When it comes to religious communities such as church it comes down to a matter of priority.
There are two priorities: concern for the individual and concern for the church.
When concern for the organization is the priority, people are going to suffer. If an individual won’t fit with the program, refuses to go with the flow, bucks authority, or questions the status quo of the organization, then that individual will suffer the consequences for the welfare of the organization.
When concern for the individual is priority, the health and welfare of that person is of utmost concern. That person’s value, freedom and independence take precedence over the organization. The organization does everything in its power to stay out of the way of the individual’s path and will suffer the consequences for the rights of that person.
I know this is a simplified perspective. This problem has vexed philosophers for centuries. But when it comes to the church as an organization the wisest path is to prioritize the person.
This is the way I did it as a pastor. I saw firsthand the perpetual frustration of the organization and the bewilderment of my peers. But on the other hand I saw the genuine liberation of individuals that created a dynamic and fruitful community.
If you are a part of a community where the organization is the priority to the detriment of your path then I suggest getting out. But if you can find a community where you can exercise your freedom and experience mutual respect, then you’ve found what you’re looking for.
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My name is David Hayward, and I am the nakedpastor. I am a graffiti artist on the walls of religion.
I just finished “So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore?” by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman. What you’re saying here totally smacks of that – good stuff David. It’s not about going to church… It’s about being the church.
My church values the individual…still a fairly small denomination, but I know they care about me…my value, freedom and independence are very respected…I’m not there for theological reasons but for reasons of the heart, and my fellow UUs are very good with those…
I got out. There was no other way for me. I am a woman (guess you all knew that) so the odds were stacked against me anyway. Point made.
Thanks. David, again, for reinforcing the wisdom behind my decision. It’s almost a year since I left, and nothing terrible has happened to me, yet.
And yet, without people, there is no church. So it would seem focusing on the individual would always be the right focus, second only to the gospel. After all, the Church of Jesus Christ, is in the people business. It’s made up of people and exists for the saving of people. Of course, excellence in the organization is desired, but when that becomes the goal, people can get steamrolled.
The priority in our church is neither one of those. It is the proclamation of the gospel.
When that is done (proclaim the gospel), everything else can be worked out.
If that is NOT done, then there really is no reason to work the rest of it out.
I felt stifled in the institutional structures. I knew God called me to be a spiritual entrepreneur – to create opportunities for people to follow Jesus in ways that often don’t fit within the institutional church growth focused paradigms. We have attracted creative, spiritual entrepreneur types and my biggest challenge is finding the balance between releasing and harnessing. When everyone is going in all different directions, there is no synergy but if we don’t release, we risk becoming what we are reacting against. Great insights…far harder to do than I ever imagined.
@Steve Martin,
What you’ve just described sounds like a loveless, cold Orwellian nightmare of an existence to me.
Yes, that’s a good perspective.
The gospel gives life to people. It creates faith. Faith creates love.
That sounds cold to you?
Not to me. Our congregation is built upon the procalamtion of the gospel and is like a family. We love each other. We help each other. We have our squabbles, but what family doesn’t?
I have had lots of conversations with people about church. The word ‘Church’ I think is a very loaded term. Is it a building, is it a service time, is it a people group, its superman, opps sorry I got carried away. I often talk to people 1:1 and I talk about us being in ‘Church’ at that very moment. Jesus said wherever two or three people come together I am going to show up to the party. GOOOD Conversation is what church is really all about. I love Thursday lunchtime church sessions I have with a couple of mates. We call it ‘Balcony’ after the great Denny Crane of Boston Legal. Subway and Starbucks are great communion elements.
@Steve Martin,
“The gospel gives life to people. It creates faith. Faith creates love”
Yes, Steve, insofar that the desire, impetus and inspiration comes from without you and not from within, that does sound pretty cold.
It’s safe to say that your understanding of love is quite different than mine.