Okay, not actually kill the clergy - let's just kill the terminology. Tomorrow’s Church has to rid itself of the separation between clergy and laity.
When the Early Church became an institution, lines began being drawn between the trained and the untrained. Separation of those who can perform the religious duties of the new religion of the Roman Empire under Constantine and those who could not. The reformation restored some of the faulty practical theology that transpired, namely putting the scripture of the bible into the common language. However, we are due for a 2nd Reformation.
As I’ve heard it said before, the 1st Reformation took the scripture out of the clergies hands and placed it in the hands of everyone – a 2nd Reformation is needed that takes the ministry out of the clergies hands and calls everyone into their God-given roles.
Frank Viola said it this way, “What the Reformers failed to do was to recover the corporate dimension of the believing priesthood. They restored the doctrine of the believing priesthood soteriologically—i.e., as it related to salvation. But they failed to restore it ecclesiological—i.e., as it related to the church.”
I believe that the separation only feeds the weak, consumerist Christianity we have throughout America today. People come to a ‘service,’ are seated as if it were a show, lead in worship by professional musicians like a concert and taught by a trained speaker – there is a lot of entertainment built into Sunday gatherings. 90% of Christians only attend a church related event on Sundays, according to a survey I made up for this post. Seriously though, most people only go to Church once a week, which builds this false separation of Church, work, family, hobbies, etc – instead of it being a Christian faith woven through out our weekly activities in the lives we live.
If all followers of Jesus are his ‘priesthood’ we should seek to define it better. And not just define it better, but begin bringing it to be. We give a lot of lip service to the topic, but have failed to realize it. This is why Jesus died for us – not for a heaven ticket – but to restore our connection with God. That all followers would have a connection with the living God and a life radically affected by that reality. You know - all that 'the Kingdom of God is at hand' stuff.
How would it look?
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7 comments:
Great blog. I love where you are heading with this, although the clergy spot at the hospital rocks. Can't wait for part duex.
I'm with you on the hospital parking spot and you can't forget the amazing tax breaks!
awesome.
yes, the Church needs to be informed that they are the Church. We are ONE body. The only principal being the Head which is Christ.
We all have different roles, but over the years it seems these roles have been placed into categories of importance. The 'glorified pastor' being one of those roles. Yet, we are all called to step up and stake our claim in the Body. We can so easily shy away from involvement. The truth is, when people do this they are only missing out on the richness of community. A united Body would flourish. Imagine a Church where each member discovered his/her identity in Christ and lived that out to the fullest? What a powerhouse of the Lord. I tell you, things would GET DONE for the advancement of God's Kingdom. Let's pray for that revolution...
I just read Viola's new book "Reimagining Church" http://www.reimaginingchurch.org. The book is incredible. I highly recommend.
I hear you on this one. But I still think that we need to have ministers. However, the approach for them needs to be different. Some Pastors humbly talk about their flaws and how they are human just like the congregation and that is what needs to happen more. There should be no "holiness" separation if that makes sense. But having a paid minister who can take the time to devote to the ministry and Word as Acts says, will go a long way in feeding the people spiritually. But yes you are right about the congregation all being involved. I think that statistic is that 20% of the people do 80% of the work and giving. That is a shame.
Anyway, thanks for that and keep the posts coming.
Here's a great devotional I just read by A.W. Tozer. It fits quite nicely with this topic:
'On Being Church'
Every local church is a microcosm, having all the qualities of the macrocosm, the church universal. Each local company is ideally and should be actually equipped to do anything that the Head of the church wills to accomplish. Wherever such a company is found, there is the true church, the complete church, so complete that if all the believers in the world were to be gathered in one place it would not add anything to the perfection of the smaller assembly.
Each local church is a fellowship in the deepest spiritual meaning of that word. It comes into being by an afflatus of power and a bestowment of life. It cannot be produced by organization, though after it is there it may be strengthened and improved by a wise and Spirit-led organization. A true church existed in Crete before Titus was left there to ''set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city.'' Organization did not create the church; it was imposed upon a church already present, a church which had been born out of the preaching of the gospel. For it is always the gospel that produces the church; there can be no church apart from the gospel.
Scripture
''The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.''
—First Corinthians 12:12, 27
Kevin,
Interesting post. The part that struck me most was the 2nd Reformation to call everyone into their God-given role.
I wonder who knows the God-given role to which everyone is assigned? Paul said something about that, I believe - "For some are called to be preachers, and some ..." I forget the rest. I wonder how much of the depression and anxiety rife in our culture come from ignoring the "still, small voice" that is God telling us what our personal, individual role is?
I ignored that "still, small voice" in my life for a long, long time. I listened to my friends, to strangers, to the media; I read the Bible, and listened to ministers from at least four Christian denominations (Christian Science, Baptist, Pentacostal, and Church of God). And all the time I did that, I suffered depression, guilt, shame, and self-hatred.
It mystified my family - they thought I was cool, and couldn't understand how I could be so miserable. But finally I did become so miserable that I literally "left all for Christ." I risked the loss of my family, and indeed, lost my wife. I surrendered my career, my business, my standing in the community, my reputation, my friends, my privilege as a white male, and gave it up for the second-lowest status in our culture, just one step above dark-skinned transwomen.
And God has rewarded me richly - most of all, with the "peace that passeth all understanding." I have more friends now than I did before, and I am closer to them. I am more respected in my community than I was as a man. I am much closer and more connected with my children. Beauty and light fill my days, and, ironically, the shadows fall most deeply when people who call themselves Christian look at me and say, "you are violating God."
I think that the pain of that response to me is why I chose to say so many harsh things to so many innocent Christians in the last few days. I feel sad that I said some of those things now, because I think they must have hurt. I don't want to hurt you. I was lashing out, and I'm sorry.
To answer your question, I think that the way the 2nd Reformation would look is that everyone would be fully accepted as they expressed themselves to be, from the earliest part of their childhood; in other words, they would receive unconditional love that THEY perceived to be unconditional. The response to that, over time, would be to express unconditional love.
I really believe that the most important part of unconditional love is not how it is given; I think it is how it is received. And believe me, that is not permissive!
Many blessings on ya!
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