This is the final day of Post-Modern Christianity week. I hope it has been interesting and thought provoking. I hope you enjoyed my observations as much as I enjoyed reading A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren. I will end today with the post-modern vision of the church. I think you will find that it is very similar to the early church. In fact, it is somewhat built off of a statement from the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in one, holy, catholic, apostolic church…” Though the idea is wholly McLaren’s, I have reworded some things and packaged it somewhat differently.
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The church does not exist for the benefit of the members. The church exists to equip members for the benefit of the world. To accomplish such a feat, it requires equal parts of community, spirituality and mission, all of course in the context of working with one another, always in view of the Kingdom.
Community—we create a place of belonging where people learn to believe the good news, belong to a group that is learning to live by that good news, and become (together) a living example of it. We are unified and connected to one another, maintaining the humility and gentleness necessary for unity to flourish. We accept anyone whom Christ accepts, without favoritism or judgment.
Spirituality—this is the “holy” part of the creed. But it is not just about individual spirituality, but communal. Our failures and our successes affect the church. What we experience with God in secret must be shared with the community. We read the Bible together, always listening for insights and input of others. We pray as a community, our individual prayers merging with our brothers and sisters. We worship and celebrate together, cherishing God’s faithfulness to His people. In these and other ways, through private and communal spiritual disciplines, we become set apart, holy people. We become disciples, not just followers.
Mission—this is the “apostolic” dimension of the church. Spirituality and Community naturally flow into mission. Since our needs (spiritual and physical) have already been met in through the other two, we are not free to focus on the needs of the world. We can serve instead of being served. We can reach out to the sick, and not the healthy.
The Kingdom—these three aspects of the church focus on manifesting the kingdom of God, the reign of God, and the reality of God’s will being done on this earth. The church is the catalyst for bringing about the Kingdom. A “successful” church is not the end goal. Rather, the goal is for every Christian to be sent out as an agent of Christ (priesthood of all believers), an agent of the Kingdom to bring peace between God and His creation.
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Notice there is little new to this model, and the fact that it is a model makes it more modern than post-modern. But I suppose it is more of a vision than an exact plan on how to do things. You may think that this is not original at all. And perhaps you are right. But I ask, how many of our churches actually embody such a model? How many of our churches reflect Jesus’ teachings and the practice of the early church? Few to be sure.
But if our churches were to buy into this vision, I think we would see a marked change in their effectiveness and the impact of the Kingdom in this world. Each church may fulfill and go about these ideals differently, but I believe the end result would be the same—unity and the bearing of much fruit. Christians would make a difference, cease feeling like hypocrites or useless. Their faiths would not be futile, but have purpose and vitality. The church would no longer be an exclusive club of sorts, but a life-giving vessel in God’s hands. But perhaps it is just a dream. Perhaps it cannot occur. Only time and patience will tell.
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