When think of church, what think of? John Wesley said Christianity is social religion, to turn it into solitary religion will destroy it. This is not to deny individual salvation, individual discipleship, but is an affirmation that church lies at center of God's purpose, and that the contemporary church is assaulted on every side by world.
Bible affirms that Christ gave himself for the church, for us, to redeem us from all wickedness, to purify his own people.
A great problem in thinking of church is the tension between ideal and reality. Incongruity between what church is and what church does. Ideal is beautiful, chosen, beloved of God, special treasure, covenant community, koinonia, believers engaged in continuous worship of God and compassionate outreach to world, haven of love/peace, pilgrim people headed for eternal city. Reality is a motley conglomeration of sometimes scruffy persons, half-educated, half-saved, uninspired in worship, often bickering with one another, concerned more with maintenance than mission, struggling and stumbling on way, needing rebuke and exhortation.
[For two Sunday evenings, we are going to study the biblical picture of church. First, church in our searching world from 1 John 1; then, dimensions of renewal in church based on John 17.]
Great need in church is sensitive awareness of world around us. World challenges precisely because we do not hear it, are not open to it, do not because we cannot respond to it. If we are true serv of JC, will keep eyes open to human need, hear anguished cries, respond compass and constructively to hurts w/ healing, pain w/ with pathos, prob w/ solutions.
Not saying world sets agenda for church, for God defines and identifies the church. Our service is not servility, the call to sensitivity does not demand conformity. But we must declare and do what God sent us to declare and do. That will prick ears of world.
Unless listen attentively to voices of secular society, struggle to understand them, feel with people in frustration, anger, bewilderment, despair, weep w/ weep, will lack authenticity, run risk of asking questions no one asks, scratching where there is no itch, supply that for which is no demand--total irrelevance, which in the long history of two millennia, religion has often been.
Today suggest quest of world in three goals/needs, three human aspirations, which Jesus himself arouses, which he along can satisfy, which challenge the church to present him to world in his fullness. Alongside briefly remind of three biblical pictures of church which answer that quest, and finally think about how church may answer these challenges in what it does. Cultural quest of society--biblical picture of church--suggest integration/interaction.
I. The quest for transcendence.
Modern word, signifies how we get in touch with what is beyond us. Transcendence affirms that God is above and outside the created world while its opposite immanence means God is present and active w/i it. Both are true, both are bibl. The search for transcendence is quest for a (Tillichian) ultimate reality beyond material universe. Protests secularization of all of life. Recognizes that man does not live on bread alone. Materialism cannot satisfy human spirit.
Might see this quest in collapse of Marxism, desert of western materialism, epidemic of drug abuse, proliferation of religious cults.
Biblical picture of church which I believe answers to the quest for transcendence is that of kingdom. Mixed picture, for kingdom is both present and future, in tension between what is and the not yet. Is earthly, exists here, in hearts of humanity, but is indeed heavenly kingdom. Not of this world. In world, not of world. Yet kingdom honors the KING, and therein is both transcendence and immanence. A king who is not of this realm. A king of kings, lord of lords. Need reminding that church is evidence of reign and rule of God in this world. All world moving toward fulfillment of Rev. 11:15.
This quest for transcendence is a challenge to quality of church's public worship. Do we- can we-should we offer what people crave--an element of mystery, a sense of what is beyond us, in bibl lang--the fear of God expressed in reverence, in contemp language--transcendence? Is our worship obviously transcendent? Are we connecting with anyone beyond this realm? No own answer to the question is, not often, although I believe we are growing in awareness and ability.
I do know we must somehow escape modern concept that worship can occur as entertainment, hoopla, excited body movements, use of secular talents in supposedly sacred setting. Worship is introspective, contemplative, questioning, awesome. Too often absent in worship is the conspicuous, profound reality of God. Little sense of glory-greatness of God. Tend toward cockiness, flippancy, pride. Little trouble to prepare, are slovenly, mechanical, clock-punching, dull. Frivolous to point of irreverence, and irrelevance, and is no wonder world cannot see the Reality we claim to worship.
What is needed? First, a faithful reading-preaching of God's word so that through it is living voice is heard and people are addressed where they live. Second, a reverent, expectant administration of Lord's Supper, so that Jesus is really present, not in the elements, but among his people, at his table, objectively, coming to meet us, making himself known to us again, anxious to give himself to us, walk with us, so we may feed our hearts by faith. Third, such a sincere offering of praise/prayer that people say, "Surely God is in this place, and I was not aware of it." Or, God is really among you, l Cor. 14:24-25.
Tragic that in our world men/women seek transcendence thru drugs, sex, yoga, cults, mysticism, New Age, sci-fi instead of church. Even more tragic that in worship where true transcendence should be experienced and God encountered, he is too often noticeably absent.
II. The Quest for Significance
If modern world smothers sense of transcendence, it almost diminishes-destroys sense of personal significance, belief that life has any meaning. Result of technology is scientific reductionism, existentialism. Difficult to pretend have significance when know have none. Significance is basic to survival. Victor Frankl was first to postulate that in addition to Freud's will to pleasure, Adler's will to power, and Marx's will to wealth, humans have a will to meaning. Primary motivation of life.
Meaninglessness leads to boredom, alcoholism, delinquency, suicide, drug abuse. Emile Durkheim's study of suicide attributes the greatest number of suicides to normlessness, meaninglessness.
One biblical picture of ch which answers to quest for significance is church as bride of Christ. God has chosen the church, 1 Pet 2:5-10. Equally powerful is image of church as body of Christ. Representing him, a second incarnation of Christ so that in church X dwells on this earth, in our hearts by faith.
If the church is bride/body, and if the quest for transcendence challenges the quality of worship, the quest for significance challenges the quality of the church's teaching. Millions do not know they have any significance-worth-value. Urgent challenge is to enlighten them about identity, tell them who they are, teach bibl truth of humanity, depraved and dignified.
Christians believe in intrinsic worth of human beings because of God who created- redeemed-sustains. In own image, responsible, like him, for him, capable of fellowship with him. God-like, capable of godliness. Jn 3:16. Christian teaching on dignity/worth of humans is of utmost importance today, for sake of own self-image and self-respect, and as much so for welfare of society.
When humans are devalued, all in society turns sour. Humiliation, children despised. Sick are mere nuisance, elderly a burden. Ethnic minorities face discrimination, poor are oppressed, social justice unknown or at least not sought, labor exploited, criminals brutalized in prisons. Unbelievers are left to live and die in their lostness because it no longer matters. Nothing matters. No freedom, dignity, carefree joy. Human life not worth living, for is scarcely human.
But when humans are valued, because of intrinsic worth, all changes. Honor, sick cared for, elderly given dignity-respect, dissidents listened to, prisoners rehabilitated, children protected, oppressed freed, lost sought and taught and saved by power of gospel. Why? Why gospel go to ends of earth? Because people matter. Every person has worth, significance, as human in God's image and likeness.
III. The Quest for Community
Modern society not only destroys transcendence and significance, it is destructive also of community. Live in era of social disintegration. Increasingly difficult to relate to one another. Seek that which eludes us most--love in a loveless world.
People everywhere are seeking love. Even from ‘60s, break with western individualism, experiment with communal living styles. Some are trying to replace nuclear family with extended family. Other repudiate age-long institution of marriage and family to find freedom of spontaneous love. Regardless of approach, world is seeking genuine community and authentic relationships of love.
Biblical picture of church as koinonia, fellowship, and community answers this quest. Ch as household, family, connection, security, belonging. Belonging to God, Christ, one another. Sharing, caring, encouraging, loving with different love whose dimensions dare to demand love regardless of action, character, of one being loved.
This quest for community challenges the quality of the church's fellowship. We proclaim that God is love, that Jesus Christ offers true community. Yet do not always live that truth. People are not saved in isolation, do not keep saved in isolation, yet our own lives betray us too often when the pleasures of world beckon and we deceive ourselves into thinking that we can sustain spiritual life apart from spiritual body of Christ. As insane as thinking can sustain spiritual life apart from phys body of Christ sacrificed on cross for our sins. The desire to be separated from the community is selfishness at best, no spiritual purpose but only function as person intrigued and drawn in by world's values of pleasure, or wealth (we have let work become a providential hindrance), or whatever.