Destroying the church??

Recently I have been accused of trying to destroy the church. I find that accusation rather amusing since the church cannot be destroyed! However, I think I know the source of the accusation.

Let me start by defining "church". The Greek word we translate as church is "ekklesia". Quite literally it means "a calling out" and it refers to a group of people. As I get older, I am becoming more aware of the need to be part of an "ekklesia". Christianity is meant to be lived in community, close intimate community. We see this in the early church in the book of Acts (read Acts 2).

Some years ago, the Holy Spirit challenged me to measure our current church activity against the template of the life of Jesus (we are the body of Christ) and against the example of the early church. Much to my surprise I discovered a lot of things that did not align with either example. I don't think that every thing we do has to be exactly like the early church. For example, while the early church did not have buildings, I do not feel that there is anything wrong with a body of believers owning a building that facilitates their walk with God.

However, what does bother me is that there is a system of beliefs and actions in our current church mindset that is synonymous with God in the minds of many people. If we depart from that system beliefs or actions, we are accused of being deceived. For instance:

• We measure a person's spiritual growth by their attendance of a meeting on Sunday morning. We see church as something to attend. If someone does not attend a Sunday service, they are somehow rebellious. (Regardless of whether they are living out the life of Jesus and the pattern of the early church throughout the week)

• We have recreated an OT type of worship with a priest (the pastor) and a temple (the building). Our primary worship is in the building under the leading of the priest.

• The structure of the church becomes more important than God and His work in the life of individuals. For instance - we recruit people to fill ministry spots instead of freeing people to pursue the path God has for them.

• Through the years, most of the leader's meetings in which I participated (and led) had more to do with keeping the structure running smoothly than they did with building deep heart to heart relationships with other believers.

It seems to me that much of our current paradigm of church has been influenced, not by Jesus and a Biblical paradigm, but by a system that has been handed down for centuries. That system is not inherently wrong UNTIL the system takes the place of God. In other words, we become more interested in protecting the church system than we are in following Jesus. When that happens, we usually attempt to make Jesus fit our framework of church instead of allowing our ideas about church to be formed by Him.

I have spoken with leaders and believers from across the United States and from other countries who will confess that the "system" is counterproductive to the expansion of the Kingdom of God. When the system becomes more important than people, people will be used or discarded according to their loyalty, not to God, but to the system. The system rewards leaders with power, a sense of worth, and in certain situations, financial security. People become the fuel to fire the engine of efficiency and productivity. The problem is not with the way we express the church, the problem arises when our expression of church becomes more important than God's work.

It is that system that kills the church. It is that system that holds people in bondage, keeping them from fulfilling their God-given purpose. It is that system that oppresses creativity. It is that system that opposes the priesthood of believers. It is that system that resists servant leadership. It is that system that is facing the judgment of God. It is that system that I will violently oppose.

Those who think I am destroying church are confusing God's idea of church with the "church system" that opposes radical interaction with God and the expansion of His kingdom. It is the ungodly system that God will destroy. Because their love for "the system", people feel threatened by this judgment of God.

I am deeply committed to Jesus and the Body of Christ. Church (ekklesia) is God's idea. I am deeply invested in heart to heart relationships with a community of believers. I deeply value the privilege of being part of the church. I have no desire to destroy the church. (And I couldn't if I wanted to!) I simply want people to be free to experience and be the church according to the Biblical pattern.