"It's the people, it's us, not the building."
We know that. We get that. So let's really explore it a little bit. Let's see what Christ has to say to us unclouded by the last two millennium of tradition. It might prove shocking.
We are the "body of Christ" and many of us work together like a body. We are a new spiritual organism, the likes of which the world has never seen. This body of Christ is the ultimate form of being in all of Creation - it is the union of the Creature with the Creator. So lived the Christians in the first century and really up to about the 4th. Then what happened for fifteen hundred years? Was it lost? We are coming back to that organic community again with house churches on the rise, but it makes me think, how did it get started, this organic, holy thing? Did it go wrong somewhere along the way? Are we growing as we should and what hinders us if not?
If I ask, where do you worship? more than likely, the answer will be "church." If I ask, does that building hold any sacred value, what do you say? If you say yes, that is un-Biblical. (Don't shoot me, just go find it in the New Testament and I will renounce my evil ways.) If you think no, then consider what we call it, "The House of God," etc. We light candles to show the Lord's presence.... (should we carry lit candles around on our heads? I can see it now, a new denomination, "the Miners"). Protestants the world over congregate in the "sanctuary."
So, as I think about the other day's question, "Why was Jesus killed?" I find it ironically appropriate in terms of these posts: because He was a "heretic!" He said He would destroy the Temple! He said that all people would worship God in spirit and in truth. Jesus embodies a new and living house made of living stones --"without hands."
Remember, Jesus was (is) Jewish. Judaism's four most important factors were the Word of God, the Temple, the Priests and the Sacrifice. Christ's coming didn't do away with the Word. It fulfilled it, gave us the true meaning: This is how God is, not how you relate to Him, but in relating to Him first the Law will live through you, because He lives through you, in you. Isn't this yet another reason why His Word never passes away, because we are eternal and we never pass away. We really do become One as Jesus and the Father are One. One with each other and One with Him.
Now, because He is the ultimate priest, our eternal priest, who offered His own blood for us, the eternal sacrifice, and set up God's presence within our own hearts, the Temple, Priesthood and Sacrifice are all fulfilled in Christ. "Consequently, the Temple, the professional priesthood, and the sacrifice of Judaism all passed away with the coming of Jesus Christ. Christ is the fulfillment and the reality of it all."(1) (see Acts 7, Stephen's speech; Mark 14:58; Colossians 2:16-17; and all of the book of Hebrews)
God is not a Temple dweller anymore; He never really was! He allowed Solomon to build Him a Temple so that He could be close to His people, not for His sake, but theirs! God does not have a body, no Temple can hold Him! Does He not fill the heavens and the earth? No alter is fit, no Temple big enough. So tell me, please, why do we Christians spend so much money on mega-churches, huge stained-glass windows and cathedrals fit for Roman emperors (more on that in a second) While the Son of Man had no place to lay His head? The early church met in homes. All their money went to each other in need, to the poor and the hungry and they shared everything! No money went to a building in order to meet only once a week - the early church met all the time! They considered themselves a family and behaved accordingly. If a large meeting was called to order that needed a bigger space, it was rented (or they used the portico in the Jerusalem Temple. See Acts 2:46)
Church buildings didn't spring up until Constantine ordered them built - and then they were based on Roman governmental and pagan temple design.(2) They give the impression we must go to a sacred place in order to experience the Lord, God. And once there we all face the same way, looking toward a minister or priest on a raised stage, giving the further impression that God is accessible only through a particular person or caste of people. This is just the opposite of what Christ came to teach entirely! It denies completely the royal priesthood of believers (1 Peter 2:9). Huge structures sprung up under Constantine in order that we might honor God with our presence (once a week?) I thought to honor God was to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. We cannot claim OT authority on the building of temples or church structures because the Temple in Jerusalem and the sacrifices there in was a mere shadow of the church that God planned through Christ and His Sacrifice.
The good thing, and a very good thing it is indeed, is that now Christians have a place to meet that outsiders may be attracted to and feel welcome - it's easier to invite someone to church in a "church" than a home. Besides, there are a myriad of other reasons non-believers may come in, other than the love they see among us, but eventually decide to stay when God really does impress upon their hearts. Sometimes though they come in, feel the 'sacred reverence flow' and get swept away! But what do they get swept away to, or by? The choir? (That's another post all together), the beauty of the building? All these things are no different from other "pagan" temples and worship services and are not really what being a Christian is about anyway. Our emotions go all aflutter and our psychological experiences transcend the natural to the supernatural. But lets not confuse emotional and psychological flutterings for what should be spiritual life. I fear at times the beauty and majesty in cathedrals may hinder what Christ wanted out of His Church. He wanted a Bride. He wants a Body. We are a new, living, spiritual organism, wholey, and HOLY different from anything the world has ever known before!
Do not misunderstand me. I'm not saying I hate the buildings, the beauty, the majesty. No. It is beautiful. And it is honoring, but we must be very careful who it is honoring. To God? Though statues, paintings and murals are beautiful and I love them dearly (esp. being an artist myself), and I think they have their place, I only point out that they are not part of New Testament worship. In fact, they border very closely to un-Biblical practices. The second of the Ten Commandments still reads:
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My Commandments." Deuteronomy 5:8
Do I speak against the church? Not on your life. I speak against us calling buildings "churches." Ekklesia is only used in terms of the "gathering of people" in the New Testament. God has a new temple: us. So let us not call buildings "the House of God" or "Temple" or "sanctuary of the Lord" - as Frank Viola (I take heavily from him here in this post because his scholarship is far better than my ranting) points out, it is unscriptural to treat a building as sacred, and most church architecture actually hinders true New Testament church growth where all are supposed to speak and flow freely and with the spirit. (1 Cor. 14 1-33). Let us not treat the church building as a special, sacred holy place, completely dividing our spiritual life from our "real" life. That is a lie. They cannot be separated. You needn't put on your "church face," "Sunday best" or "scripture reading voice." God is with you wherever you go (is He having as a good a time as you are?) Be joyful, worship with thanksgiving and praise! (read Acts (all of it))
In the end, I think we need both: house church and a large hall. As a friend of mine said to me the other day, Church [what goes on inside] is like beginner class, it's spiritual kindergarten. If you have a small group or house church, then, as Pastor Dennis Folds says, "that is where your real church is; this is just a meeting place." It is a place where we can all meet in large groups, is open to outsiders and easily accessible. "Churches" are a place where we can learn and grow and fellowship. Where our teachers can be easily sought out and scripture readily explained - in that sense they may take the place of universities which have all gone secular. Perhaps more like hospitals for the infirm. But our Christian spiritual experience should not begin or end at the "church" door. And for many it doesn't. If I'm not talking to you, then AMEN! If I am, I hope you're squirming in your seat. We are the lights of the world, not to be hidden under a blind. The "church" building has become that blind, and it is time to 'raze the blinds.'
Next: Spiritual High!
Next: Spiritual High!
(1) Frank Viola, George Barna, Pagan Christianity, pg 11. - not the best source of info, but all in all a good read with lots of good points. Read it with a grain of salt though, eh?
(2) Any architectural history book will do, really.
5 comments:
Yeah I've been thinking about the same kinds of things. So much so that I'm thinking of joining a small Bible study every week instead of 'church'. I think this level discussion and fellowship is more what the early church was like, when "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). I don't think this is what we see today. What we usually see is this: come in, sing a couple of songs, hear notices, hear someone preach, sing more songs, go home. Not sure this is what the author had in mind when he discussed the assembling of ourselves together (Hebrews 10:25).
I highly recommend it. Going to the "church" on Sundays is good for learning and fellow-shipping with others that we don't get to see very often, but it can (and often does) stifle the Spirit by not allowing Him or us to speak freely as we see in 1 Cor. 14:29-31,
"Two or three prophets should speak, and others should weigh carefully what is said. If a revelation is made to another person who is seated, the first person should be silent. For everyone can prophesy in turn, so that everyone can be instructed and everyone can be encouraged." Wesley's notes on this are very interesting too.
We often meet, someone breaks into song, and we join in, another has a testimony to bring forth and it turns out that it is just the thing another member needs to hear at that moment. Someone reads a scripture that God calls to their heart suddenly and another gives a short (or sometimes long, but always polite and thoughtful) exhortation on it or something else - all of these seem to have one theme that everyone needs to hear. More song or praise, thanks giving and prayer, all spontaneous.
Sometimes someone will speak up and say something that is not of God, but as most of us are not new Christians, we can refute or bring up other scripture so that new Christians or those not so mature may learn.
Letting Christ lead His church is truly a wondrous thing indeed!
Very thought-provoking and well-constructed article! It's early in the morning yet for me to be putting my brain through too much mental gymnastics, but I'd agree with most, if not all, of what you said here.
With the state of the world the way it is today, I'd almost be worried about leaving the spiritual teaching and instruction in the hands of the many. I don't think many Christians (myself included) know enough about the Bible or spiritual matters to speak about it with much authority, which can lead to dilution, misinterpretation and outright heresy (which, of course, has occurred throughout history). This can easily happen with one main figurehead/pastor, though as well. The sheep in the pews sitting and mindlessly absorbing without seeking to line up what the pastor is speaking with what's in the Word can just as easily lead to disaster. I dunno -- slippery slopes on either side.
And, boy, the secular world already looks down on Christianity as it is. I think we'd move from "intolerant irritant" to "dangerous cult" if we all started giant meetings outside the confines of our "safe" church buildings and actually bringing it out into the world. Not that that's a bad thing -- I just think the opposition to the church would really rise up against that sort of thing and try to silence it with even greater fervor. Let 'em try, though.
I don't know if any of that made any sense -- like I said, it's too early still, and my brain's in "art mode". Good food for thought, though, so thanks much!
Of course they would rise up. They did last time. Christ got crucified for it.
As for heresies forming, yes, that is a danger, but we aren't supposed to be all be teaching. Some teachers, some healers, some singers. We are to work up to Prophets (exhorters of the Word) Its all in Acts and 1 Cor and Timothy. We need to have "pastors" to help guide and refute. We have believers now a days claiming its okay to be in a lesbian marriage, but clearly that is a contradiction with the Bible. there are other ways to keep heresies and misguided interpretations from popping up, but that is in a later post in this series.
Thanks for the comments! and great art, Pop-Monkey! (Everyone go check out his page! Sweet!)
I said I would put this in a later post, but just for quick reference as to how Paul exhorted the first churches to keep heresy out - when someone speaks in meeting time, we are to weigh it, test it (test all things) 1 Cor. 14:29:
"Let the prophets speak, two or three, and let the others discern."
If someone speaks against the Spirit, we are not to let him back into our house. Heresies usually start with one man's view unchecked by others. If the whole church can speak and share Christ, then those "loud men" can be quieted easier.
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