Sunday 3 October 2010

An open letter to the Christian Family

Church: The Dilemma
Gary Ward
If you are reading this it may be because you have heard that our family have some ‘other than’ view about Church.   We are keen that no-one get the wrong end of the stick and we don’t end up in the ‘nutter’ department, at least for our church-views anyway :>)    In a nutshell, we believe that the church that the Apostles championed in the first century was more like the light groups than what happens on Sunday morning.  We like the vision of the light church because Sunday morning and light groups are both termed ‘church,’ and we agree with this.  Our position however is that light groups are church scripturally whilst Sunday morning is church socially and culturally.  Whichever way up these land, people meeting together to worship, pray and hear the word of God is ALWAYS good and none of the approaches are ‘wrong’ per se.
Our reason for meeting together with other Christians is because we are in Christ and we are brothers and sisters.  It matters little if that is on Sunday or Thursday or the set up of the meeting.  However, if God wanted Christians to meet in a certain way as seen in 1 Corinthians, we believe we should listen.   My exploring this area has spanned 10 years doing  The Century One Project and hopefully these observations will help.  Check them out, all Major Christian scholars agree with this -
The New Testament Scriptures, especially 1 Corinthians, shows a group of people meeting possibly in several different places or maybe a larger group.  They gathering centred around a meal  and they had open and equal sharing. The church had leadership but echoing the words of Jesus to the sons of thunder in Mark 10, Paul underlines that hierarchical leadership is not what God intends for his followers.  We also need to take note that the Bible only describes believers meeting in homes.  So,
Non-hierarchical leadership.     Centred around a meal.     Open and equal sharing.   Home based.   Sounds like a light group to me!  But here’s what happened historically in the ensuing centuries- After the Apostles died the next important leaders were the early church fathers.   These did amazing work to defend the emerging doctrines we have today.  They fought tooth and nail in an environment of hostility and persecution.  One thing that occurred however was the church Paul and all the Apostles agreed and taught  began to change its form.  Some of the early church fathers, either as a compromise to help the times or for more earthy reasons based on Man’s pride, did the ‘done thing’ when man sets up a group.  Paul reminds us that the culture and system of the world is very strong and the church must push against this. The Early Church Fathers set up provincial Bishops, had the church meet in prepared halls and professional ministers came to teach people the things of God.
 “So?” you may ask, “what’s wrong with that?”  If we observe what happened to the Law at the hands of the Elders we can perhaps see what occurred with the Church Fathers.  Jesus was asked constantly why he allows the disciples to flaunt the ‘Tradition of the Elders.’ Jesus did this on purpose because the Tradition of the Elders (halakah) were rules that Men had invented to stop people breaking the Law of God and thus incurring God wrath.   So, for example, the Law says people cannot grind wheat on the Sabbath.  So that no-one accidently walks through a field and wheat drops into their shoe and they unknowingly grind wheat, the elders banned people from fields on the Sabbath! In scripture we see Jesus purposefully leading his disciples through a field on the Sabbath.  These ‘fence rules’ then, were supposed to help people avoid breaking the Law of God but over time they became a rigid set of traditions that OVER-RULED the 613 Laws of God.  Not only that, but over time ANOTHER set of fence rules were made to protect the first set!  Crazy, but true!  In the same way the Early Church Fathers departed from the Apostles teaching  that was teaching to be held to and followed the established way to conduct a group of people.  The instructions for Church practice were ignored and Man again built his own version of what Church should be like.  The Church Fathers motives may have been to protect Christianity in the same way the elders wanted to protect the breaking of God’s Law.  A good idea but not what God wanted.
Gradually church met in special temples with special people leading the service.  The meal had been replaced with bread and wine whilst the leaders taught the people what the word of God means. The distinctive of the church that the Apostles taught disappeared in this order:  First church practice, what people do for church changed.  Secondly the gifts departed from the church.  Lastly the theology went away. This became the standard way to meet and in the fourth Century a ‘Christian’ Emperor made this the state religion.  From here, the Catholic Church grew and the world had 1000 years of dark ages.  
In the 16th century there were widespread rumblings in the known world.  All over Europe, scholars were waking up to the fact that the Catholics were stealing from poor people, controlling people but more importantly, their teaching had little to do with the Bible.  The more famous of the ‘reformers’ was Martin Luther.  His cry was ‘sola scriptura’ which means ‘by scripture alone’ (we live out our Christian lives). From here grew the ‘Protestant’ movement, people who protested against the Catholic Church practises.  So Theology was being restored to the church.  In the early 1900’s strange things were occurring in churches and this became clear that, for some reason, the gifts of the Spirit were returning to the church. Ironically, this also heralded histories most significant progress in industry and technology – the 20th century! 
It appears that God is restoring the church in the reverse order to how it lost its distinctive... Theology with Luther, the Gifts restored circa 1900.  The thing that has yet to be restored to church is Church practice, what people actually do for church.  We believe that God wants people to meet how the Apostles taught.  But here’s the problem- Britain’s heritage includes Catholicism in the very weft and weave of its development.  The way we lead, the way institute behaves and the society we engage every day is steeped in Rome! It has other influences but anyone born in Britain has been brought up with the cultural, educational and societal hangover of the Roman Catholic Church.  
This is also true of what we accept in our Church practice.  Ouch!  I know it’s hard to hear but it’s a challenge I believe we all have to face.  The long and short of it is none of us are responsible for how we meet, we were born into it and accept it.  My own journey started with asking the simple question, “If Jesus said we will see greater things than these” {things he was doing!} then where are they?  Where are the days of acts where 5000 people are saved in one day?  My conclusion is that like a radio that has many pieces of circuitry, they are no good in my hands!  It needs to be in a form where when power flows through it, it produces sound.   The amazing truth about the church that the Apostles taught was that in its foolishness, its weak-looking existence, it is placed firmly in Jesus’ hands!  This way, He can flow through it.  Basically that’s the reason why light groups are ‘church’ scripturally for us and Sunday morning is ‘church’ culturally.  Light Church then, for us, is not just a good idea that promotes community, it is God’s idea in form!
My heart is that the Church returns to meeting in homes.  It seems to me that people can experience God’s extended family in an environment that encourages this – the home.  Also, encourage the idea that we are all one under the head of the Church, Jesus.   Open and equal sharing has everyone able to express themselves and minister to the body in smaller groups where it is easy to do so.   Becoming elevated either by self promotion or by people putting others on a pedestal is blindingly obvious in such a small group where Christ is centre to the subject matter.   Furthermore, When people are met by people who love them and are able to express this through the body, they are built up and encouraged.  When people are met with affirmation, affection, love, warmth, understanding and all the characteristics of a Godly community, they don’t need the motivation or directives to go and win people.  They are tangibly different to this cold, dark, mean, loveless world.  Different attracts, especially when it is a different that everyone is looking for. 
Lastly, it would be ideal if Jesus told us that this is what we are to do for church.  He did!  The last supper was what we are to do when we meet together.  We are to remember Christ with a meal that includes bread and wine.  We are to have him central and no individuals directing, but all are able to share.   “Whenever you meet together, this do”  said Jesus, “in remembrance of me.” 
Love in Christ
Gary Ward and Family.