Church Family

"My church family," is a way many people refer to those with whom they have a special relationship who gather at one place as a church (or community of believers). This could be construed as a mixed metaphor--"church" is a metaphor for the people of God when emphasizing the communal relationship and "family" is a metaphor for the people of God when emphasizing the familial relationship. But really, using multiple metaphors describing "church" is necessary, because of multiple faceted relationship formed in Christ.

Philemon is a great letter to see the familial and communal relationships between God's people in Christ.

Verses 1-3 use different metaphors and images to show the complexity and intimacy of being related in Christ, 1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, 2to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 10 shows the appeal based on the relationship in Christ of love and family. 10I appeal to you for my son Onesimus,[a] who became my son while I was in chains.

Verses 15-16 again show that Paul is appealing to Philemon to receive Onesimus now as a brother because he is in Christ. 15Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good— 16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.

Verses 17-20 mix metaphors, "partner" and "brother" when referring to Paul's and Philemon's relationship with each other in Christ, because the relationship we have with each other in Christ is multifaceted--needing more than one image to be able to describe it. 17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

So, the church is a community where we are partners, fellow soldiers, fellow workers and friends where God is our Lord. And the church is a family where we are born into Christ as brothers and sisters who are to love each other where God is our Father. Relationships!

Ekklesia, Church?

(Finally, my series begins, sorry about the delay if any of you were waiting or wondering)

Ekklesia, a word mistranslated for centuries as “church.” Also, practicing what D. A. Carson calls, exegetical fallacies, ekklesia has been dissected and “missexegeted” as the “called out.” Context and use give the definition of words, not breaking down parts of a word (I don’t believe anyone thinks that “recreation” is actually where we are “recreated”).

Better translations of ekklesia are congregation, assembly or community, which are the concepts intended by the New Testament writers. The New Testament uses the word when describing the community of believers at large and as local expressions. Ekklesia is actually one of many words used to describe the people of God that bring out the multifaceted nature of who we are. As God’s people we are ekklesia, we are bound together with a common purpose, mission and relationship. We have common standards, values and perspectives. All defined and based in God, through Christ, by the Holy Spirit. We are community. We exist as a worldwide community and we gather as local expressions of community.

One of the most difficult things for the Western mind is to break from the institutional concept, speaking of the “church” as a building, some kind of impersonal organization, or as a location. The way we speak reflects what we believe or think. Church is a community of people, whether they are gathered or not, they are always the “church.” When Jesus said he would build his church, he was speaking about creating the new covenant people of God, in his blood. (Read Matthew 16:13-20; Acts 8:3; 20:28; Romans 16:4-5; 16:23; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-2; Ephesians 1:22-23; 3:10)

Other words used to describe who we are as people of God other than "community" are: Israel, Temple, Fellowship, Disciples, Family, Bride, Flock, Saints, Believers, New Creation, Body, and Citizens, to name a few.

Church, Community, Congregation--It's Imperfect People!!

Before I really get into the series I am beginning on seeking to understand the concept of "church" from Scripture, I want to lay out an obvious, but overlooked truth--whatever else we discover about the nature of the church, church is people. Church is church because it is a community of people. Because church is people, then church will always be imperfect, washed and made perfect in Christ's blood, but imperfect in expressions, relationships, practices.

So a thought to consider before we go any further, is God's ideal for his church to be perfect in expressions, relationships and practices, or to be a community where grace is experienced, lived out, shown, and appreciated causing the people to be different?

Remember, as we delve into who and what the church is, that we remember, as long as it is made up of imperfect human beings, it will be imperfect until the day of redemption.

Inundated with the Disillusioned

Disillusioned--being disappointed due to a frustrated ideal or belief. Lately it has seemed that the Christian world has been inundated by the disillusioned (authors, church people, ex-church people)--and I wonder, is it because there is something wrong with the church or something wrong with our "ideal" or "belief" of what the church ought to be? If we have an unattainable ideal or a flawed belief, then of course we will become disillusioned, because the church will never "measure" up to what you or I think it "ought to be."

Maybe we should first reexamine our ideal before we beat up the church, slinging words such as "institutional," "programmatic," "organized religion," "attractional," and any other pejorative word we come up with to say how bad the church is.

Now, before anyone cheers thinking that I am bashing church bashers, there is another reason there are so many disillusioned, the church isn't what it ought to be. Two reasons then, a skewed ideal and not being the ideal.

So, to keep from becoming one of the disillusioned, lets look at the Bible to see who we, followers of Jesus, are called to be as Christ's community, the church.

Over the next weeks, I will look at several passages, seeking God's ideal for us as his community of believers, created by, built by and sustained by Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Looking so Intently We Miss Really Seeing

Do we (I'm referring to church leaders here) look so intently that we miss really seeing? We dig into the Word, read inspiring stories, listen to motivational speakers that point us to, and remind us of what it means to be a disciple, that we are called to be missional and incarnational. Then we get so fired up about leading the churches we pastor toward being "missional" and "incarnational" with such intensity that we miss the disciples at our churches who are living it already.

One of our children's ministers, Lesly Yerger, is facing chemo therapy for the second time with courageous faith in the Lord. She gave a testimony this Sunday. Then in the offering basket was an envelope with money in it for a family in need--anonymous, not looking for any recognition or tax write off. A family who has been transformed by God's power--now filled with joy, peace and hope. A young man who, as a sophomore in H.S., is giving godly counsel to students at his school as he seeks God's direction for his life. An 89 year old woman who witnesses to anyone in ear shot and has the grace of Christ in her heart. A man who has been changed by God through his son who now shares, counsels, and whose life is radically different. Women who have study/fellowship groups made up of "unchurched." Men who are sharing Jesus' grace with their next door neighbors who are lost and seeking. A staff that is underpaid or not paid at all. And the list goes on...if I just stop looking so intently so I can see what is going on all around us.

What an amazing church God has chosen me for and allowed me to serve and lead. A church that truly is walking together and making a difference by influencing the domain in which they live.

Here We Go, Following God

Amazing how God works. For me, it has to do with the vision he developed in my heart for the church plant here--his view was much more expanded than mine, concerning the fulfillment of the vision. Our vision is not being altered, but the way we are now seeking to fulfill it is much larger and more in line with God's intent behind the vision in the first place.

From the beginning we have sought to workout and be "missional" and "incarnational." We also desired to have a kingdom perspective. The atmosphere for our gatherings is contemporary, casual and caring--where people are welcome wherever they are on their faith journey, with the expectation that they would grow as disciples. God has been gracious with us as we have struggled to be this kind of church, making mistakes along the way, but we are developing as a church that walks together making a difference by being missional and incarnational. People's lives are being changed, there is a real sense of community, this church has an active faith, and people are being brought to God through authentic love.

The area in which we are being redirected to better follow God's expanded view has to do with a kingdom perspective. Our philosophy has to be expanded to include "going through barriers" instead of just seeking to remove and resist unnecessary barriers at our gathering place. We need to be better at "sending" disicples out with the purpose of influencing their domain. So, we are developing our discipleship process to include equipping and empowering people to "go through" barriers, social, economical, racial, and "religious," reaching the lost where they are, influencing their own domain, making disciples and bringing them into community right where they are. We haven't decided exactly what to call these "neighborhood" communities of faith, but we are praying, planning and being intentional about fulfilling this aspect of God's vision for us.

We have a blended view--often people who rediscover aspects of God's call, "missional," "incarnational," "Kingdom perspective," and methods to fulfill these, bash past efforts or methods by authentic communities of disciples. God has and still reaches people through authentic communities of faith organized as a "church on the corner." God reaches people through "church plants." And God reaches people through "neighborhood communities of faith." However, we can't get caught up in Western "church-think" limiting God's kingdom, his church to our preconcieved concepts--church isn't just in a building on a corner or in a rented facility or at a home or in a Starbucks. Church happens wherever disciples gather as community. The determining factor that is common in all is being missional, incarnational and having a kingdom perspective, much greater than any method, style or means. So, seeking to have an expanded view that more closely matches God's will for us means we will be the church God is calling us to be by having "Journey on the corner," participating in "church plants," and intentionally sending out disciples to develop "neighborhood communities of faith" in their domains.

Here we go, following God, his lead, his will, his desires--wherever he may direct. What an adventure, what an exciting time, what an amazing God, never is he limited to our finite minds!

Hectic, Humbled, and Encouraged

Last week was hectic for Gloria and me. So some of my normal scheduling was altered and adjusted to meet all the demands the best that I was able. With all this going on, my 30 day commitment has been altered somewhat. I have started using the Internet at work to do some personal business, but still no Internet at home. I also have done well, not watching TV and really don't miss it. So, even after the 30 days, we will not have cable TV, just local for news and weather. We do watch an occasional movie, DVD.

God was gracious to me, really humbling me. With everything going on last week, and having to adjust my routine of sermon preparation. God was merciful and gracious Sunday as were his people who meet here. God drove it home, I am (as Paul wrote) a clay pot and God's message is the treasure. God's power is even more evident in my weakness. And it is not my words or eloquence that matters (or lack of)--it is God's word that never comes back empty!!

I am encouraged, because there is a revival concerning discipleship, cross-centered living, and authentic love-directed service. I am encouraged by the desire for authentic worship in spirit and truth. I am encouraged by the redirected focus away from buildings to people and from defining the church "programatically, institutionally, or organizationally" and defining the church Christocentrically, organically, missionally and incarnationally. There is a movement of God reviving and restoring genuine discipleship.

I am encouraged because when we see the church the way Jesus builds it, the Spirit fills it, and the Father graces it, our methods become less important, or styles insignificant and our organizational structures inconsequential. What matters--individuals and communities of faith living and breathing Jesus, being kingdom people, going through social, economic and racial barriers incarnating Jesus for those in the world to see and experience. Awesome!!