The Body Pt. 2
“The body of Christ is not a metaphor. Christ and the church are a single reality. Jesus Christ inhabits a body, and we are it. The church is the actual body of Christ present in the world, His physical presence on the planet.”~ Frank Viola (Reimagining Church)
A body is a warm, breathing, full of life, highly functional- organism. Sorry, but unfortunately, that just doesn’t describe most churches I have visited. Many churches’ only resemblance of a body is one downtown on a slab. They se
em cold, dysfunctional, self-absorbed, lacking energy. This of course is not representative of all, but you have, I’m sure, stumbled across one like I’m describing. As I reflect on it, its like something out of some fifties B scare flick.
We all know the church isn’t a building, but why do we live as though it is? The lion’s share of resources goes to keeping the building and property up. Everything happens “at church.” But wherever the church has been most successful at its God-given mission, it’s always described as ‘alive,’ life-giving,’ ‘contagious’- all indicative of life. The first church was full of life and people couldn’t get enough of being together- so much so that they met daily in public spaces to serve as a public witness that something new was at work in the world. I want to be a part of something that is so relationally alive that it’s infectious.
I am a friendly person. I have friends (I think). But I would love to be part of a group of people that allow me to be myself- to share my true feelings (not in a girly way, you know what I mean) – to explore the deeper issues of life and to wrestle with being a person of faith in 2009. But when most people gather “at church” we spend less than 5 minutes on average actually communicating directly to each other. So those precious moments get spent on life altering issues such as the weather and the kids, because we don’t really know each other.
So, because I am not one to point fingers, Let me share some of the things we are doing to restore the church to the living, breathing organism it was meant to be. We host a weekly gathering. But we are seated around tables. We have no stage- no pulpit, pews, or choir loft or other signs that we are gathering “at church.” We have a band- but it is not the focal point- it is off to the side. We break bread together at each table. We have a prayer focus. I serve in a role I call a “catalyst.” I prepare a creative lesson plan in which I introduce the topic for the day with background on the scripture, and then provide questions for the groups to discuss. We read the scripture, and then break into our groups to wrestle with the passage. When the groups are finished we part with a blessing and then people stay around and discuss life together. Oh, and did I mention, this all happens around world class coffee? It’s the glue that holds us together (not really- its Jesus- but the coffee is really good!)
But it doesn’t end there. We are involved in each other’s lives. We are learning to share life together as we struggle through the rat race that is the suburbs. It’s a shared life that I, unfortunately have not experienced outside of my friends in college. And, coming this summer, we will be dividing into missional groups to begin wrestling through what it means to be the church at work, and at the grocery store, and at soccer practice. I have to admit it’s a very different life than the one modeled for me “at church” growing up. Its messy- we all have rough edges and baggage. But as one goes- we all go. I could go on for a year, but you would get tired after a while. I want to be the body of Christ to my neighbors and my coworkers and even my enemies. Maybe my experience is similar to yours. Maybe you are seeking the same thing I am. Maybe you are further down the road and have something to offer the discussion. What has been your experience? Too harsh? To kind? What are your thoughts?
May 15, 2009 7:42 am 14 Comments
Other Links to this Post
-
paftexlgckny mountains — September 22, 2009 @ 11:35 am
-
online prescription medicine amoxicillin without — September 23, 2009 @ 10:47 pm
-
mederma coupon dry skin care mederma acne scar treatment — September 23, 2009 @ 10:50 pm
-
tramadol no prescription norfloxacin ear drops buy — September 23, 2009 @ 11:14 pm
-
discount pharmacies usa alesse reviews seasonale lutera no — September 23, 2009 @ 11:24 pm
-
debt consolidation reviews debt consolidation company debt — September 23, 2009 @ 11:36 pm
-
forex minimum investment forex trading margin online forex — September 24, 2009 @ 1:47 am
-
hoodia water diet pills for women weight loss supplements — September 24, 2009 @ 3:38 am
-
hoodia facts herbal medicine for depression and anxiety — September 24, 2009 @ 4:05 am
-
sleep disorders insomnia fioricet tablets tramadol dosage — September 24, 2009 @ 5:49 am
-
health herbs herb remedies john wort herb herbs for kids — September 24, 2009 @ 8:04 am
-
stock charting software freeware forex broker metatrader — September 24, 2009 @ 8:25 am
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Subscribe
By Monte Asbury, June 6, 2009 @ 11:27 am
Friends of mine are moving to Cleveland – actually, to Bay Village. Can anyone suggest a way of finding emergent-friendly churches in the area?
By rpcollins, June 16, 2009 @ 12:52 am
Are you currently having services, and if so, where? My wife and I are living in Medina and have been thinking about getting some local emerging gatherings going here. I would like to visit your group and see what your group is all about. Thanks!