it and to realize that it's who God is and how God relates to them in each person. Praise the Lord!!
After the singing the pastor got up to speak and started by saying that he had read an article lately that talked about 7 steps for Church Growth. He said that he didn't know it but they basically were the same as what he had been preaching the last 3 weeks. I thought to myself, "here we go again." I was almost ready to tone him out when he said that the 3rd step goes along with this week's sermon. He said the 3rd step to church growth is PERSECUTION!!
This wasn't some church growth putz; this was a man of God, a prophet to the people of God. He asked us if the Cross of Christ was really worth it. Was it worth it to proclaim the "WHOLE Gospel" of Jesus? In his sermon he spoke against prosperity gospel, weak and complacent Christianity, right wing unbiblical "Christian" stances, and a plethora of other topics that resonate within my very being. He called us to live out the whole Kingdom of God. To be a people of the kingdom, to live like Christ and to love like Christ. It was almost as if all of the sermons that I have ever preached were being compiled and spewing forth from this man's mouth (oh and there was enough time for that, he preached for 2- 2.5 hours).
My heart was encouraged. I'm not a lonely voice, crying out for the church to come back and be the people of God. It's not just my Houghton friends who are passionate citizens of the kingdom, no; God is doing a work throughout his church. He is raising up prophets and teachers to call his people back to be his people again.
I'm not sure if I'll make this church my home or not (especially not if I get a job working at another church) but it is nice to know that there are others who are proclaiming "prepare yet the way of the Lord."
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Sunday evening I went to another "church" called communality in Lexington. I found this community because it is loosely affiliated with the C&MA. The nature of the community is very Doug Pagit-esq. It's shaped like a house-church and it is very involved with social agendas. I really enjoyed it and will probably continue to go (again, unless I get a job at church and have youth group on Sunday nights). I was late for the service, but got to talk to one of the leaders (an ATS grad) for about an hour after the service.
This group seems to be more concerned with Orthodoxy than Pagit's group (probably because most of the people are connected with the seminary, although there are a few people who are just part of the city), but I still have some concerns with it.
My first concern is that the community is not very intergenerational. Granted I don't know how intergenerational you can be when you have a few seminary students starting a house church of about 20 people. But then again, it has been going for 7 or 8 years and there are now 3 house churches that are part of "Communality." I just feel that not being multi-generational is dangerous. I know we have to start somewhere, and indeed the NT churches probably did as well, but we still must strive to be multi-generational.
My second concern is that the group is very involved in political (mostly social and environmental...aka hippie/liberal) concerns. I'm all for environmentalism, and social action (especially social action) but I'm not sure if tying a "church" so closely to various liberal (or conservative) political agendas is a good idea. Although the Kingdom of God has political ramifications, it is not primarily a political kingdom. As a future pastor I'm fine with my congregants participating as Christians in various groups, but to be linked as a "church" seems a bit compromising. We yell at the right-wing conservative church for doing this sort of thing and then we go and do the same on the left. I'm not completely decided on this issue, because I do believe that Christians can't be politically ignorant or apathetic, but as far as the extent of the connection to political agendas goes: I'm not sure.
My third concern is the use of the Charisms (gifts of the spirit) in the group. The group is a deliberate thrust to get away from the standard way of doing church, but in doing so are they limiting the use of the Charisms? Admittedly the "regular" church has exalted the role of the preacher and thus elevated those (preaching/teaching/ and maybe prophesy depending on your definition) gifts. But is this group allowing for those gifts to be used? There is no time for public exhortation so is one with the gift of prophecy/preaching going to be able to use their gift. What about other gifts? Are they used in this community or is it basically a community of like-minded, like-gifted teachers all teaching each other. If so, is it a good thing? I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I'm just questioning.
My fourth and final concern (for now) is doctrine. In typical small groups doctrine sort of gets brushed over. If there was a new convert or a young Christian, would they be formed doctrinally? I know that doctrinal language isn't essential, and that doctrine isn't the ultimate, but it is important. Would one learn the doctrine of the Trinity through something other than casual observance? When I posed this question Bill (the guy I talked with) answered that most of the community is theologically formed and they hold to more of a "social-trinitarianism" as per Multmon. I'm not really familiar with this so I'll have to do some more research before I decide what I think about it. Like I said doctrine isn't the ultimate thing, but it is important in spiritual formation, it will be interesting to see how this is approached as more people from non-seminary backgrounds enter the group.
Don't misunderstand me; I'm not bashing this group. These are just a few concerns that I have. I think the group is good and very incarnational in the city. There are a number of people in the city that have experienced grace and redemption through communality. There are also people in the community that wouldn't set foot in a regular church, people with mental disorders, without homes, and without people who care about them. These disenfranchised people have found a family in Communality.
I plan to continue to attend there, because the people are good, they are in pursuit of God and long to see him move. They long to be incarnational in the city and to the people they live among. This is a wonderful picture of the love of Christ. Maybe I'm too traditional in my ecclesiology, because I have so many reservations. I guess we'll see how my thoughts form as I continue to attend. I really am looking forward to next Sunday when we have a meal together and fellowship as a true community. I'm really hoping I can make it. I have a job "trial" with a pro audio production company next weekend in which we're going to Notre Dame to run sound for a huge show. The job would be really cool and give me a chance to be incarnational in a place that most Christians wouldn't get to go. We're scheduled to get back on Sat. So I should be able to make it to Communality, but there is always the chance that we'll be late or something. I doubt it though.
Hopefully you continue to find my ramblings enlightening and formational. I pray that one of the simple-minded things that I type may draw you closer to the Father this day.
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1 comment:
Ok, without going too deep...
First off, the "social-trinitarianism" from Moltmann has me stumped. Never heard of it before, but then again, Moltmann's German and German writers tend to be... tricky... in English.
As for the political aspects of the church, throughout history the church (as a over-generalized institution, using a broad brush here) has fallen both as the conservative defenders of the state and as the radical "changers of society". More and more, though, I'm realizing that Aristotle was right, and excess on both sides carries a significant price.
During the progressive era, there were significant inroads made towards urban improvement, and many were done by Rauschenbusch-influenced Christians. Certainly, there's much to be said for social improvements, a la the "you gave me a cup of water" passage whose exact reference escapes me now. We can certainly honor Christ by working to alleviate the pains of our fellow people. But when the center of the gospel becomes honoring Christ through good deeds, the rest of the doctrinal, confessional, and kerygmatic realities of the church become peripheral. That's one reason why mainstream denominations have largely run themselves into irrelevancy.
But the church can also tie itself too closely to the current way things are- you're rightly attacking that viewpoint in America today, the Pat Robertsons of the world, who somehow see assassination as a viable, Christian response to an elected leader who dislikes the US. A church that does this has also tied its proclamation and message far too much to this day and age. Church is more of a national loyalty thing in this case, like the NC pastor last year who threw non-Bush voters out of his congregation. This dangerously trivializes the gospel; like it's some sort of nationalist political ideology, or a social movement with different goals. (in this case, outlawing abortion, TV decency standards, stem-cell research bans, requiring ID taught in schools)
It seems that both sides, the "conservative" and "liberal" sides are missing the point- ultimately, there is a transcendent aspect to the gospel- in fact, its prime facet is this transcendent in Christ-ness, this joining of the sinner to the redemptive body of Christ, and entrance into the people of God. Certainly there are temporal demands upon us, for we are temporally bound creatures. Yet, to elevate the temporal over the eternal is to truly empty the cross of its power, because then the gospel truly becomes this life only- and if we have faith in Christ for this life only, then we are to be pitied most of all.
Social action is a good thing, so long as it flows from our faith and testimony to God. It is a product of faith, but can never replace it, much like Luther's imputed/imparted (proper) distinction.
And, lastly, speaking of Luther, I found your copy of Luther. It's at my house.
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