The vision of the Christian Church is to establish an ancient dream in a modern world. Jesus said "Upon this rock, I will build my church."
Two thousand years later, we cannot even agree on the shape of the edifice that was supposed to go on that rock. Will it have stained glass windows and arches? Will it be a plain wooden box? Will it even have walls? There has never been a definitive answer to that question. We can only speak of a variety of answers--thousands of permutations and designs.
I believe there are four basic church shapes, based upon the intentions of the people who dwell in them. The true church lies somewhere in between these four shapes.
These shapes are a continuum between two intersecting axes--the cultural and missional axis. The cultural axis is how they see themselves. The missional axis is how they see their mission to the world. They represent four separate visions of the church's place in society.
The Parish church
At one end of the cultural axis lies the parish church. This is the shape the church has most occupied in its two thousand years of existence in Western Society, from the time of Constantine until today. It is the church of the Middle Ages, when there were no denominations or divisions, but only one great monolithic society where everyone was called "Christian".
Each village had one church. There was one priest, who presided over the spiritual needs of the whole village. The whole village was his parish. Evangelism was unnecessary, since everyone was presumed to be Christian. Discipleship was simply growing up Christian. It was a stable, unified society.
In this church, the priest's duties were twofold. First, to maintain the status quo by performing the necessary rituals of society--weddings, funerals, christenings, and so forth. The second was to improve the status quo through charity, moral teaching, and Christian influence. The priest was the conscience of the parish. It was his job to point out social injustices when he saw them. The powers that be may not like what he said, but it was expected of him to speak truth to power. After all those in power were members of his church, and their behavior was his business.
This system still exists today in spite or our multiple denominations. It exists in uptown churches of the Bible Belt and the villages of South America. It is a durable form of the church.
Evangelism plays little or no part in the parish system. The goal of the church is education, not conversion. It is essentially universalism. It is assumed by pastor and members that everyone is already converted. Children are raised to be "good" Christians and "good" citizens. In their mind, there is little difference between being a good Christian and a good citizens. They are one and the same.
The Remnant Church.
The greatest challenge to the parish system has always being the Remnant church. These are the prophetic or puritanical movements that arise to upset the status quo--especially the idea that everyone is already Christian. Remnant churches see themselves separated from cultural sins.
Over the years, the movements have had names--prophets, Rechabites, Nazirites, reformers, monastics, Protestants, puritans, holiness, Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists, Quakers, Pentecostals, and charismatics. The vast majority of our denominations have come about because some group has seen itself as the remnant of true Christianity which must break from the general perish who must come out among them and be separate in order to be pure.
While the parish churches see God as immanent, inculcated in the social structure of society, the remnant churches see true worship of God as transcendent--a holy goal we must ever seek, but never fully achieve on earth. It chooses not to be part of a wicked society that is under the wrath of God. Remnant churches insist that members be converted, so the church will not be impure. They expect much from their members---Sabbath keeping, tithing, special dress, m oral living. They believe in Christian schooling or home schooling. They shy away from worldly amusements.
Virtually every positive change in Christendom has come from remnant churches. Nevertheless, the remnant church has some problems. In their efforts to purify themselves, they often allow the rest of the world to go its own way. They see themselves, not as a city but a fortress on the hill, standing against a flood of unrighteousness.
Remnant churches are often divisive. It cannot help but break apart, as each person seeks his own version of holy living.
The parish church and the remnant church stand as opposite poles in the cultural continuum. One ignores the transcendence of God while the other denies His immanence. One seeks to lead culture while the other seeks to leave it. Neither have all the answers. Obviously, most churches are a mixture of the two.
The other two churches deal with how the church sees its mission.
The family church.
The parish church no longer exists in way it did in Medieval times. The family church, however , is very much alive and well. When church parish no longer encompasses the whole community, then the focus of the church become a piece of the community-- a particular family or tribe. The family church resembles a miniature parish church. It does not seek to influence or maintain the whole society, but seeks to fulfill the same function for a segment of that society, usually the families that began the church. These churches emphasize the closeness of family and fellowship, and seeks to maintain or improve the status quo of that particular segment. Their church is not for everyone, but for those in the family it is home. They stay away from politics and attempts to influence the larger world, because it is none of their business. They exist as a kind of family chapel. They identify themselves with their target group. They are black churches or white churches, Greek churches or Scottish churches. In small towns, family churches are known to everyone else by the name of the families who go to that church. They have no desire to be the biggest church in town--in fact, they are glad for the existence of other churches, since it relieves them from the burden of ministering of people unlike themselves.
Family churches are microcosms of the parish church. Instead of supporting local politics, family churches support local family leaders. Instead of assuming the salvation of the whole community, they assume the whole family is saved. In family churches, it is entirely possible that some of their leaders may have little knowledge of the true faith, because they were never taught. The teachings of the church are irrelevant. The church is subservient to the family and exists to support family tradition.
The family church could be said to be the least "Christian" of the four churches, since it neither seeks to transform society or purify it. But that would be too harsh and assessment. The family church has one thing that the others may lack. At least they are family. Within its walls, members often find warmth and acceptance. Family churches may be exclusive at time, but they are also capable of great acts of love and generosity.
The Mission church
The mission church exists to serve the world around them. It combines elements of the parish and remnant churches. Like the parish church it seeks to speak and act prophetically in the world, converting sinners and making the world a socially better place. Like remnant church, it seeks a pure, primitive Christianity. The mission churches believe that following Jesus is following Him in sacrificial service. It values the outsider more than the insider.
Mission members often lack the separatist tendencies of the remnant. They do not care legalistic morality. They are passionately committed, however to having and sharing a personal relationship with Christ, and to sharing Christ. The sign of their commitment to Christ is demonstrating Christ's love to the world.
The mission church sounds like the one that most resembles the ancient church. Perhaps it may be. But the mission church are three problems which, if not addressed prove fatal to the mission church.
The first is their occasional lack of concern for spiritual purity. Mission churches need to remember just why the seven deadly sins were called deadly. Pride, jealousy, lust, greed, gluttony, anger, and sloth are still dangers to us. If we ignore teaching on morality and try to replace them with a general, non-specific piety, we open ourselves to serious trouble. The same can be said for the old heresies that almost finished off the ancient church in its early years. We must always maintain our orthodoxy and uphold the truth.
The second is the difficulty of maintaining a missional stance. Pastors and church leaders may "get it" but often the rank and file member do not. People join churches for selfish reasons. Unless a mission church is constantly casting its vision, it will lose it.
The third danger is neglect of its own members. Sooner or later, even the most determined member must be fed, rested, and nurtured. When the Carthaginian General Hannibal defeated the Romans, he insisted that his troops always have a good breakfast. He knew that troops that were not fed, rested, and rewarded will not be able to fight. Mission churches need to retain some of the family church's concern for the insider to mix with their concern for the outsider .
None of these church models are complete in themselves. But every church, no matter how different they may be from what we imagine the church to be, carries part of God's reflection in the world. Other traditions may seem strange to us, but all churches in some way reflects the glory of God, and belongs in his kingdom.
Two thousand years later, we cannot even agree on the shape of the edifice that was supposed to go on that rock. Will it have stained glass windows and arches? Will it be a plain wooden box? Will it even have walls? There has never been a definitive answer to that question. We can only speak of a variety of answers--thousands of permutations and designs.
I believe there are four basic church shapes, based upon the intentions of the people who dwell in them. The true church lies somewhere in between these four shapes.
These shapes are a continuum between two intersecting axes--the cultural and missional axis. The cultural axis is how they see themselves. The missional axis is how they see their mission to the world. They represent four separate visions of the church's place in society.
The Parish church
At one end of the cultural axis lies the parish church. This is the shape the church has most occupied in its two thousand years of existence in Western Society, from the time of Constantine until today. It is the church of the Middle Ages, when there were no denominations or divisions, but only one great monolithic society where everyone was called "Christian".
Each village had one church. There was one priest, who presided over the spiritual needs of the whole village. The whole village was his parish. Evangelism was unnecessary, since everyone was presumed to be Christian. Discipleship was simply growing up Christian. It was a stable, unified society.
In this church, the priest's duties were twofold. First, to maintain the status quo by performing the necessary rituals of society--weddings, funerals, christenings, and so forth. The second was to improve the status quo through charity, moral teaching, and Christian influence. The priest was the conscience of the parish. It was his job to point out social injustices when he saw them. The powers that be may not like what he said, but it was expected of him to speak truth to power. After all those in power were members of his church, and their behavior was his business.
This system still exists today in spite or our multiple denominations. It exists in uptown churches of the Bible Belt and the villages of South America. It is a durable form of the church.
Evangelism plays little or no part in the parish system. The goal of the church is education, not conversion. It is essentially universalism. It is assumed by pastor and members that everyone is already converted. Children are raised to be "good" Christians and "good" citizens. In their mind, there is little difference between being a good Christian and a good citizens. They are one and the same.
The Remnant Church.
The greatest challenge to the parish system has always being the Remnant church. These are the prophetic or puritanical movements that arise to upset the status quo--especially the idea that everyone is already Christian. Remnant churches see themselves separated from cultural sins.
Over the years, the movements have had names--prophets, Rechabites, Nazirites, reformers, monastics, Protestants, puritans, holiness, Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists, Quakers, Pentecostals, and charismatics. The vast majority of our denominations have come about because some group has seen itself as the remnant of true Christianity which must break from the general perish who must come out among them and be separate in order to be pure.
While the parish churches see God as immanent, inculcated in the social structure of society, the remnant churches see true worship of God as transcendent--a holy goal we must ever seek, but never fully achieve on earth. It chooses not to be part of a wicked society that is under the wrath of God. Remnant churches insist that members be converted, so the church will not be impure. They expect much from their members---Sabbath keeping, tithing, special dress, m oral living. They believe in Christian schooling or home schooling. They shy away from worldly amusements.
Virtually every positive change in Christendom has come from remnant churches. Nevertheless, the remnant church has some problems. In their efforts to purify themselves, they often allow the rest of the world to go its own way. They see themselves, not as a city but a fortress on the hill, standing against a flood of unrighteousness.
Remnant churches are often divisive. It cannot help but break apart, as each person seeks his own version of holy living.
The parish church and the remnant church stand as opposite poles in the cultural continuum. One ignores the transcendence of God while the other denies His immanence. One seeks to lead culture while the other seeks to leave it. Neither have all the answers. Obviously, most churches are a mixture of the two.
The other two churches deal with how the church sees its mission.
The family church.
The parish church no longer exists in way it did in Medieval times. The family church, however , is very much alive and well. When church parish no longer encompasses the whole community, then the focus of the church become a piece of the community-- a particular family or tribe. The family church resembles a miniature parish church. It does not seek to influence or maintain the whole society, but seeks to fulfill the same function for a segment of that society, usually the families that began the church. These churches emphasize the closeness of family and fellowship, and seeks to maintain or improve the status quo of that particular segment. Their church is not for everyone, but for those in the family it is home. They stay away from politics and attempts to influence the larger world, because it is none of their business. They exist as a kind of family chapel. They identify themselves with their target group. They are black churches or white churches, Greek churches or Scottish churches. In small towns, family churches are known to everyone else by the name of the families who go to that church. They have no desire to be the biggest church in town--in fact, they are glad for the existence of other churches, since it relieves them from the burden of ministering of people unlike themselves.
Family churches are microcosms of the parish church. Instead of supporting local politics, family churches support local family leaders. Instead of assuming the salvation of the whole community, they assume the whole family is saved. In family churches, it is entirely possible that some of their leaders may have little knowledge of the true faith, because they were never taught. The teachings of the church are irrelevant. The church is subservient to the family and exists to support family tradition.
The family church could be said to be the least "Christian" of the four churches, since it neither seeks to transform society or purify it. But that would be too harsh and assessment. The family church has one thing that the others may lack. At least they are family. Within its walls, members often find warmth and acceptance. Family churches may be exclusive at time, but they are also capable of great acts of love and generosity.
The Mission church
The mission church exists to serve the world around them. It combines elements of the parish and remnant churches. Like the parish church it seeks to speak and act prophetically in the world, converting sinners and making the world a socially better place. Like remnant church, it seeks a pure, primitive Christianity. The mission churches believe that following Jesus is following Him in sacrificial service. It values the outsider more than the insider.
Mission members often lack the separatist tendencies of the remnant. They do not care legalistic morality. They are passionately committed, however to having and sharing a personal relationship with Christ, and to sharing Christ. The sign of their commitment to Christ is demonstrating Christ's love to the world.
The mission church sounds like the one that most resembles the ancient church. Perhaps it may be. But the mission church are three problems which, if not addressed prove fatal to the mission church.
The first is their occasional lack of concern for spiritual purity. Mission churches need to remember just why the seven deadly sins were called deadly. Pride, jealousy, lust, greed, gluttony, anger, and sloth are still dangers to us. If we ignore teaching on morality and try to replace them with a general, non-specific piety, we open ourselves to serious trouble. The same can be said for the old heresies that almost finished off the ancient church in its early years. We must always maintain our orthodoxy and uphold the truth.
The second is the difficulty of maintaining a missional stance. Pastors and church leaders may "get it" but often the rank and file member do not. People join churches for selfish reasons. Unless a mission church is constantly casting its vision, it will lose it.
The third danger is neglect of its own members. Sooner or later, even the most determined member must be fed, rested, and nurtured. When the Carthaginian General Hannibal defeated the Romans, he insisted that his troops always have a good breakfast. He knew that troops that were not fed, rested, and rewarded will not be able to fight. Mission churches need to retain some of the family church's concern for the insider to mix with their concern for the outsider .
None of these church models are complete in themselves. But every church, no matter how different they may be from what we imagine the church to be, carries part of God's reflection in the world. Other traditions may seem strange to us, but all churches in some way reflects the glory of God, and belongs in his kingdom.
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