Before long, beginning July 15, our Saturday morning men’s group is going to begin reading our next book together. It will be What is the Church and Why Does it Exist? (2021, Harold Press) by David Fitch. Jason Mohn will be guiding us along; David is his teacher at Northern Seminary in Lombard. Yesterday Jason handed me the little book and I just couldn’t wait, so have jumped right in and am marking it all up!
As I continue to search for language to help understand the times we are living in as the church, and upcoming denominational annual meetings filled with trials and potential dismissals, these words from Fitch are helpful:
“The church began a significant shift at the council of Nicaea — a shift from focus on practices to a focus on right belief. The church’s modus operandi shifted from practicing a way of life together to organizing itself through hierarchical power. The church became less focused on being a local gathering practicing a way of life together and more focused on large organization enforcing orthodoxy.”
“But in the context of mission in post-christendom, what we are saying no longer makes sense to people who are not Christians. Beliefs when separated from practices, have over time become rote for Christians…but beliefs cannot make sense to people outside the church without seeing the belief lived in practice. For instance, we can only truly know and share what the atoning work of Christ means for our forgiveness by practicing that forgiveness with someone who has harmed us. We cannot just preach about forgiveness. We must do forgiveness.”
“History shows that whenever the church lives comfortably in a Christendom world it tends to organize itself as a hierarchy. However, when the church is not aligned with the world’s powers, and is living as a minority people, it tends to organize itself in mutuality.”
After Constantine, A coercive form of leadership took root in the church. Rather than conflicts over beliefs being worked out in communities of practice and mutual conversation, the church moved toward requiring its members to assent to specific beliefs. There is a certain power over people in this approach. Whenever a belief is challenged, even today we find ourselves answering with the words “we believe this because” rather than “we do this because we believe”…If people have questions, or worse, dare to challenge the church’s beliefs, they are accused of heresy by leaders in the church and possibly even removed from the church. The church has become focused on enforcing orthodoxy instead of working out mutually among a people. This approach works well in holding the church together in Christendom, but it does not work in the same way when Christendom culture no longer exists. Today, as the culture has shifted, and the Christian’s beliefs are challenged, churches are tempted to enforce orthodoxy as if it still held Christendom-like power….When beliefs are separated from practices, coercion sneaks in and beliefs lose their currency. In the process, why those beliefs were important gets lost.”
And so, it is more important than ever for the churches to work out their life together mutually in the very presence of Jesus…the gifts of the Spirit must be set free to lead…,.we must submit ourselves to one another out of love for Christ…”
“We do not enforce our beliefs on people; we work out our beliefs together…we eat together, are present to one another, allow all the gifted ones around the table to present the issues and contribute their wisdom. We hear all voioces, and we dialogue in and through the mutuality of gifts. We become less defensive, more inclusive.”
Ultimately, hierarchy is not God’s way….Jesus instructs the disciples, after they ask him one more time for worldly power (Mark 10:37), “You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be among you; whoever would be great among you must be your servant.”
What do you think?
Love from here!
PETER HAWKINSON
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