church in crisis
The other day I ran across a website with two quotes, one from a well-known conservative Christian and one from a well-known liberal Christian. Can you guess which is which? The answer is below.
- "When a thing grows weak and out of date, it is obviously soon going to disappear. That's also true of churches. If a church cannot change, it will eventually die."
- "Clearly change in both liturgy and structure is inevitable, and this change will probably be radical, if not total....the forms the Church assumed in the past inevitably must die."
Though conservatives and liberals do not often agree, I think it is revealing that leaders from both ends of the spectrum see an urgent need for change in our churches. They might not agree about the nature of the change, but they are both clear that the church as it exists today will not survive into the future.
And it's not just a few extremist agitants saying it. The challenges facing the church in the postmodern world has been the subject of numerous books, the most popular examples being Brian MacLaren's "A New Kind of Christian" or Marcus Borg's "The Heart of Christianity" (both of which I've still yet to read, but they are on my list).
It's not just a topic for theologians to debate, either. In the United States, the number of people who do not attend church has nearly doubled in the last 15 years, and the trend is showing no signs of reversing. Clearly, the church of the 20th century is not meeting the needs of the 21st century.
Will the church be able to meet the challenges of a postmodern world? At many churches, the leaders are exploring new paradigms. My pastor, Barry, has given considerable thought to the church's mission, the role and purpose of evangelism, and authentic worship. He is one of many pastors looking for ways to make churches relevant to today's world.
Perhaps the greatest challenge the postmodern world gives to churches is that there is not one answer that can be applied across the board. In the past, churches could copy the worship style or the ministries of successful churches. In a postmodern world, success may be a much more subjective concept. What meets the needs of some communities might be irrelevant in others.
What will the church look like 20 - 30 years from now? I don't have any answers, but I suspect it will be as different from the modern church as today's church is from the church of the middle ages. Either that, or it will be a much smaller organization.
* * *
For the record: The first quote above is the conservative (Rick Warren, author of The Purpose-Driven Life) and the second is the liberal (John Shelby Spong, author of Why Christianity Must Change or Die).
posted by BruceA @ 9:56 PM
9 comments
links to this post
9 Comments:
Change is inevitable. Change is positive. But on the other hand I think that we must look at the fact that many churches are switching their paradigms in such a way that they are seeing growth.
One more thing to consider is the fact that many of the churches that were explosive in growth but now seeing a decline were churches either entrenched in traditions of the past or based on futuristic fads. The church movement that I personally am a pastor in (conservative pentecostal) has continued to see rapid growth leaving me to think that the hunger of people is not waning, but instead growing for solid Bible preaching and an experience with the Holy Spirit.
I also wonder if these percentages of unchurched may be based more on globalization and less on the failures of the church.
Again, I say that change is both inevitable and positive. My reason for that is that anything that is alive is constantly changing and adapting to meet the needs of society and culture.
Just another traveler thinking out loud.
Bruce,
I'd submit to you that John Shelby Spong is more than just a "liberal" Christian but rather not a Christian at all. In his "call for a new reformation" he denies the power of the blood of Christ to save men from their sins, denies the bodily ressurection of the Lord and many other basic beliefs of the faith. I am including the URL to his website where he made this known while he was with the diocese there in New Jersey so you will be able to read it for yourself. God Bless.
http://www.dioceseofnewark.org/jsspong/reform.html
One thing I appreciate about Brian Mclaren is his attempt to get past judging who is in and who is out. He continues to push all of us on both sides of the spectrum to remove the labels of liberal and conservative. Although they are helpful in understanding a person's theological position, we have turned these labels into weapons that divide the body of Christ. John Shelby Spong and Rick Warren have very different world views, but to question the integrity of either's Christian faith is unfair. If I find my beleifs closer to Spong's than Warren's does that mean I am not a Christian? I believe God's kingdom is large of enough for many different views.
Barry,
I am not judging the man but when he says that the blood of Jesus is not necessary for salvation he is in contradiction to the gospel himself. Here is just 1 quote from his cite that I sited: "The view of the cross as the sacrifice for the sins of the world is a barbarian idea based on primitive concepts of God and must be dismissed" - now you tell me how that fits into any form of Christianity. You deny the blood of Christ and there is gospel by which we are saved
Obviously, they are talking about the "institution", and not the true church... the body of Christ. That aside, I don't think they should be looking for "relevance", but rather, for "authenticity". Personally, I simply grew tired of the event-based performances of rote and ritual. It wasn't that it was not relevant, but it just wasn't real. And to that, I find more and more people like myself, who are being drawn into a more genuine experience of kingdom life outside of the walls of organized religion.
For those who desire that kind of experience, I encourage them to stick with the institution, and make the best of it. But for those who are growing tired of the routine, I assure you... there's a whole world of rich life out there for you!
But, which ever way you choose, be sure to enjoy life with God!
Tom,
I respect your thoughts and we may just have to chose to disagree, but I will share with you where I am. I am a Christian because Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life. Each day I attempt (many times unsuccessfully) to be more Christ-like and reflect the love of God through my actions. When I read the gospel, the message that come through the loudest is love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus' life shows us the love of God and what the Kingdom of God looks like. One of the questions many Christians are beginning to ask is "What if the atonement is not the center of the gospel but just one piece of a larger message?" First, there are many atonement theories that try to explain what happens at the cross. The sacrificial theory is only one (I am assuming that is what you mean by the blood of Jesus being necessary for salvation). Second, none completely explain the mystery of the cross. What if understanding the cross is not the point, but the love of God and the building of God's kingdom is? What if the center of Jesus' message is "the kingdom of God is at hand" and it is a kingdom of grace and love which I came to show you with my life. It is a kingdom for which I am willing to die. Maybe the blood of Jesus is not necessary for salvation. Maybe all that is necessary is allowing the unconditional love of God to rule in your heart.
Now I don't agree with many things that John Shelby Spong has to say in his books, but I do not question his integrity as a Christian. In fact I admire his courage to challenge the church with a Christian perspective that stands outside of the box.
Barry
Tom -
I've not only seen Bishop Spong's website, I've read some of his books. He may be mistaken about some things (aren't we all?) and he is sometimes too harsh in his tone. But I don't see any reason to deny that he is a Christian.
Here's a quote from his book Why Christianity Must Change or Die:
"My own experience is that time after time my relationship with Jesus has propelled me beyond limiting barrier after limiting barrier. So I will not let him go until I have explored the meaning of his life with a new intensity. I will not be put off from this quest until I have entered a level of truth that is beyond the threatened defensiveness of the present theological establishment. I will entertain openly every possibility that might explain this Jesus more adequately. Perhaps he was just a misunderstood zealot, a hapless victim, or a deluded madman, but I do not think so. Something draws me back to him again and again."
For John Shelby Spong and other Christians, faith is not about having the correct words to define Jesus. Faith is a relationship that transforms our lives. It's not about how we describe events from the past; it's about how Jesus is working in our lives today.
BruceD -
One of the problems with the institutional church is that, like all institutions, it tends to stick with what worked in the past. That is, until it becomes obvious that it doesn't work any more. I've been to enough churches to know what you mean when you say it "just wasn't real." If the church is hindering your relationship with God, by all means get away from there. When I was in college, I had a bad experience with a church where the pastor did not tolerate any disagreement with his theology. When I asked a question at a Bible study one week, he made some accusations about the sincerity of my faith. I quit attending that church, and for a few years did not attend any church.
On the other hand, my current church (at both the congregational and denominational levels) has given me the opportunity to use my passion for travel to make a difference in people's lives oversees, and as a result, to make a difference in my life as well. I would never have been able to organize a work project by myself.
I agree that the church, properly understood, refers to the believers and not the institution. Perhaps the institution will fade in importance as people find authentic worship outside its walls. Yet, I think the institutional church has an important role to play in organizing ministries and helping people find ways to put their faith into practice.
The institutional church may not be the answer for everyone, but I, for one, am glad to see churches starting to adapt to meet the needs of a changing world.
Guys,
Hebrews 9:22 states that "without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin." The blood of Jesus is absolutely the focal point of our faith for without it we are still lost in our sin. Jesus said in Matthew 26:28 that His blood was being shed for the "remission of sins." 1 john 1:7 states that it is by the blood of Jesus that we are cleansed from all our sin. I agree that the Love of God is central to our faith but Romans 5:8 tells us how that love is revealed. "But God commendeth (demonstrated) His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." To deny the blood of Christ as passe or a "barbaric form" that we must put asied is to deny the very gospel itself. Now if someone denies the gospel there are not many words other than "heresy / heretic" that you can be used.
Please understand it is not my desire to stand in "judgment" of Spong for I think his comments are his judge. Ephesians 1:7 states "In whom we have REDEMPTION through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" the redepmtion is only through the blood. I cannot find any other way of redemption other than Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on Calvary's cross. Call me "narrow-minded" but I'd rather say I am biblical in my theology.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home