Good news incarnate: church navigational principles

The French government has waged a campaign against counterfeit luxury items. Understandable as France is arguably the world's leader in cuisine, "haute couture," perfume...

Can you tell the difference?

Similarly, how might a person not well-versed in Scripture discern the difference between genuine and fake Christian spirituality?

If one's "testimony" to an unbeliever were, "Since I came to Jesus I don't drink, smoke, run 'round, ner swear." In this religiously plural world, the interlocutor might wonder, "Ok, is this person a) a Mormon ? b) Jehovah's Witness ? c) Muslim ? d) Fundamentalist ? e) all of the above?!

The French Evangelical Alliance's “Gospel and Culture” group’s third navigational principle for churches attempting to be fully Biblical and full witnesses in this perpetually fluctuating world (see previous entries for others) is "truth and coherence." (From David Brown, Servir à nos Français, 249-251.)

As the church engages the world she must resist "conformism." In John 17 Jesus expressed his desire for believers to be in the world (in order to pursue a salt, leaven and light, strategy of permeation) and to be pure and reserved for sacred use thanks to the truth of the Word. Jesus did not pray for us to choose between the two, he prayed that both would happen simultaneously.

Simultaneous contrast of the Hermann grid — Ludimar Hermann (1870)

"A major part of the work of the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, is therefore to give form to the 'reality' [the Truth of God's eternal story] by providing a concrete expression of its existence and that through the life of its members" (Brown, 250).

One way to state this is found in the Charis Commitment to Common Mission: (http://www.gbim.org/about-us/commitment-to-common-mission). In the section entitled "Integrated Ministries" we read:

We affirm that God has created human beings with

physical, emotional and spiritual needs and that the

Church expresses the compassion of Christ in

proclaiming the Gospel while caring for various needs

of mankind.

We call upon the Church to bless believers, strengthen

churches and reach the lost by showing the works

which reflect true faith (Jam 2.26):

· Assisting those in need,

· Promoting economic, family, and personal

development…

Attempting to "walk the talk" often feels like…

Or as the old urban saying went, "walk the talk."

Why? Because that is truly following Jesus.

And because people are concerned about being duped; they are afraid of counterfeits: fake luxury items, fake religion.

true or false?

I was in a couple of 100% Christian meetings this month where I wonder what an unbelieving "fly on the wall" would have concluded about our collective relationship to Jesus, in light of the Master's words, "by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." A sobering reality.

Is my life, are our relationships one believer with another, coherent with the Truth we proclaim?

So the Gospel and Culture group encourages experimentation saying that "a humble attitude but with confidence seems to be the order of the day" as the church attempts to live out the truth coherently, to be Good News in a world that is confusing to both believers and unbelievers alike.

Live doctrine: church navigational principles

Any fans of old Japanese monster movies? The kind where the mouths of the characters moved then a second later you heard the words in English?!

Godzilla was the anti-hero. Ghidorah was oh-so-cool, but I could never take Mothra and Rodan seriously (that is if I had been a fan of these films :-)

Translations can be tricky, but because of the quality of the “Gospel and Culture” group’s second principle (see previous entry for the French Evangelical Alliance's 1st principle), I’ll translate some of their text for you.

(Quotes from David Brown, Servir à nos Français, 247-249.)

Don't worry, my German friend, Rainer, also finds this reminder of the need for good translation amusing:

These are suggested guidelines for churches that wish to navigate the turbulent waters of a chronically morphing world while attempting to be both faithful to Scripture and in sync with people—unbelievers and believers. I deem these principles to be pertinent for missiologists and ecclesiologists on the Old Continent. For those serving elsewhere that will be up to you to decide.

Principle #2: incarnation and reflection

“The church is as much the church when she is dispersed in society as when she is assembled.”

The Grace Brethren church in Porto practices this concept. Gami, an elder in that church, shared, “When we send one person out into the world — to work, to play football… — the church goes with him in prayer. Because that person is part of this body he represents all of us, represents the whole local church.”

Ultraman grappling with an adversary who won't go away.

Gospel and Culture suggests questions for local churches to grapple with. “Christians are in the world but not of the world.…

Q: How does their presence manifest itself and how do they view the role that God is asking them to have in the world?

Q: The Church, as the Body of Christ,… Is her mission to change the world, or rather to invite everyone and anyone to change the world?

Q: Is the kingdom of God something to construct?

Q: Does it belong here today or is it only a future hope?

Q: What does it mean to be a witness of the gospel?

Q: How does one recognize a Christian?

"As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. John 17:18”

Gospel and Culture continues saying:

“We believe that the church must equip her members to live their faith not only when gathered together, but also in their daily life. There is no private sphere or public sphere when it comes this [faith] and the gospel retains its full relevance in today’s society. Following this line of thought, should not the Sunday message have as a goal to help Christians determine the personal commitments to which they are called, and to dare to innovate?"

"We believe we are part of this society. As Christians and citizens, we do not want to be disinterested in the city, nor impose our convictions on society, but we would not know how to love and serve the city without also having the opportunity to dialogue with it, to make our voice heard and consequently assume our responsibilities.

We believe that the church must be present in society, both its members individually and as an organized collective. The church bears a message of which the practical implications must readily be seen in the midst of the local communities [churches]. In this way, the church and everyone that composes it have a prophetic function wedded to a presence [in society] that cannot be stated other than through service, in the image of what Jesus lived.”

What practical consequences can one draw for the Church?

“We seek to evaluate the practical consequences of the truths that we proclaim (particularly those that follow) so that the Christian community and each of its members are salt and light, and witnesses of the love and justice of God.”

The specific doctrines that Gospel and Culture proposes for churches to live out are the implications of:

“God is the creator of all things.… He is interested in the totality of his creation…”

“Human beings, created in the image of God, have qualities the distinguish them from the animals and their intrinsic worth resides in this special status.”

“Jesus Christ: we must think through the consequences of the incarnation. If God became man in order to be close to humans, what does that mean for me concerning my relationships with others?”

“Salvation is more than a passport to heaven; it is a transformation of all aspects of our existence…”

“The Church is the only organized society that exists for the benefit of those who are not members. Distinct from the world, she is composed of people who are nonetheless invited to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.”

Happy grappling…