Being pushed into a box is not my idea of comfortable. So to pigeon hole my idea of what church should be and create some sort of formula for it irritates me a great deal.
For this reason I will have my headings under "Church could" rater than "Church Should."
So here goes:
Church could be inspired by Christ's exhibition of unconditional love and desire to live it out.
Church could endeavour to exhibit and live out the ideas of "Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven"
Church could strive for "forgiveness of those who trespass against us just as Christ has set the example of forgiveness toward us."
Church could paint a picture of longsuffering and service to those who starve, who are ill, who are in prison, who are in need and who are broken hearted.
Church could be active in resistance to war and all forms of violence.
Church could actively oppose policies and power structures that maintain poverty and slavery while enriching a minority i.e. exhibit and desire Jubilee.
Church could move through the tribes, communities, societies and nations leavening, salting and lighting up with the love, wisdom and inspiration of the example of Christ.
Church Could desire and live out humility, meekness, hospice, creating safe space and being last toward others in an effort to subvert the dominant empire that desires the opposite.
Church could say "stick the rules (that hurt and don't help and don't promote the kingdom) where the sun don't shine."
Now some recommendations for the tagged.
1. Feel free to post to your blog on the subject “A Manifesto for Church”, outlining your thoughts on what an ideal church would/should or could be like. Posts can be as detailed or as short as you like.
2. You might like to include a copy of these rules.
3. A link to your post in the comments to this post could be helpful.
4. Tag others as you feel inspired!
Heather you know I hate rules
so I've turned your rules into
recommendations so the tagged
can feel free and inspired.
I tag:
1. Simon
2 comments:
A fantastic manifesto, Josh. I think the paragraph
Church could endeavour to exhibit and live out the ideas of "Your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven"
Church could strive for "forgiveness of those who trespass against us just as Christ has set the example of forgiveness toward us."
says it all. I even like your "coulds". Oh, and by the way, I didn't write the rules. You'll have to apologise to Barry for that.
No apology necessary! I'd love to see a diversity of opinion in the church, and to me what is happening in this corner of the blogosphere is in some ways a pre-echo of that. (Did I just invent a new term?)
Good post, Josh. I like the way you've based it on biblical principles - proof, if it were needed, that being biblical is not the same as maintaining the status quo.
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