Informal Gatherings Are Such a Relief

Did you grow up getting dressed up for church in your Sunday best?

I did.

I also did most of the other stuff that goes along with institutional Christianity. The normal Sunday included getting dressed up in uncomfortable clothes, attending a Sunday School class, attending a worship service (ceremony), going home for a few hours to hurry up and relax, then returning to the church building to do much of the same all over again.

I do not fault my parents in this; it's just the tradition that had been handed down to them. Even after I became an adult I kept doing this same stuff for many years. I even went to seminary, and then became an institutional church pastor for a few years. I was at the core of institutional church activities.

What a relief simple gatherings are! Sundays are now something I genuinely look forward to. On most Sundays we get together informally with some friends. Sometimes it's at our house, sometimes not. I can wear shorts and a T-shirt if I want to. We almost always study the bible and pray. We also do a lot of hanging out and eating. Sometimes we even watch some football. It is so relaxing. What a relief from institutional trappings!

When you meet with other believers, is it a relief? Is it a Christ-centered get together? Are you relaxed? Do you look forward to it? I hope so.

A Bad Reason for Returning to the Institution: It's Easy

This is part five of the blog series entitled Ten Bad Reasons for Returning to the Institution.

This particular post is short and simple. Quite frankly, it's easy to go back to an institutional church. It is especially easy if it is a place you feel comfortable and have friends. The easiness comes from being able to arrive at the building, sit in a Sunday School seat, sit in a pew, and then go home for lunch. Since the pastors do almost everything, you can just sit and relax. After a long week of work and (some) play, you simply want to sit still. The institution happily lets you.

Simple church life, while more rewarding, is also more difficult. It requires activity. It requires investment. It requires action.

Please, I exhort you not to allow the lure of easiness draw you back to institutional Christianity. I guarantee that you will despise it after a few weeks. Put forth the effort to be the church we read about in the New Testament (well, the good aspects). An active body is a vibrant one.

It's worth the hard work.

A Peculiar People Within A Peculiar People

The body of Christ is an extremely unique, rare organism. In fact, it's one of a kind.

God intends for His body to be one. All the redeemed on earth compose the family of God. Since we are redeemed, saved by God to live for Him, we are able to live according to our Creator's expectations. God desires that we live out what we are: a holy people who are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live holy lives.

Because of what God has done, we the saved are different. In fact, we are peculiar. Not only should we live differently from the world, but the world ought not to fully understand us. The world is dead in sin, with eyes blinded by Satan. This causes much of our behavior, both what we do and don't do, to seem like nonsense to them. This makes the church peculiar.

The word "peculiar" generally carries a somewhat negative connotation. However, I'm not using it in that way. Rather, I'm just suggesting that the church both does live and ought to live in a dramatically different way from how the world does.  Christ's church is a peculiar people.

The title of this post is "A Peculiar People Within A Peculiar People." What am I talking about? I'm referring to those within the church who view church life through a biblical lens. I'm talking about those of us who want the body of Christ to function like we see modeled for us in scripture. I'm writing about us weirdos who keep looking back to the bible to find out what the church ought to be. We reject tradition in the face of God's word (or at least do our best to do so).

We simple church folks are a peculiar people within a peculiar people. We are part of the larger group of peculiars (since we are part of the larger body of Christ). We are also part of a small group of peculiars. The reason for this is that we often seem odd to many of our brothers and sisters in Christ. For example, as many of you know our family meets simply at home. We do not do the worship service-expensive building-salaried pastor thing that so many Christians do. This makes us peculiar even to other believers.

The above diagram illustrates what we simple church folks often face. The large circle represents the church as a whole (the colors have no significance). The smaller circle represents those who have left the institution behind. Please let me be clear: I'm not trying to create any sort of artificial division within the body. I'm certainly not advocating it. Rather, I'm pointing out a reality that exists.

When you desire to live church life according to what God has provided in scripture, you will seem peculiar not only to the world, but also to many other followers of Christ. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be a lonely road. We are a peculiar people within a peculiar people.

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

U2 is one of my favorite bands. I enjoy almost all of their songs, from the oldest to the most recent. One of my favorites is entitled, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."

Not only is it a good song, but the title also describes exactly where I am when it comes to the church. I know what I'm looking for, but I haven't found it. My hope is to gather in community with other followers of Jesus Christ who live simply and radically for our Lord. My desire is to follow the model for the body of Christ that God has given us in scripture. Let me be clear: I'm not searching for perfection. Rather, I just hope to someday be able to grow close to other believers who acknowledge God's plan for His church that He has provided in the bible.

For now my wife and I get together weekly with a few other folks. It is nice, but it's not what I'm hoping to find. I realize that part of the problem may be me. I'm more than willing to change if someone can convince me through scripture that my thoughts about the body of Christ are incorrect. Until that time, I'm going to keep looking.

What about you? Have you found what you're looking for?

The Primary Reason Simple Church is Simply Better

The simple church model for church life is not just another model. It is the best model. It is superior to any and all of the man-created, tradition-laced models of church life that dominate the Christian landscape. Simple church, in its various forms, bypasses the shackles that the institution places upon the body of Christ. It frees the church to be what Christ intends for it to be.

Many reasons exist for why simple church is better. However, one particular reason stands out as most important. The primary reason why simple church is simply better is that it recognizes Jesus Christ as its one and only Head.

Objectively and positionally speaking, Jesus Christ is the Head of his church no matter what anyone else does or says. For example, Ephesians 1:22 tells us, "And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church." Later in that same epistle Paul writes, "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ" (4:15). Likewise, we read in Colossians 1:18, "And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent."

One of the core aspects of simple church life is that the entire body is active. Everyone uses his or her gifts to serve the church family. No one person is elevated in any manner over others. All are equal in the eyes of God and live this out through sacrificial service (at least this is the way things ought to be). The priesthood of all believers is embraced, all teach one another, and no one is treated as any sort of elevated intermediary between God and man.

Therefore, within simple church life Jesus Christ is not only the objective Head of the church, but he is treated this way on a daily, moment-by-moment manner.

It's not so simple within institutional Christianity. While Christ is often given lip service as Head of the church, pastors confuse the fact. Just go to any worship service (denomination doesn't really matter). Who stands up front on an elevated platform? Who does most of the talking? Who leads? Who has a special title? Who does most of the teaching? Additionally, what are most of the people doing?

You know the answers to the above questions. A small number of folks do almost everything. The church views them as the religious experts. These are almost always the pastors. Everybody else generally sits quietly in rows, singing when told to and speaking to one another for a minute or so if given permission. However, generally what is going on is that the majority of the church sits and watches a performance put on by a small group that is paid to do so. This happens week after week after week.

Within the above institutional framework the pastors act as the daily, functional heads of the church. Jesus Christ fades into the background as the pastors lead the way. Christ is clouded, almost as if a sort of curtain is pulled closed in front of him. Ironically, many pastors have decent intentions. They may even speak about Jesus quite a bit during their sermons. However, their sermonizing often places them in the way of Jesus.

In light of all this, the institutional model must be rejected is favor of a simple one. Is simple church life perfect? Of course not. After all, the church is composed of people. Despite this, the model itself promotes and recognizes Jesus Christ as the one and only Head that he is. Because of this, simple church is simply better.

Avoid the Tempting Root of Bitterness

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled (Hebrews 12:14-15).

As we enter this new calendar year, I'd like to challenge both myself and my blog readers to fight against bitterness. In particular, let's actively battle against the tempting tendency to be bitter about the state of the church in the West.

Due to its institutional shackles, the church in both the United States and Europe is largely stagnant and ineffective. We know what the problems are. As followers of Christ, we desire to see a vibrant, active, joyful, growing, serving church. Because most of us do not see this (at least for the most part), it is extremely easy to become bitter about the whole situation. I'm guilty of this.

The author of the book of Hebrews warns believers about allowing a root of bitterness to spring up and cause trouble. We must pay attention to this exhortation. We Christians have the responsibility to guard the church against the danger of bitterness. We need to start with ourselves before looking at others.

In Hebrews 12:15 we see the phrase "root of bitterness" in quotes. This is because the author is pointing back to Deuteronomy chapter 29:

Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, 19 one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.’ This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. 20 The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven. 21 And the Lord will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law. (Deut. 29:18-21, emphasis mine)

Clearly, God takes bitterness seriously. Not only does it damage the bitter person, but also those around him. The Deuteronomy passage even suggests a relationship between bitterness and turning to other gods. This is no insignificant matter.

I don't generally care for New Year's resolutions. They make people feel good about themselves, but are largely forgotten by the end of January. In this post I'm not offering or hinting at some sort of New Year's resolution. Rather, I'm pointing to something significant that we must war against: the root of bitterness.

Especially for those of us who want and hope to see something drastic change within the body of Christ, we must not fall prey to anger, resentment, and bitterness. We can and should point out problems within the church; a problem cannot be solved without first having a correct diagnosis. It is how we do this that is key. Let's point to a better way for the church, offering both suggestions and solutions.

The root of bitterness will only destroy us. We must avoid it at all costs.

I'll conclude with an appropriate quote from puritan John Owen, "Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you."

And the Free Book Winners Are...

I love handing out free stuff. Since these books are mine to give away, that makes it easy.

The three winners of Simple Church: Unity Within Diversity are Vaughn B., Patrick P., and Tom T. Congratulations gentlemen and thanks for playing!

I hope you all find the book to be both encouraging and challenging. You will read various perspectives on church life. All the contributors do not agree with each other on all issues. However, we do all agree that God designed His church to function in a simple manner that is far different from what we see in the institution. God has given us both the Holy Spirit and the bible to guide our paths. When we allow the Spirit to direct the church and we follow what we see in scripture, the body of Christ can operate in a way that is magnificent. Enjoy!

I'm Giving Away Three Free Copies of Simple Church: Unity Within Diversity

Although it's difficult for me to believe, it has been nearly a year since Simple Church: Unity Within Diversity was published. I suppose the older you get the faster time seems to go. Now that I'm half way to 90 time simply flies. Regardless, I'd like to do something fun to mark the 365 days since the book hit the market. Therefore, I'm giving away three free copies.

If you would like to be considered for a free copy all you need to do is send me an email with your name, mailing address, and reason why you want the book. Maybe you would just like to read it. Maybe you want to give it to a friend. Maybe you desire to use it as a Christmas present for that family member who just doesn't understand simple church stuff. The list goes on and on.

My email address is ecarp70@yahoo.com. Shoot me a short message with the three above items (name, address, and reason), and you'll be entered. I will announce the winners on Monday the 30th of this month. Stay tuned!

I Really Do Try To Be Positive, But...

Blogging is a lot of fun. If it wasn't, I wouldn't do it.

Blogging about the church and how it interacts with culture is also enjoyable. Again, if it wasn't, I wouldn't bother. If you read this blog much you may not think that I like writing about church life. I say this because most of my posts (or so it seems) have a negative tone. As this post's title suggests, I really do try to be positive. However, in light of the current state of the church in this country it is difficult to focus mostly on the positive.

I suppose some of this stems from the fact that I was raised in the institution, stayed there for almost forty years, worked as a missionary, and worked as a professional pastor. I've seen most of the problems first-hand. It's not pretty. Meanwhile, much of my experience in simple church life has been theoretical. I know what the bible says about the church; however, I've only been part of simple church practices for a few years. I still have much more information to draw on about the institution than I do about simple church life.

Another reason for my struggle to be positive is that so many people in leadership within the evangelical church have no desire to make needed changes. To use a Southerism, they "just keep on keepin' on." It's the same thing week after week after week after week. The pastor preaches, the people sit dutifully, the babies cry in the nursery, the ushers take up the offering, and nothing of substance happens. Yucky.

In light of my negative bent, I want to do something proactive to change things up. Therefore, beginning soon I'm going to work through the book of Acts, looking for positive aspects of church life that we can apply to today. Starting in chapter one, I'll attempt to glean the positives from the text. I'm going to purposefully ignore the more negative texts, such as Ananias and Sapphira.

I have no idea what will come of this. Maybe I'll transform into a more positive blogger like Dave Black. Maybe not. Either way, a trip through the book of Acts is always a positive trip to take.

Simple Church Bloggers and Their Murky Theology

It's an odd thing that so many simple church bloggers have murky, soupy, grayish, ill-defined theology. It's odd because most Christians who blog about simple church life do so out of biblical conviction. They read what the bible says about church life and then say, "This is the way it should be now." They, myself included, then look to the institution and say, "No thanks!"

Now to the odd part. A significant number of bloggers who espouse simple church principles at the same time call into question numerous points of theology that the church as a whole is in general agreement upon (or at least used to be). It's weird. Many of the same simple church people who point to the bible for church life then ignore the plain teachings of the bible when it comes to theology, salvation, cultural issues, etc. It is a strange situation indeed.

My biggest concern is the simple church bloggers who call into question Jesus Christ's atoning work on the cross. It appears to embarrass them just as it does the liberal "Christians." This is extremely problematic because the atonement is at the heart of salvation. Simply put, if there is no atonement there is no salvation - period. Jesus certainly did more for his people than just die on the cross in their place, but he did die in their place. It was a substitutionary, penal atonement. Those who call this into question are left with an empty theology of salvation.

Speaking of salvation, a good number of simple church bloggers don't hold to a literal existence of Hell. Now, I'll say that I myself am not sure of Hell's specifics. However, I'm certain that it is an eternal place of torment; whether or not that is physical or emotional in nature I do not know. I do know that it is a spiritual Hell that will last forever. Some in simple church prefer annihilationism; this apparently squares with their understanding of a loving God. Apparently they conveniently ignore the holiness of God in coming to this conclusion.

Delving deeper into the issue of salvation, I've found that most simple church bloggers detest the doctrine of predestination. That's unfortunate since the bible tells us that some are, in fact, predestined. Some bloggers go far beyond rejecting predestination and instead hold to a near universalism. Yuck. As for the process of sanctification, I've read bloggers who basically say that since God saves and loves, it's O.K. to go right on sinning. Yet again, it requires a great deal of ignoring the bible to make a claim like this. God expects increasing holiness post-salvation.

What other issues are there? Well, some simple church bloggers have completely accepted homosexuality; others seem dazed and confused about the whole thing. Many just want everybody to get along. As for women's roles, it appears that the vast majority favor an egalitarian approach to church life (that complementarian thing is just too old-fashioned apparently). Regarding spiritual gifts, nearly anything is acceptable.

What is going on here? I see three major factors at play. First, these simple church bloggers are not being fair or consistent in how they interpret scripture. While they demand a literal understanding of the text when it comes to the N.T. model for church life, when it comes to these other issues they think of the bible as a sort of play thing. Second, these bloggers are clearly questioning both the infallibility and authority of the bible (at least when it is convenient). Third, and possibly the largest factor, these bloggers are bowing to secular cultural norms in a variety of areas.

I admit that at times I'm not consistent while interpreting scripture. Everybody makes mistakes. However, we ought to all try to understand the bible in as consistent a manner as possible. Either it is infallible or it isn't. Either it is authoritative or it is not. As we do this, we must keep factors such as historical context and genre in mind. We should also take a long look at the church's understanding of the issue throughout its history.

The simple church bloggers I'm referring to in this post need to start being honest. They cannot pick-and-choose how they are going to approach the bible. If the New Testament in particular shows us how the church should function, then it also shows us what we need to know about these other issues. To all you murky blogging types, you cannot cling to some scripture and ignore the rest. Either take the whole bible or leave it all.

Where Are All the Simple Church Folks?

Where are they?

Where are all the simple church people? I know they are out there; many are seeking fellowship with other believers. And yet, they are difficult to find.

More and more Christians are done with the institutional model of church. I'm one of those Dones. If you are reading this blog, chances are fairly good that you are a Done, too (or are at least considering it). For your sake I hope you have close fellowship with other believers because it can be very difficult to find. If the institution does one thing well, it's that it makes it obvious both when and where meetings are taking place.

Why is it difficult to come in contact with other believers who are seeking authentic relationships in a simple model? One reason, as I alluded to above, is that it's not obvious during the normal comings and goings of life who simple church Christians are. Frankly, it's usually difficult to even spot the Christians, much less those looking for something different from the institutional norm. We don't wear patches that say "Seeking Simple Church" or anything like that.

Additionally, most folks who have departed the institution are wary of getting involved too quickly with other Christians. This is because of scarring from what they've left behind. Nobody wants to get into another bad situation.

A third factor is that Christians in general are increasingly looking for true relationships. Even those within the institutional walls want to really know people. As for simple church, those seeking it do not want anything forced; they want it to be natural. This takes time. Because we don't want to rush into making a mistake, sometimes very little ends up happening.

A final hurdle that we have to deal with is living in the Bible Belt. In the southern USA most folks still trust institutional Christianity. This is much more the case here than in other locales. It's weird. I'll be thrilled when these last remnants of Christendom pass away (which will occur I'm convinced within the next 25 years). For now, not that many Christians here are looking outside the institution because they still see it as a really good thing.

I apologize for the rambling nature of this post. My hope is that you can sense my struggles. It is difficult to want something real, something authentic, something wonderful but not be able to find it. I'm not seeking heaven on this side of death. However, I'm looking for something that I read about in the book of Acts. So far no success.

Unvoidable: Home Get-Togethers

The early church met in homes. They met simply. They met cheaply. They met for edification.

Does today's church have to meet in homes? I don't think so. However, God has given us in scripture a model for gathering simply as his body for the purpose of edification. This can likely occur just as easily in a coffee shop, park, or store front as it does in a home.

What we do not see in the bible is churches coming together in large groups on Sundays for the purpose of worship in large, expensive buildings. What happens today is foreign to scripture.

When we think about the family of God, we must ask ourselves whether or not we have any sort of road map to follow. Has God provided us with any sort of directions, or have we been left to simply figure things out on our own? While we are to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, it seems as if today more and more Christians are blaming increasingly odd, bizarre, and just plain stupid behavior on the Spirit. What, therefore, are we to do?

We look in the bible. We see a model of church life. We follow the principles we see. It's that simple.

It is unavoidable that the early believers met simply. When they gathered, it was a family meeting. It was usually in homes. It was unstructured. It was for edification.

Home get-togethers is what we read about. The question is, "Will we follow the principle we see in scripture?"

Win a Free Copy of Simple Church: Unity Within Diversity. No Strings Attached!

One of the best parts of being editor of Simple Church: Unity Within Diversity is that I get to give away free copies. That's what I'm doing right now in this blog post - with no strings attached of any kind.

If you win you don't have to say anything nice about the book, write a review, or even tell anyone that you won. Of course I do hope that you actually read the book.

One of the book's primary themes is simplicity. Keeping with that, I'm going to make this giveaway as simple as possible. If you want to enter all you need to do is send me an email with your name and reason for desiring a copy. Please limit your message to a few sentences so I don't get overwhelmed with this. Send the email to ecarp70@yahoo.com.

I'm doing this via email both because it is simple and because sometimes people run into problems trying to comment on this blog. Don't worry - I won't give out your email address to anyone.

I'm giving away two paperback copies. You may enter between now and Friday night. On Saturday I'll have one of my kids randomly select the winners. I'll then contact both winners to ask for mailing addresses.

You must be eighteen years old to enter.

What could be simpler?

(Thanks to Redeeming Press for providing me with several copies.)

Growing Numbers: Mega Church and Simple Church

As we look toward the future I believe we will see two types of churches grow rapidly in this country: mega churches and simple churches.

Actually, this is already happening. Christians are increasingly leaving congregational sized churches to move into either larger or smaller settings. This is occurring all over the country. Mega churches are doing quite well. Those who attend these churches appear to desire large gatherings, loud music, generally gifted orators, and whatever the latest trends are. These churches offer a wide variety of services and programs to various age groupings. I don't hear of mega churches struggling at all. Rather, they appear to be growing as people consolidate where they are gathering.

I also hear about increasing numbers of believers leaving institutional churches in favor of much smaller church bodies. These folks usually crave simplicity, family settings, edifying gatherings, and authenticity. While these types of church bodies tend to vary quite a bit from one to the other, the commonality of simplicity remains. Christians are increasingly finding out about this type of church life and are embracing it.

I'm a church growth enthusiast only if it refers to spiritual growth. However, as we interact with both the church and the world, it benefits us to be aware of current trends. We Christians have a disturbing tendency to operate way behind the curve when it comes to almost everything. Let's stop making that mistake. As we move forward, it is simple churches and mega churches that will be most vibrant. We should be aware of this and seek to know why this is happening.

Why, then, are mega churches and simple churches growing? I believe the answer lies in their one commonality: community. Mega churches often offer a wide variety of small groups/life groups/home groups that function something like simple churches. These groups, if operating well, provide the family type of atmosphere missing in much of life today.

In the end Christians desire community in Christ. They are finding this in mega churches and simple churches. Therefore, these types of bodies are growing.

Win a Free Copy of "Simple Church: Unity Within Diversity"

Redeeming Press is sponsoring a giveaway of two free copies of Simple Church: Unity Within Diversity. If you have not yet read and/or purchased the book, this is an opportunity to get a copy for no cost.

Little in life that is any good is also free. This offer is an exception to that rule.

Click here to visit the website Christian Books Free. At that site you will be able to easily sign up to win. Enjoy!

Church Simply: Series Summary

I love simple church life because it is based on relationships in Christ.

This world is lacking in true community. The only place to find this at the most foundational level is in the church. A group of redeemed people coming together to build each other up in Christ is a wondrous thing. What a gift of God to us!

This series is my small attempt to describe some of the aspects of simple church. These posts are neither lengthy nor exhaustive. Enjoy:

Church Simply: An Introduction
Church Simply: The N. T. Model
Church Simply: Christ as the Unquestioned Head
Church Simply: Let's Have a Family Gathering
Church Simply: Why Get Together Anyway? Mutual Edification
Church Simply: A Real Lord's Supper
Church Simply: The Spirit Leads the Meetings
Church Simply: Everybody Actively Use Your Spiritual Gifts!
Church Simply: Homes Make Great Places to Meet
Church Simply: One Anothering
Church Simply: Giving Without Compulsion. Giving to Meet Needs.
Church Simply: Decision Making Consensus
Church Simply: Leadership Through Service
Church Simply: Elders From Within
Church Simply: Everybody Matters Equally
Church Simply: United in Christ
Church Simply: Putting It All Together

Church Simply: Putting It All Together

Simple church is not a monolith. Christians all around the globe gather simply and differently. Despite this, many commonalities do exist. At its core, those who meet simply look to the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures to guide church life. It is the Spirit who gives life. He opens our eyes to see in the Bible how God would have us live. What we read in the New Testament serves not simply as a description, but also as a prescription for how the church can and should function today.

Christ is the unquestioned Head of His church. We in the church are the body; all are of equal significance, and all are needed. Jesus leads and we follow. When we come together, the goal is to have a family gathering that glorifies Christ through the mutual edification of the body. We all have the joy and responsibility of edifying one another in Christ. During most gatherings we eat; this is the Lord's Supper. It is a beautiful time of all the members using their gifts to help the whole grow toward maturity in Christ.

Many times we meet in homes, but this is not required. Wherever mutual edification can occur is a great place to gather. A key component of the gatherings is the "one anothers."  The New Testament is full of commands to carry out all sorts of one another functions within body life. The purpose of these (no surprise here) is mutual edification.

Simple churches can easily be generous churches. The reason for this is that everyone is encouraged to give as the Spirit leads. All the giving can go directly toward meeting real needs, either inside or outside the body. Simple churches basically have no overhead costs such as buildings and salaries. When churches come together decisions often have to be made. The goal is to seek consensus. This may take extended time and even get messy, but the result is unity. Unity is important because Christ expects and demands it.

Leadership happens through setting the example of service. Leaders don't lead through decision making, but by caring for the needs of others. Elders, who usually are leaders, come from within the church family. They are spiritually mature, respected men who lead by setting the example. This example is one left by Christ - the night before His crucifixion He washed His disciples' feet.

To sum up, simple churches strive to emulate the positive aspects of church life that we read about in the New Testament. When we seek to live this way it can be a glorious thing indeed.

Church Simply: United in Christ

Unity is not an option.

Jesus Christ demands that His church be united. He provides no loopholes or exceptions. We are to be one.

In John chapter 17 we find Christ's famous High Priestly Prayer. One of the primary themes of that prayer is Jesus' expectation that His body will be united. In this incredible prayer we read:

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me (John 17:20-23).

Jesus prays that we will be one as the Father and Son are one. In other words, our Lord expects perfect unity. Jesus goes on to tie the effectiveness of gospel proclamation to the unity of the body. These are some extremely significant words by Christ.

Not long after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension we read of the early church in the book of Acts. Luke paints a beautiful picture of unity for us:

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-47).

We know, however, that all was not hunky-dory in the world of the early church. As the gospel spread and churches were planted some of the early believers struggled with unity. Paul in particular wrote to these assemblies to instruct them in the importance of being one. Paul offers no exceptions to the command for unity. Below are three examples:

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment (I Cor. 1:10).

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1-3).

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind (Phil. 2:1-2).

Christ's church today is splintered into thousands of different factions. These have another name: denominations. Within these denominations, local churches often have statements of faith and membership roles that separate those who are in from those who are out. Some even deny the Lord's Supper to Christians who haven't joined their particular church. All of this flies in the face of Christ's command for unity.

Christian unity has no justifiable exceptions. All dividing walls beyond the gospel need to be removed. Christ wants His body to be one; we must do all we can to make this a reality. How do we do we accomplish it? Paul tells us in Philippians chapter 2. The key to unity is humility. Immediately after Paul calls the Philippian believers to unity he writes in 2:3-4, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Unity is a wonderful thing. It brings great joy within the body. More importantly, Christ commands and demands it. We make this happen through the simple yet profound act of treating others better than ourselves.

I Have An Idea For You...

It's only one week until Christmas!

If you are still looking for a great gift, let me suggest this book. Yes, I am biased in favor it. I've read it several times. It is excellent.

My favorite part about the book is that the twenty-four contributors all have slightly different perspectives on church life. Despite this, we together offer a call for unity in Christ as his body. We are looking for true community in our Lord as we see described in the New Testament. We are hoping for a reformation within the church that strives for healthy church bodies seeking edification for all involved. We desire to see Christian maturity in all believers. We long for a church that is known for its self-sacrificial living and unconditional love.

You can order Simple Church: Unity Within Diversity at Redeeming Press or Amazon.

Church Simply: Everybody Matters Equally

I cannot overstate the fact that within the body of Christ everybody matters equally.

Most churches today would agree with the above statement, at least in theory. However, when it comes to actual practice, many local Christian groups function within a hierarchical framework. Put simply, almost all institutional churches treat some people as if they are more important than others. The usual order of importance - with some variation - is as follows: senior pastor, assistant pastors, elders, deacons, board members, committee members, members, visitors. This is a top down structure that is based in the secular business world.

Christ's plan for his church is far different from today's far too typical hierarchies. Jesus' church is a heavenly creation, and thus operates far differently from the world. Within this body no hierarchy exists. Rather, everyone is of equal importance. All have equal value. All matter. Everyone needs everyone else to the same degree. This is the only way for a body to be healthy.

We are all familiar with Paul's use of the body metaphor in I Corinthians 12. This passage is absolutely critical for our understanding of body life. Paul chooses the functioning of the physical body to show us in concrete terms that we, a spiritual body, all need one another. All the individual parts must be healthy for the whole to be healthy. All matter equally.

Let's reflect on I Corinthians 12:12-26:

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

The final paragraph in particular is amazing. Three truths stand out. First, those within the body who might seem of less importance are actually critical to a healthy church. Those who come to mind are the folks who quietly serve others in the background, not desiring attention. Churches need people like this. Second, Paul tells us that God composed the body this way. It is no accident; rather, this is God's plan. Third, God did it this way "that there may be no division within the body." Our Lord's purpose in everyone being equal is to bring about and maintain the unity of the church family. God understands that when we all matter, all have value, and all have a part to play, we also will be more united.

I'll end this post where I began it: within the body of Jesus Christ, everybody matters equally. Only when we embrace this truth can the church be the healthy body God wants it to be.