Christianity is an Organic Movement
Bill Easum has a nice chapter in his book on how Christianity is best understood as an organic movement. He notes that many theories about congregational life are flawed because they begin with an institutional or mechanical worldview. He writes:
“Christianity is concerned with the unfolding of the Kingdom of God in this world, not the longevity of organizations. Much of the prophetic message was focused on the unfaithful leadership of those who put institutional law above bringing about change in the world…” P. 17
There are a few other “zingers” in the book, but it was written in 2001 and I wouldn’t be surprised if the critique against mechanistic approaches to church required the stronger prophetic stance that he takes here. I still suspect a twinge of modernity in his writing, but I’m thankful for his observations on organic movements.
Movements:
- Follow a leader - in our case it’s Jesus.
- Embody the spirit of the founder - it’s followers emulate the leader.
- Are guided by mission rather than rules - principle vs. rules(?)
- Are mobile rather than static - we are to be ready, willing and able to go wherever Jesus leads.
- Depend on contextual people - we are tuned in to the culture of our community.
Now, it is a bit vogue to bash the traditional attractional church. Before you jump on the bandwagon, I’d recommend “The Missional Leader” by Alan Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk. I just started it and I think I’ll recommend it to all my friends that are trying to engage the missional conversation in their institutional churches. It takes a very positive approach to the reality that the vast majority of God’s children are in these contexts. You’ll hear more about the book from me here. Stay tuned!
