Church is a strange thing! Not an individual church fellowship - though they are in this big bucket I'm describing - maybe yours? No, but the idea of church! Over the years I've seen - probably like others too, the joyful heights of a local church life; I've seen the grim depths of church life. And I've seen the week in week out hum drum monotony. And I can't help but reflect, often in fact, whose idea was it? And does it work?
It's one thing to merely surf the life of the local church and never go deep or never commit to below the surface in terms of becoming committed to a local church. There are plenty of folk in that boat. Nothing ventured, nothing gained or indeed lost - except that the loss is to the local church, where because people don't give themselves, and thus the local church is the weaker in terms of ministry hands on deck etc etc. And isn't it oh so easy to walk away when its nothing to do with you! I sometimes envy such a position and wish I could be there. Increasingly, this boat is growing larger in the UK, I think. Warren say's that the difference between being part of the congregation and being a part of the committed core of a membership!
And yet, I would have to say that below the decks of the boat - the place of committment where the work takes place in the local church, that it can at times be quite a challenging place. Its the place where we have to live together for better or for worse, with all our strengths and weaknesses, with all our hurts and wounds. And we do (that is to say in every local church) have the capacity to bless and build up, or to destoy and pull down. My theology lecturer used to say that what unlocks God's blessing is agreement, and therefore I guess what locks up or kills God's blessing is disagreement. Ouch! Trouble is, that they makes church risky!
I've often pondered at times whether we take church a touch too seriously, to the point where at times the stakes are just too high. And there is just some truth in that - are the expectations for the local church at times just too high? Often I hope and expect great things of the church, and come away dissapointed!
But then again, I've often pondered whether the response to that is the word "covenant". That people promise (another word for covenant) to walk together (in love and fellowship), committed to God and to each other, in the local church. Thats what I would describe as membership by the way.
To put it another way - to journey together. Being a part of a local church is about journeying together. Along the journey, the going might be rough and challenging, but we are journeying together, not as individuals.
And when I look at the bible, I find that actually this idea of church is God's. That the word covenant is sewn in deeply to the fabric of both old and new testaments. Of Christians journeying together for a common purpose, with a common faith. Along the way you grow together - in trust and faith and you learn lessons about God and each other. Journeying together, not seperately.
If that's what church is about, then it sounds good to me. But in the course of my life I've seen church function well and not so well.
It functions at its best when we are a people that bless each other and build one another up and above all are focussed on God's call to mission. I often see churches internalise and then the slippery slope appears! When we are focussed on God's purposes, it functions in health.
And yet, as I wrap up my drawl for today, I still have this nagging doubt! The bible ends with a picture of the church made ready for Jesus, and I'm not sure I see that bride made ready yet. Grief, we've a long way to go! But we are getting there, but we're still on a journey!
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