We are living in stressful times that leave us all with very unsettled feelings. The church in our country seems to be lost. It no longer has the certainties of Modernism nor the wealth and power of the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. so it's grabbing at anything it can to give it a sense of direction. The old modes of worship aren't working as effectively as they used to and some new ones, that ignore the wealth of the history of the body of Christ, are taking off like wild fires. So the place that would normally be a refuge is just as confused and anxious as the society in which we struggle.
As Orlando Costas says in "Christ Outside the Gate"; "the dominant symptoms of this situation of alienation are fear, anxiety and distrust at the personal level, and racism, classism, and sexism at the social level." How is a church to survive in an environment such as this? It seems to me like the churches who are surviving and even thriving in this world are the ones offering extremes.
The first set reminds me of the tall, thick impenetrable walls of the castles of the middle ages. These churches are bastions of a particular class of faith and nothing can shake them! They are guarded by well armed and skilled soldiers who are ever ready for the fight and rarely ever are without their "sword". It should not be very difficult to surmise the appeal of a place such as this in the midst of an uncertain world full of threats and insecurities. So people flock to these places and are willing to agree to tough and clear cut rules in order to live in the shelter provided by these castles. Independent thought is actively discouraged in favor of tried and true strategies that are handled and held by a few leaders who guard their authority jealously. Authority is placed in few individuals and like the aristocracy of the middle ages it is only handed down through familial relations or to those who have shown unflinching loyalty over time. That small group of aristocrats are jealously guarded by their knights who obey without question and keep the status quo.
The second set of churches who are thriving in the midst of all this uncertainty are the ones more akin to city states, these are places where the new takes precedent over the old and "obsolete". These city states are flushed with funds as a result of shrewd business practices and more often than not the charisma of its leader. Like the city states of old they are dominated by a few names that command authority based on their charisma as well as access to seemingly unending funds. They do all in a big way and their "homes" are glittering examples of all that is new and state of the art. They draw people not as a safe refuge with restricting walls but rather they do so as glittery places that offer comfort, entertainment, and an overall sense of escape from the gloomy world outside. Unlike the stern castles these places do not require much beyond regular contributions, which fund the leadership as well as the grandeur of the city.
I may have taken my analogies a bit too far but bear with me, these are the places where people are flocking. It seems like "thriving" church options are either conservative movements unwilling to yield and with very narrow definitions/understanding of the Gospel message, who offer certainty at the price of thought and freedom. Or glittery, fancy, state of the art mega churches that have a feel good message, packaged in unparalleled quality entertainment that require very little from its audience beyond funds.
Both of those sides look at small, local congregations as failures at best or opportunities for additional funds or space at worst. I as a new pastor with the pressures of a struggling church sit facing those two options. I know people from both those sides and they are gracious enough to offer to help me "succeed". Should we take choice away but offer certainty and security in an uncertain world? Should we take away commitment and the tough work of inner transformation but offer feel good experiences and entertainment possibilities such as "missions tourism"?
So far we have resisted both and have decided to steer through the middle. We look for the Shelter God is, in active ways (2 Samuel 22:3). While at the same time we seek to call those who come, to explore their faith in deep,transforming ways by challenging assumptions and exploring Scripture in deeper ways. (Matthew 19:16-26 who is the young ruler?) Our "growth" is not as numerically heavy as "success" would tell us it should be. But I feel we follow the leading of the Spirit best by seeking transformation (Romans 12:2) so that in due time we may become a church that is perhaps not important by current success standards, but certainly one that is relevant to those within its walls, the community that surrounds it and the world at large.
