What is the Church and its Mission?

Here is a recent paper that I wrote as a part of my Covenant Ordination. It answers the question, "What is the nature and mission of the Church?" Obviously this is not a "compendium" on ecclesiology...just a handful of insights into my perspective on what Scripture says about the Church...

In attempting to articulate my understanding of the nature of the church, I find two images especially meaningful and helpful. The first is the New Testament (especially Pauline) image of the Body of Christ, and the second is the Evangelical Covenant Church’s affirmation of the church as a fellowship of believers.

The Body of Christ image is a vital reminder that the Christian church is not merely a free association of individuals, like a Kiwanis club or American Legion. It is an objective reality founded and built by Jesus Christ Himself (Matthew 16:18) and of which He is the head (Colossians 1:18). Since Christ is both its source and head, the Church can never be found to promote any human agenda (however good or noble), but it must humbly be the servant of His agenda: to reconcile the world to God through His atoning sacrifice on the Cross.

The Scriptural image of “body” also suggests that the church is not merely an institution, certainly not a modern corporation, but a dynamic and living organism graced with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit indwells each believing member and equips him or her with unique gifts and talents so that—like the distinct organs of the human body—each member might contribute uniquely to the body’s life, health, and growth (I Corinthians 12). I believe the church is at its best when each member’s spiritual gifts are acknowledged, encouraged, and utilized for the good of the whole body. The Spirit also calls individuals who—through the preaching of the Word and administration of the Sacraments—provide spiritual leadership for the church (Acts 6, I Timothy 3). This will be discussed in the paragraphs below.

While in the later Pauline epistles (Ephesians, Colossians) the Body of Christ refers to the universal church, it is clear that Paul applies this image to the local body in his earlier letters (Romans, Corinthians). Therefore it would seem that from a biblical perspective, in some sense the whole Body of Christ is present in each local manifestation of the church. Being careful to recognize the importance of the greater universal church, we must affirm that each congregation of believers is gifted by God with everything necessary to continue Christ’s ministry in its unique setting (Hans Küng, The Church, 292-312).

The Evangelical Covenant Church’s affirmation of the church as a fellowship of believers also finds significant biblical support. The Last Supper narrative in John’s Gospel reveals an intimacy between Jesus and His followers to the point that He refers to them as His “friends” and He commands them to love one another in the same way that He has loved them (John 15:9-15). The early chapters of Acts (see especially 2:42-47) reveal that this intimate friendship was continued by the early church, and Paul consistently reacted against churches in which intimate fellowship was disrupted by faction, false teaching, or sinful behavior. Clearly, the church is not merely an objective reality; it is also a deeply subjective experience of friendship and fellowship with God and with others (Course Reader, 153-154). Jean Lambert challenges us to avoid trivializing this concept through overtly emotional language or sentimentality, and that is why I think this image of church is best seen in creative tension with the more objective image of the Body of Christ (Course Reader, 155).

This sense of church as fellowship is distinct from the authoritarian, power-driven institutional model that has (unfortunately) often manifested itself as church. Christ’s lordship of the Church was secured to Him not through power but through submission and service (Philippians 2:1-11), and those who want to be great must also be willing to serve (Mark 10:42-45). The Greek term for fellowship (koinonia) means more than mere companionship; it is a partnership in which individuals come together and work for a vision that is greater than all of them (Course reader, 157-158; see also William Taylor, Partnership: Philippians. Christian Focus, 2007). Deep relationships are necessary byproducts of such a partnership, but they must not be allowed to distract from the purpose for which the partnership was formed. This is why I find the ECC’s term “mission friends” helpful: it affirms fellowship while placing it within the greater blueprint of the church’s mission in the world.

What is the church’s mission? I believe it is to continue the ministry of Jesus Christ in the world until His return. The practical aspects of this have been understood in many different ways. In my own life and ministry, it has been most helpful to understand the church’s mission in terms of Jesus’ three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. (This approach is helpfully outlined in Mark Driscoll’s recent book, Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods. Wheaton: Crossway, 2008).

In its prophetic ministry, the church is called to confess the sufficiency and authority of God’s Word over all human wisdom and authority. There are objective truths in Scripture that must be upheld by the church, and these truths do not merely involve right belief (orthodoxy) but also right living (orthopraxy). In upholding these truths, the church must contend against the world’s false teachings that contradict what God has spoken explicitly in His Word. The church must also expose sin (both individual and corporate) for what it is: willful rebellion against the Creator and against our own nature as beings meant to live in relationship with Him. At the root of both false teaching and willful rebellion is the basic sin of idolatry, and here the prophetic church must intentionally combat all idols that lure people’s hearts away from God and His will. This is especially important in contemporary American culture, where the two most destructive idols (sex and money) have caused significant damage inside as well as outside the church.

In my opinion, it is in the prophetic ministry where the issue of ordination is crucial. I believe that every Christian is called to ministry in general, as I will address in the paragraphs below. What distinguishes the ordained minister is only the kind of ministry to which he or she is called: a greater investment in spiritual formation, biblical study, theological inquiry, and practical training, so as to bring God’s Word to bear on the vision and ministry of the local congregation. This call must be recognized and affirmed both by the individual and the local congregation through a process of prayer and discernment. Through Word (preaching) and sign (sacraments), the ordained person proclaims the truths of Scripture to the people and exhorts them to join him or her in living out those truths in a transformational way.

The priestly ministry of the church is a ministry of reconciliation and healing, of experientially living out the grace and love of Jesus Christ in community. It is in this sense that we can speak of a priesthood of all believers, since all Christians must actively participate in such a ministry for it to be fruitful. In this context, all boundaries that would normally divide (economic, racial, gender) are eradicated as all believers stand in solidarity with one another and with Christ (Gal. 3:28-29). As believers encourage one another, exhort and rebuke according to Scripture, and provide care and mercy in times of need, they are truly functioning as priests.

This area of ministry is so important and yet so misunderstood, and the American church in particular has been remiss in faithfully putting it into practice. Our individualistic culture has created a milieu in which genuine community-building is almost impossible. Too many people go to church only to have their own needs met, and many pastors are at fault for caving in to this and becoming (as Bishop Willimon calls them) “quivering masses of availability.” Yet, I believe the priestly ministry of the whole church is more likely to convert people today than any prophetic sermonizing, and Jean Lambert’s thoughts in Amicus Dei would seem to substantiate this (Course Reader, 161-163; see also Matt. 5:14-16). It is high time the church reclaimed the “priesthood of all believers” and put ministry back into the hands of the people.

Finally, Scripture makes clear that in His resurrection and exaltation, Jesus now reigns as king over all creation, and His church is called to proclaim this gospel to every culture in the world (Acts 1:8). Indeed, every church is an “outpost of Christ’s coming kingdom” (Driscoll, 10). This ministry involves the planting of self-sustaining churches into every people-group on the planet (see Winter and Hawthorne, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, 248); contextualizing the method of communicating the gospel so that all people may understand and respond in faith; prophetically denouncing worldly powers which—through their dehumanizing and destructive acts—exist in opposition to Christ’s rule; and working on behalf of the poor, oppressed, and children, to whom Jesus said His kingdom belongs.

This is the whole mission of the church. Every local body of believers must prayerfully discern how God is calling them to be invested in this mission at the local, national, and international levels, and they must invest both actively and financially. As Edmund Clowney wrote, “the congregation that ignores mission will atrophy and soon find itself shattered by internal dissension. It will inevitably begin to lose its own young people, disillusioned by hearing the gospel trumpet every Sunday to those who never march” (Clowney, The Church. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1995).

In conclusion, I believe that all three of these functions (prophet, priest, and king) must be present in church ministry for it to be wholly biblical. When a church excels in only one function, to the exclusion of the other two, it will weaken the church’s witness to a world that desperately needs all three. The world needs the truth that only comes from Jesus Christ; it needs communities of love and reconciliation; and finally, it needs the transforming power of God’s Kingdom.

Sobering Facts, Real Opportunities

Recently, Dr. Scott Sunquist (evangelism/mission prof at Pittsburgh Seminary) challenged me to read a book as a part of an independent study I am doing with him. He intends to use the text in his regular Evangelism course next year, and I think he's using me as a sort of "guinea pig." The book is entitled Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism by Martha Grace Reese. Meant as a study for church leaders, the book is a result of a four-year study which focused on developing effective evangelism in mainline churches. With endorsements from the likes of George G. Hunter III, Brian McLaren, and Richard Peace, it is definitely a text that commands attention.

For this particular posting, I am choosing deliberately not to comment on the theological implications of Dr. Reese's study, other than to make one observation. Reese notes that theologically conservative Christians have a natural motivation to evangelize, because they still believe in a literal heaven and hell, and therefore are concerned about the eternal state of people's souls. Theologically liberal Christians, according to Reese, must find some other motivation for sharing the Christian message with others, and that can begin only when liberal Christians are able to answer truthfully the following question: "What difference does it make in my own life that I am a Christian?"

This is a question that many mainline Christians (indeed, many mainline denominations) have been incapable of answering of late. Unless (or until) mainline Christians can make a strong case for why belonging to their denomination is any different than belonging to the local Kiwanis or Rotary Club, their evangelism will always fall short.

Here are some of the sobering facts that Reese shares about mainline denominations:

• From 1960-2000, mainline churches as a whole have lost almost 20% of their members. However, looked at as a percentage of the American population, mainline church membership has dropped almost 50% in 40 years.
• From 1972-1993, the percentage of Protestants in the U.S. remained fairly stable at 63%. However, by 2002 the number had dropped to 52%.
• Only 3% of adults born between 1910-1919 were raised without any religion in their lives. 14% of adults born between 1980-1984 were reared with no religion, and 27% of adults born in those years say they have no religious preference. America is clearly becoming a less "religious" country.
• Mainline churches are failing at helping new people become Christians. While new Christians are joining the faith in mainline churches, the vast majority are our own children or new spouses.
• Very few adult baptisms and affirmations of faith are made in the six major mainline denominations.

I know you're probably sick of reading about the ills of the mainline churches. You're probably also thinking (and I agree with you) that "numbers" are not necessarily an indicator of anything. That said, though, I think it's important to recognize that evangelism is something that many Christian leaders (myself included) are simply not well-equipped to deal with. Either because of time limitations or other priorities, we simply do not give significant attention to spreading the Gospel beyond the walls of our church.

I think it is great that evangelism is now a required course of all candidates for ordination in the United Methodist Church (hence my independent study with Dr. Sunquist). I also think it's great that creative new churches in are springing up in our conference with a distinctively evangelistic and missional focus: think Hot Metal Bridge, Radiant Life (at Pittsburgh Mills) and Eighth Avenue Place which Keith McIlwain describes in his latest post. Hopefully these are signs that the winds are changing and that God is challenging mainliners to make the Kingdom, rather than the Church, priority #1.

My prayer for today is that God will make me more intentional about sharing Christ with others, and in communicating to the congregation of Bakerstown UMC a simple but significant strategy to be more about spreading the good news of Christ beyond our community. Will you join me in praying for that kind of renewal?

"The Least of These"

I have been pen-pal and prayer-partner to a young missionary named Justin Grogg, who is working with youth and children in Huancayo, Peru...about a 7-hour bus ride west of the capital of Lima. Justin is a guy in his 20's from Fort Wayne, IN, and has been in Peru for the past year. It has been an honor and pleasure to provide prayer and encouragement for this incredible young man of God who left his family (including his fiancee) to go be a witness for Christ in an extremely poverty-stricken area of the country, where over 50% of the population lives on less than $2.00 per day.

Tomorrow is World Communion Sunday, and in Justin's most recent newsletter, he shared an experience that I feel is a great illustration of how we are called to share the "Bread of Life" throughout the world. What follows are Justin's words, and I pray that you'll be blessed by them as I was:

Matthew 25:40, “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Earlier this month, I was walking just after I finished a run. As I walked, I passed by a lady who was dressed in rags. Under her rags, you could see that she had sores all over her body. Her hair was tangled and she was very, very dirty. As I walked by, she started yelling at me and throwing rocks (in Peru, to fend off the dogs, you throw rocks). I quickly jumped away, looked back and prayed for her and went home.

The next day, I was coming back from a little store with my bread for the day, and saw the same lady sitting on the curb just a few houses from mine. With the bread in hand, my heart quickly just poured out to her. I went to her, reached out and handed her the bread. Even in her mentally challenged state, I could tell she was extremely thankful.

As I reflected on this experience, the above verse came to me. When serving others here, I am not only serving “the least of these”, but I’m serving God too-what a blessing!! How much more would I stop and help “the least of these”, people in need I see every day, if I saw the person as God sitting on the edge of the curb dressed in rags. If I literally saw God dressed in rags and knew He was God on the curb, I would stop and drop everything in a heart beat, just like how Peter threw down the nets when he realized it was Jesus calling to him from the shore after Jesus’ resurrection. How much more would I give if I saw God in need, not a complete stranger. I want to encourage us when we see somebody in need, even a complete stranger, to see the person as God and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to fulfill the needs of “the least of these.”

Down from the Mountaintop

Well, I survived a whole week up at Wesley Woods with all those energetic, hormone-filled teenagers. What an experience! I will limit myself to just a few observations, as I could undoubtedly ramble on for some time...

1 - Jesus Christ is just plain amazing! He was present throughout that week of ministry, I saw Him challenge, encourage, and uplift every single camper and counselor who was there. Our evening worship services were some of the best that I've ever experienced. And when we had a few unexpected emergencies (like when our beloved bus Shamgar broke down...twice) Jesus reminded us that He was in control of that camp and that He'd take care of everything.

2 - I had the opportunity to work with incredible, godly men and women whose love for Christ is contagious and who blessed me with their presence. Doug "Fluffy" Beitner is a wonderfully talented yet humble man who is an asset to Wesley Woods. Rev. Bob Zilhaver impressed me as a genuine pastor, and I hope he reads this and knows that I heard his words to me and am actively considering them. I absolutely loved working with Deb and Moki Decker every day...they have such joyful, generous spirits. And as for the chaperones I dragged up there: Ali Lapp, Dan Pouchot, Kevin McGrath, and Randy Lucas --- I just couldn't ask for better helpers, and I am so grateful for their commitment to the youth ministry at Bakerstown.

3 - I had the opportunity to witness 37 high school youth create a genuine spiritual community for a week, and also work together to do a small part in building God's kingdom on earth. Teens who I thought were shy unexpectedly came out of their shells. Others who I thought were kind of lazy literally busted their rear-ends to get the work done that needed to get done. And some of the "clowns" got serious about Jesus. I agree with my chaperone, Ali Lapp, who said that if there are more teenagers like these ones in the world, they can truly make our nation and our world a better place.

4 - The highlight of the week for me was being on Lake Erie at sunset on Friday evening, and participating in a baptism and communion service. The beauty of God's creation was matched by the beauty of the two sacraments instituted by the Lord Jesus...Everyone was literally immersed in a visible display of God's creative and redemptive love for humanity. No PowerPoint presentation, praise band, or sermon could ever recreate the transcendence of that moment.

So now I am down from the mountaintop, but I retain in my mind and heart a renewed vision of God's purpose for me, for those He has entrusted to my care, and for the church. And if I can summarize my current feelings in one word, it would be: GRATITUDE.

Soli Deo Gloria.

On A Mission!

This Sunday I will be heading up to Wesley Woods to co-dean their Youth Mission Work Camp. I'll be taking 27 energetic, hormone-filled teenagers, plus 4 other chaperones from my church, up to serve God through serving others....painting, construction, roofing, landscaping....you name it! Please keep us all in your prayers!

And yet, as I've been mulling it over in my head the last few weeks, I've realized just how reductionistic the term "mission" has become in our lives. For most people in our pews, "missions" is that stuff that we support financially...that stuff that happens outside the church walls, in other countries, and usually done by trained "missionaries." But what happens inside the church walls...well, that's not missions. That's all about discipling the faithful who come every week to get their spiritual needs met and, hopefully, to get challenged as well.

Darrell Guder, professor of missions at Princeton Seminary, has written that in the Bible there are actually three distinct aspects of the church's mission in the world:

First, there's kerygma - proclaiming the Word of God, the good news of the Kingdom, that the world might know the objective truth of the faith. Paul winning converts at the Areopagus in Acts 17 would be a good example of this.

Then there's diakonia - reaching out to others with acts of service and unconditional love, allowing us (as the book of James might say) to show our faith by what we do. Peter and John healing the crippled man in Acts 4 is the example.

Finally, there's koinonia - authentically living out the life of faith in community with others, presenting an alternative method of relationships from that which the world gives. The description of the early church in Acts 2 is the example here....and notice what Luke says: because the early Christians lived this way in community, the Lord added to their numbers daily those who are being saved.

The bottom line is this: Christians have been reborn, and the earth is no longer our ultimate home. And yet, we are all called to be a city on a hill, so that all may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Every believer should see his/herself as being on a mission. When we refer to our "work trips" as mission trips, are we somehow not doing justice to the fact that EVERYTHING the church does is "mission"....that EVERYTHING we do in Christ's name has the potential to bring the Kingdom of God on earth? Is it possible to communicate to our congregations that the way they relate to each other as brothers and sisters, the way they worship on Sunday mornings, the way they talk about their church in the outside world....all of these things are potentially missional moments that can give bring either glory or shame to the name of Jesus Christ?

May the Spirit of God convict us, and those under our shepherding care, to live every aspect of our lives in the intentional mission of our Lord!