Organic Church - 2

Organic church -what the heck does that mean?

When you think of the term organic, what do you think of? Something earthy, natural, and healthy - something that is left to grow and develop on its own. Perhaps something that came straight from the earth, or is made up of ingredients that all did. Something that has no added preservatives, additives, unnatural coloring or flavors. Have you ever bought your produce straight from local farmers - say at a farmers market or organic foods store? Its not as pretty as the stuff at the chain stores, and doesn't keep as long - but it is much healthier - and that's the way God created it from the beginning.

Organic church is a similar concept - the body life of the church - without added preservatives, additives, coloring or flavors. The communal life and practice of the Christian faith - without nearly two thousand years of religious tradition, practice, and bias. What would the church look like if it was given Jesus in all His glory, fulness and life - and nothing more? How would local churches operate if none of their members were tarnished by the modern American version of religious Christianity? What if its people knew nothing more than the vibrant inner life of Christ, and simply started living as a community together by the Spirit's leading? How would that look and function? What would the gatherings, the leadership, and the finances be like?

The early church knew this - they were not bogged down by centuries of religious Christian tradition, debates, and systems. Their struggle was actually Jewish - what they had to un-learn as they grew together in Christ was the religion, practice, and old mindsets of Judaism. For us though, I believe that we must un-learn the religion, practice, and old mindsets of traditional Christianity. They are sometimes hard to see but they are there - constantly shaping the ways that we think about our faith, how we interact with one another, and how we practice church. Dear Jesus, reveal them to us that we might sift through what is natural and God-made, versus what is manufactured and man-made!

Just like the totally natural produce at your local farmer's market, organic church life doesn't look as pretty as the institutional version. It doesn't have the same finished shine, the same pretty shape, or the same smooth textures. No, if often doesn't keep as long and yes, it usually costs more - but take one bite - and you'll taste the difference.

I - along with a growing number of American Christians - am becoming increasingly disinterested in our modern American version of the church... and I don't want to come up with another updated version or flavor. I want whatever and however Jesus meant it to be from the beginning - and whatever He is saying and doing and How He is leading today. Lord, grant that we may enter and remain in the totally organic experience of your living presence and Lordship - and in the totally organic, natural, and vibrant organic life of the local church.

Organic Church - 1

You can take the person out of the institution, but you can't take the institution out of the person.

At least - not very easily.

From my eight or so years on the journey outside of institutional church, I have learned that the only way for someone to graduate from an institutional church mindset, when they've grown up in it, is for it to be a divine work of God. Anything less, and the person either reverts back to the old mindset, or just gives up on church completely. It's like taking a lion who grew up in the zoo and trying to teach them to survive out in the wild. Out in the wild is the way God meant it to be for the lion - but if they've only ever known captivity, their chances of survival out in the open are slim. They don't know what to expect, and they are very ill-equipped.

Saints who have only ever know institutional church systems and methods are usually marked by the following:

-They are used to being spoon-fed the word of God on a constant basis, rather than laboring to feed themselves and on the feeding of one another

-They are used to a pastor or other leader seeking God on behalf of the whole church, rather than each member of the whole body seeking Christ together on its own behalf

-Used to leaning on a traditional church service order of events when the body comes together to worship, rather than leaning on the spontaneous and often subtle moving and directing of the Holy Spirit and on one-another

-Their kids receive the vast majority of their spiritual training from Sunday school and youth groups, rather than the parents being the main source of their kid's discipleship and spiritual training

-They are accustomed to sending any new converts to new convert classes or to a paid minister to care for, nurture, and teach them the ways of the Lord- rather than each saint shouldering this responsibility together with the living Christ for those the Lord has sent their way

-To paying a pastor to do the teaching, preaching, counseling, planning, church budget, raising up of leaders for the church, baptizing, preaching funerals, marrying folks, etc - rather than shouldering these responsibilities together as a body as the various members use their varying giftings and callings in these areas

-They are used to knowing exactly what to expect every Sunday, and there not being any surprises - when in fact the divine shared life of the body is anything but predictable, and full of surprises (as well as hard conversations, long nights, crises, frustrations - as well as a lot of joy)

To take a tame lion - and nurture and teach them into being a wild one - is virtually impossible.

Unless the Lord is doing it.

I believe that this is what the Lord is doing in us, and I challenge you to stick it out as we boldly hack through this new wild and unexplored jungle called organic church.

In coming blogposts (as the Lord leads and blesses me to do so), I will start talking about what this thing that I am referring to as "Organic church" really is, as well as what it is not, and why it is worth fighting for. As we do, we will be looking at the natural and organic life of the first-century Christians - through their history and letters in the New Testament. Stay tuned!