by Berry Friesen (February 9, 2016)
With increasingly regularity, I read
accounts from people connected to the church who are unable to explain why it
is important. “What’s the point of this
church business?” they ask.
Typically, these are individuals who
self-identify as Christians, affirm the importance of a spiritual dimension to
life and report positive experiences of congregational life. So it isn’t that they feel estranged from
church; instead, they doubt whether it merits a substantial investment of time,
energy and resources.
Various theories try to explain
this.
One puts this trend within the
framework of the post-Christendom era.
Church affiliation used to be an important part of one’s resume, much
like a fraternity membership. Now it
doesn’t count for much.
Another theory attributes the decline
in church affiliation to the triumph of science. As it explains more and more about the world,
the space for religious explanations shrinks ever smaller.
Another perceives the emphasis on grace
in Christian theology as driving this trend.
God is no longer the severe judge, but has become the loving parent
whose compassion is without limit. God
isn’t scary, in other words, so we no do not need a church to show us the way
to win god’s favor.
A fourth explanation pins the blame on
the church’s moralism, its cliquishness and its less-than-welcoming stance
toward people who don’t fit the standard template.
Each of these four theories has merit. None is likely to be
reversed any time soon.
Yes, churches can become less moralistic and more welcoming toward
non-standard fits, but the church’s many value judgments cannot easily be hidden
away. The Bible is preoccupied with
righteousness and justice; pretending otherwise isn’t very convincing.
What to do?
For starters, let’s acknowledge what is usually hidden by the
church: at least some of the time, the
people of Israel fused their worship of YHWH with an anti-imperial identity. This story begins with the Exodus, continues
through the prophets to the great texts of Genesis and Leviticus, and reaches
its apex in the poetry of Isaiah.
For those ancient Israelites, being part of the people of YHWH had
nothing to do with an afterlife and everything to do their odd, stateless way
of living. It was edgy, vulnerable and
scary. Instinctively, they knew they needed one another and the care and
protection of their god; otherwise, it was folly.
The Christian assemblies that emerged from Peter’s and Paul’s preaching
also fused their worship of YHWH with an anti-imperial identity. Because of
Jesus, they understood the world to work differently than the way the Roman Empire
described it. Again, because of this
dissident stance, they readily understood why it made sense to band together in
mutually supportive communities.
A similar frame of mind still exists within groups within the
broader church today, especially outside of North America, but also in a few
places within. Like biblical communities
of faith, such groups believe their worship of YHWH entails a different
understanding of human history, both past and future. These Christians are convinced
that because YHWH intends it, compassion, forgiveness and nonviolent resistance
to evil define how the world works; greed, violence and revenge are distortions
foisted on us by the imperial mindset. Because
this is a difficult stance to maintain, these Christians are eager to join supportive
communities.
Perhaps these groups are best described as faith-based communities
of resistance. They know YHWH is a politically
subversive god—Jesus made that unmistakably clear—yet they worship YHWH
still.
Does this sort of “church” interest you? Have a look at the “alternative political
communities” referenced on our “links” page.
And find a companion or two who will join you in reading If Not Empire, What?
Why bother with church? Once
we grasp the consequences of trusting YHWH and his Anointed with our lives, the
question won’t be difficult to answer.
