Barriers to Authentic Christian Community
“Holy Father, I am no longer in the world. I am coming to you, but my followers are still in the world. So keep them safe by the power of the name that you have given me. Then they will be one with each other, just as you and I are one.” (John 17:11 CEV)
What a prayer - Oneness for the followers of Jesus as awesome as that shared by the Godhead! What keeps the church from experiencing this oneness? Why do denominational divisions spark such resentment? Why do theological issues push people apart instead of together? Why is it so difficult for believers to genuinely love one another? What barriers keep Christians from living out Authentic Christian Fellowship?
CHURCH STRUCTURES
My observation over thirty plus years in ministry is many church organizations, leaders, and structures promote: charisma over character, talent over maturity, task over relationship (Judeo-Christian work ethic?), control over leadership, position over personhood, peace over truth, dogmatism over critical thinking, power over servanthood, theological correctness over grace, rules over responsibility, religion over spirituality, uniformity over unity, success over sacrifice, and piety over godliness, conversion over discipleship (quantity over quality) and appearance over integrity.
The western value system has so infiltrated and infected the church it is almost impossible to identify its insidious presence. The negative western mindset principles listed above disallow true fellowship and stunt maturity. Honest assessment of the current structures, processes, leadership, followership, and relationships must take place within the local body of believers to overcome the barriers that block the way to honest Christian community. True biblical principles, articulated and exemplified by servant leaders can once again restore the church to its place of witness in each community.
Our cues for doing "business and organization" should not come from the business worldview. It is amazing to me that much of the new business models (servant leadership, team based leadership, mentoring, leadership development, etc.) are built on biblical principles and yet many churches and religious organizations run on outmoded and unbiblical models of leadership and community.
Hiring Pastors to do the entire ministry is unbiblical. All have gifts. All are part of the ministry team. Too long spectator religion has been the norm. Large or small congregational size is not the cause of lack of involvement, structure is. Constructing new models of church organization to support total congregational involvement will alleviate the dearth of ministry and strengthen fellowship as people become involved in mission, motivated by passion, and encouraged by mutual involvement.
Paul wrote to the church of Ephesus about church leadership (Eph 4:1-14). His instructions suggest a leadership team in the local church mutually submitted to one another to serve the local body in training for and leading in ministry. According to Paul when this happens the body grows and matures.
ARROGANCE
One of the reasons Paul wrote to the Corinthian church was because of their arrogance. I Cor. 12-14 may be about the operation of gifts, but just as important or maybe more important is Paul's instructions on unity. The hand cannot say to the foot, I don't need you. We all belong to each other. The love chapter (I Cor. 13) speaks of the decision to love, not the feeling to love. Only together are we the Body of Christ. The body is only functional when all the parts work together. Church splits, guarding personal ministry positions, believing only hired ministers can minister, etc., continue to keep the church pathetic, powerless, irrelevant and impotent to change its world. Arrogance is born out of insecurity. Puffing self up to seem larger than one really is may be a self preservation mechanism, but Jesus said losing one’s life was the only way to find it. Submitting to one another is maturity.
Seminaries, for the most part, teach brand theology. Dogmatism is rewarded. When heaven is finally populated with all believers will each denomination have claim to its own territory? How will God figure it all out? Will He be concerned about our theology or our love for one another? I imagine Him naming off all the denominations throughout the centuries and declaring to each one the fallacies in each doctrinal statement. The Pharisees had great theology. But their arrogance blinded them to the TRUTH among them.
INDIVIDUALISM
Again, Paul's words to the Corinthians ring true. Individualism (I don’t need you, I will do my own thing) is not part of authentic Christian community. It cannot be. This philosophy is part of the fabric of western thought. It is so much a part of us; no conscious thought is given to its unchristian ethic. God created individuals to become all He intended as part of the whole, His family, His body, His building.
In a lecture, Robert Bellah, refers to a Frenchman by the name of Tocqueville who studied American Democracy in the early 1800s. Here are a couple of quotes from that lecture.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first appearance of the word "individualism" in English is in the English translation of Democracy in America. And it doesn’t appear in volume one. It’s only in volume two, that is, in 1835. [individualism] "is a calm and considered feeling which disposes each citizen to isolate himself from the mass of his fellows and withdraw into the circle of family and friends; with this little society formed to his taste, he gladly leaves the greater society to look out after itself."
Such a notion of an isolated existence in which one is completely self-sufficient is already a bit on the nutty side even in the 1830s and ‘40s. In the enormously interdependent world that we live in, where anything that happens anywhere in the world affects almost all of us, it is perhaps even more amazing that many of those sentences Tocqueville wrote describe so accurately the mentality of the American middle class today. Tocqueville worried that our obsessive concern for material betterment and economic advancement was what drove us in this direction.
It is precisely the notion that there isn’t any moral language except how I feel, what I prefer, what I feel comfortable with. There is an inability in most of educated America to have any moral conversation about what is good because it is considered inappropriate for you to make a statement that anything in particular is good. You have to preface it with: I think, I feel. You have to subjectivize it. That undermining of any possibility of coming to a common moral understanding of the world I think greatly weakens our capacity to be citizens.
University of California, Santa Barbara, February 20, 1986
Individualism and Commitment in American Life
Robert N. Bellah
According to the above quote individualism has been entwining itself in the fabric of American life for more than 170 years. No wonder the church rarely considers this menace. God intended us to live this life called Christian in cooperate community. He is the one that said, "it is not good for man to be alone,” (Gen 2:18).
Scott Mcknight writes, "When we find ourselves wanting to leave and be with people just like us, we are seeing the fruit of Western Individualism. When we find ourselves frustrated but sticking it out, we are seeing the fruit of genuine Christian community. To love others is to embrace others who are not like us.
Humans are not designed by God to be individualists, where meaning is determined by each person, or collectivists, where meaning is determined by the group. The former leads to self-idolatry and the latter to the tyranny of some dictator, some elites, or some majority. Humans are not designed to self-testify and they are not designed to get lost in someone else's world. We are neither Individualists nor Collectivists.
Instead of Individualists, humans are designed to be Eikons. Instead of Collectivists, humans are designed to be part of a Community. For me, there is always this question, which shows whether or not I am leaning toward the Individualist side: What am I doing that is what my community calls me to do that I would rather not do? Or, what am I doing that I know is not God's will that my community imposes on me?"
http://jesuscreed.blogspot.com/2005/05/individualism.html
We are a nation of individuals. There is little within our national tradition that emphasizes community. This individualism has been with our culture since its beginnings, and involves giving priority to the concerns of an individual's private life and fulfillment over a concern for the whole of society. Within the realm of religion this involves giving priority to individual spiritual needs over the mission of the faith community.
http://www.congregationalresources.org/Seekers/Closing.Individualism.asp
Walking our own path is unbiblical, unwise, fool hardy and dangerous. The Father made us individuals with individuality not individualism. The individual is only whole and healthy as part of the community of believers.
Individualism should not be mistaken for individuality. God created us as unique individuals. The penchant for “me, myself and I” may not be solely confined to the geography of the United States, but it has certainly been refined by our culture. This is not true of all 21st century societies. Assemblies of God Missionary Mark Benham served on the island of Pohnpei in the South Pacific. There the “indigenous people focus on how a person is connected – especially family connections.” In a personal conversation with Mark, he related this story. During a discussion with a certain gentleman, Mark asked him the name of a particular woman in the congregation. The man could not tell Mark the women’s name. He did, however, know all the woman’s family connection; her name, which represented her individualism, was not as important as her family connections.
ISOLATION
We can be in touch with anyone in the world in seconds. Yet, we are more alone then ever before. We leave our personal cocoons each morning only to return to its safety each evening as we push the garage door button to allow us to enter. We see the world through the window of TV and the words, thoughts and prejudices of the commentators and sitcoms that engage and then disengage our minds and emotions.
Many, even when in public, isolate themselves with his or her personal music device, or constantly talking on the cell phone. Communication devises allow more ‘staying in touch’ than ever before. But are people really more connected?
Church is no better. We can walk in, shake hands with the greeter. Say good morning to the usher. Find our regular pew. Greet those around us at the appropriate time. Sing the songs with the correct amount of enthusiasm, even shake hands with the pastor on leaving the building. All this and still be isolated in our own little world.
It is interesting and distressing, convicts are punished by ‘solitary confinement,’ and many in our culture chose to live the same way. When God saw Adam was living alone, He made the decision that Adam’s isolation was not a good thing.
Friendship is a lot like food. We need it to survive. What is more, we seem to have a basic drive for it. Psychologists find that human beings have fundamental need for inclusion in group life and for close relationships. We are truly social animals
In other words, we are built for social contact. There are serious -- life-threatening -- consequences when we don't get enough. We can't stay on track mentally. And we are compromised physically. Social skills are crucial for your health.
The Dangers of Loneliness By: Hara Estroff Marano http://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20030821-000001.html
We all need periods of solitude, although temperamentally we probably differ in the amount of solitude we need. Some solitude is essential; It gives us time to explore and know ourselves. It is the necessary counterpoint to intimacy, what allows us to have a self worthy of sharing.Solitude gives us a chance to regain perspective. It renews us for the challenges of life. It allows us to get (back) into the position of driving our own lives, rather than having them run by schedules and demands from without. Solitude restores body and mind. Lonelinesss depletes them.
Solitude V Loneliness by Hara Estroff Maranohttp://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20030825-000001.html
AUTONOMY
Autonomy is defined as self-rule, independent, self-sufficiency; I am the center of the world. We honor a self-made man or women. We are encouraged to, “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.” The emphasis once again is on the self, the individual person. Decisions made with regard to only self are not biblical. Relying only on self leaves no room for Spirit leadership (Rom. 8, Gal 5) or wise counsel from others (Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances, Pro 11:14 MSG.) Paul makes it abundantly clear that our “sufficiency is in God” (2Co. 3:5, 9:8).
With all your heart you must trust the LORD and not your own judgment. Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow. Don't ever think that you are wise enough, but respect the LORD and stay away from evil. This will make you healthy, and you will feel strong.
(Pro 3:5-8 CEV)
Lone ranger Christianity is not something He created. Interdependence is the hallmark of authentic Christian fellowship.
Consumerism
The basic premise, as I understand it, is consumerism means everything out there is for my pleasure, use, and consumption. Meet my needs, desires and wants. Not necessarily in that order. Consuming everything in our path (like the planet eater on the first Star Trek series) is not a godly path to follow. When I walk into Home Depot or Lowe’s, Sears, Harbor Freight, or Grizzly, etc; I want to consume (purchase) a new tool whether I need it or not.
When this attitude shows up at church, Sunday School, or small group, true community and fellowship is extinct. The consumer value is deeply imbedded in the cultural psyche. Its eradication will not come without pain. If the Church of Jesus Christ is to reach its full potential in this geographical hemisphere it must be overcome with the generosity that comes with knowing and practicing that “nothing I have belongs to me.”
“We have been a materialistic society for a very long time. But consumerism is an exaggerated form of materialism (with a capitalist bent). Like materialism, consumerism is focused on this world and our physical senses. Like materialism it promises happiness through material goods and services. As a promise of happiness, it can be seen as another gospel - the secular good news. But, beyond mere materialism, consumerism majors on the power of personal choice making self the centre of everything.”
Dr John Bentonhttp://www.e-n.org.uk/1997-10/49-A-Christian's-guide-to-consumerism.htm © Evangelicals Now - October 1997
We live in the age of instant gratification. Patience and moderation are not part of a consumers vocabulary. Not only do we want it now, we want more of it. More of anything is better, there is power of possession. I have books on my shelf that I just had to have and have never read. When the best buy ad comes I devour it for the next thing I might need.
How many conversations sound something like this, “Did you see in the bulletin last week about raising funds for that new church building in Mexico?” “Oh, yeh, but we can’t help. That new boat payment has got us stretched pretty thin.” By-the-way, How about visiting that new church in town, Third Baptist Assembly of God Maranatha New Life River Journey Community Tabernacle – our present church just doesn’t do it for me anymore.”
Experientialism
Do not deny pleasure. What experience will exhilarate me? The biggest roller coaster ride, the new car, the new jacket ( I am confessing here) The perfect cup of Starbucks, no Carribu, No Kona gold! Life is about the next great self gratifying experience. We consume Bible studies. We consume worship. We worship Worship. Living on the existential mountain top is a great place to visit, but we can’t live there. Growth comes in the valleys of passage. How I feel when I leave church has become more important than changing and growing into His likeness.
Worship, Bible study, and fellowship cannot be defined by how it affects the senses. God created the senses, Yes! But if the senses are gratified before the spirit has opportunity to connect with the Spirit, then Church becomes nothing more than a rock concert, spectator sport, or poker game filling physical senses and personal gratification. Experiencing God is not about just how it makes me feel, but growing in maturity, full obedience, and intimate knowledge of His presence and thus changing the world around me.
Materialism
Success in God's terms is not measured by whatever one has more or less of in the amount of material goods. Success is ridding one's self of all things that pose a separation between self and God. Godly success is about obedience. Fulfilling the Sermon on the Mount is being successful. Living out “one another theology” pleases the heart of God.
Interpreting scripture in light of an American Worldview is a pathetic and greedy exercise in selfishness. In a former pastorate one of the men in the church bought a brand new van. When he told me of the purchase he said the van was "ministry currency." “He who dies with the most toys wins,” may be the theme of our supremely indulgent society, but it is not part of the Way.
Throw Away Relationships
How is it in that in the organization and fellowship called the church that divorce is as high as the world? How can men and women of God be so mean-spirited as to split churches? We live in a society of throw away or disposable relationships. Relationships are no longer as important as what I want. Two types of relationships exist, Communitarian and Contractarian (Greg Alexander, from the Connecting Church by Randy Frasee). The first relationship exists for mutual benefit. Contractarian relationships exist for self gratification. When the relationship is no longer needed it is disposed of with the rest of the garbage and with as much remorse.
Brian Abshire put it this way, “Relationships in our modern world are often fragile things. Partially due to the sociological influence of pluralization, Americans today often see their relationships as disposable. Pluralization refers to the consequences of there being a “plurality” or options; as the number of options INCREASES, the commitment to any one option DECREASES.”
(Disposable Relationships: or I’m offended that you’re offended that I’m offended! Brian M. Abshire http://christian-civilization.org/disposerelation.html)
Think about it. If this church doesn’t make me happy I will just find a new one. Options are not the bad guy. Lack of personal commitment and understanding of what it means to be in the Body is. Committed relationship, covenant commitments are the only biblical principles established for living, surviving and thriving in this life called Christian.
TIME
how often have you said, “I don’t have enough time,” or “Time is money,” how about, “That will cost me too much time,” or “Invest your time wisely.” We talk about time crunch, time management, how time flies and time deadlines. Our society lives by the calendar: I have that date open, can you squeeze me into your calendar, or the calendar is full.
Every person has the same amount of time. Yet, how often we complain about not having enough time. Time cannot be stretched, stopped, or saved. (in this dimension anyway). Time is a precious commodity. There are so many options to take up our time. For the person pursuing authentic Christian Fellowship it will require not only prioritizing ( things I will do) one’s use of time, but posteriorities (things I will not do) as well.
I have the privilege of meeting with two small groups. One meets on Thursday mornings and the other meets on Friday mornings. These times with my friends who are on the same journey of discovering authentic community are not up for sale. It is rare that I will chose to miss a meeting. What I spend my time on truly reflects what I value. And, personally I value Authentic Christian Fellowship.
Conclusion
Every barrier can be overcome. Practicing community will be difficult and stressful, but powerfully rewarding. We belong to each other - the church cannot abandon this imperative from the Holy Spirit. Talents and gifts are for the benefit of the body of Christ, not for my personal pleasure and success. Christian maturity cannot happen in a solitary life experience. Authentic Christian Fellowship is counter cultural to the western mindset.
If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care-- then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. (Phi 2:1-5 MSG)
