(This particular post was not triggered by any one conversation I’ve had with a person, but rather was a culmination of multiple conversations over many years. In fact, I’ve had a draft of this saved for sometime and was just waiting for the right time to post it. All names have been reduced to encrypted initials so that there is NO way you would know who I am referring to. Well, other than Jesus. I guess you could say I outed him.)
My wife and a friend (we’ll call her JB) were having a conversation today about what it means to be a non-traditional church. I think that most people define non-traditional as casual dress, lattes before the service, upbeat music, and witty sermons that use a lot of video clips. We espouse to be a non-traditional church according to the above definition. But in fact we start our Sunday services with “coffee”, then a “welcome”, followed by “worship”, followed by a “sermon”, followed by an “offering” followed by a “you’re dismissed”. Umm, sounds pretty traditional to me.
But here’s what JB went on to say (my paraphrase): “We’re non-traditional because we’re about accountability through relationships. It’s not just about Sunday mornings, it’s about relationships throughout the week.” WOW!!! WOW on so many levels. First level is this: I’m always saying this, but to have one of our church members say it means it must be getting through, and we are really living it out! That’s the greatest thing I’ve heard in a long time. That one will make me smile for a whole week, at least. Thanks JB. Btw, I already knew that you got it.
Second level is this, does this mean that most churches aren’t about relationships? Ouch! Say it ain’t so. But let’s face it, most people “go” to “church” on Sunday because they’re looking to get something out of it. They go because they like the music, they go because they like the sermons, they go because they like the children’s ministry. When was the last time someone told you they went to church so that they could contribute something? I rarely hear anyone say that. Most church hoppers will go on and on about how they just can’t find a church where they are getting fed. Well, that’s the problem. You aren’t supposed to go to church to be fed. You’re supposed to go to church to help feed others. In the natural, only babies need to be fed. When you grow up, you start feeding yourself. It works the same in your faith journey. The problem with the “I want to be fed” mindset is that people leave as soon as the sermons aren’t tickling their ears, or the children’s ministry changes leaders and they switch things up, or the music is too fast or too slow. People, what happens on Sunday mornings doesn’t define “church”. Oh sure, Sunday mornings are an important part of what we do as a church, but maybe only 0.6-3.6% important (0.6% for those who spend 1 hr on Sunday with the Church, and 3.6% for pastors and staff who spend 6 hrs on Sunday with the Church). The “Church” is not necessarily a specific time and place within 4 walls, but rather is defined as God’s people gathered together. I saw the Church at an Osprey game last night. I saw the Church on Tuesday setting up elk camp. I saw the Church at the Ironhorse last week. In fact, the Church was and is gathered all around Missoula, at all times, in houses, pubs, parks, clubs, etc. Jesus said “where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name, there am I”. We are the body of Christ (the Church) wherever there is more than 1 of us.
There are many passages in the New Testament that give us a glimpse as to what the church is and how it is to function. Read the Book of Acts, and all of Paul’s epistles for more info. What is clear is that the church is an organism rather than an organization or even a meeting. And an organism needs all of it’s body parts working together to function properly (i.e. relationships). Oh sure, a lion could probably survive without one of its feet, but it would probably be a weak and mangy lion. An eagle could probably live with only one eye, but it would be such an an ineffective organism, not living up to its God-given potential.
I know this is a little out there for some of you reading this, because you’ve been trained all your life to believe that church is what happens on Sunday mornings. But I’m here to tell you that Church is much, much more than that. Church is, first and foremost, about relationships. Relationship with God, and relationship with other believers, wherever we might be. The church is also about the other 167 hrs a week (the other 99.4% of your time) that we’re not meeting in the City Life Center. If that makes us non-traditional, then so be it! Because it makes us Biblical.
