Church: A Reflection on Our Identity
by Skip Bell | 19 September 2024 |
It is not easy being the church. Especially if you regard your church as the one true church, the distinctive repository and custodian of truth.
In recent weeks I have been reminded of the humanity that accompanies our being the church. Some congregations of Christian believers in the faith movement I find community with in Northern New England—the Seventh-day Adventist Church—have been in a deep, sometimes dividing, conversation.
At the heart of the impassioned conversations is the identity of being the Seventh-day Adventist church.
I have noted the voice leaders in some—certainly not all—local congregations and organizational levels of church structure lend to that identity. What the calling to be church means in those voices. What it means to be Adventist.
Paul discovers the church
The counsel of Paul to believers in Christ gathered in ancient Ephesus is helpful as I ponder their witness. I have prayerfully revisited his thoughts in recent days. Paul was a churchman—through and through. He was thoroughly educated in the writings that form the Old Testament portion of what is now our Christian Bible, steeped in the traditions and rituals of his Jewish faith, a Hebrew of the Hebrews.
Paul knew church.
Then his eyes were opened by a vision of Christ. His life changed. And in Christ he reframed—led by the Holy Spirit—the idea of church.
Allow me this elementary overview of Paul’s thoughts about the meaning of church shared in this particular epistle. His letter is a glimpse into the continuing tension in his own mind with godly living, his faith story, and shared humanity. Navigating that tension while remaining open to God’s leading in his new understanding of church speaks to our struggle as followers of Christ today. What it means to be church.
A notable expression of church is offered in the heart of his letter—especially remarkable, given his history. “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
Now reflect on what he offers as the heart of that calling to be church:
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4: 1-6 NIV).
No, it is not easy being church. Especially if you think your faith movement is the church. And it is humbling if you consider the service your leadership in a congregation or organization offers in forming the idea of church—the influence your presence, voice, or counsel lends.
Who are we?
A relational community encouraging each other? A serving community meeting other’s needs? An evangelistic community sharing the everlasting gospel? A transforming community changing the culture?
All the above? If yes, how then will we express bonds of peace among those passionately voicing differing priorities for the church? “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” The challenge of unity extends to the leadership of every member, elder, teacher, group leader, pastor, and conference leader. Even to discussions in the parking lot or over Sabbath dinner.
We can note that Paul affirms a passion for each perspective of the church. The church is a relational community. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). In every spiritual community are people broken by separation, addictions, or health issues. Our calling is to love, listen, pray, and encourage. Yes, we are a relational community
And the church is a serving community. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works…” (Ephesians 2:10). One of Jesus’ clearest parables emphasized real godliness as caring for the sick, visiting the prisoner, feeding the hungry. Members whose history, context, and gifts lead them to social ministries such as providing food, housing, jobs, child care, social justice, addressing poverty, or protecting rights can be affirmed. That is church. Yes, the church is a serving community
The church is an evangelistic community. “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it…. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…” (Ephesians 4:7-12). Jesus said go, and the Holy Spirit who comforts, helps, and teaches also empowers us to share the good news. Relate to others, serve with them, build community, share the Gospel. Yes, we are an evangelistic community.
The church is a transforming community. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). We know the failings of culture too well. As Paul mingled in public places, a follower of Jesus is present in a culture that is not Christian. The presence of God, the armor of faith, and the accompaniment of others who believe is vital in that reality. God transforms, and yes, the church is a transforming community.
So who are we? We are a relational community in Christ encouraging each other, meeting people’s needs, sharing the gospel, and influencing the culture of the world.
Now for the difficult part: being the church. Together making decisions, relating to doctrinal questions, relating to choices in Christian living, directing and giving to mission. In the process of being church impassioned, opinion erupts and our humanness becomes evident.
It is precisely when we distance ourselves from our humanness that we damage the nature of the church.
Here is what I mean. We become certain of truth as though we can see clearly. Perfectly. We forget that our view is framed by our own stories. We disallow the impact our own histories have on our way of being church together. We deny the imperfect nature and influence of our personal and shared cultures.
Surface choices or the gospel?
How does that look in church life? In the interest of being faithful we come to occupy ourselves with behavioral choices. I will describe them with a term – surface life choices. Ironically, the attention given to such surface life choices distracts from, and even eclipses, the Gospel.
Examples? We make the right music an issue, expending energy describing ill effects of music foreign to our particular culture; too much praise, too much celebration, or worse, music marked by syncopation. Making an issue of vaccination. Jewelry. Competitive sports. Caffeinated beverages. The length of a dress. The list goes on.
Surface life choices.
The challenge is not that some embrace while others do not embrace these life choices. The damage is done when judgment is framed around such choices. When faithfulness is in some degree interpreted through those choices.
The heart of our identity is altered when surface life choices become our focus. We come to demand something we call “the true and straight message.” We welcome sermons or writings on dress, diet, or other life choices. A sermon or teaching proclaiming the gift of salvation in Jesus becomes a distraction. Even the good news of judgment (yes, the final judgment is good news!) is altered to be determined by surface life choices outside of the essential Gospel.
When surface life choices come to define the church, we imperceptibly begin to envision a future in which members come to agreement and conformity around those surface life choices. We subsequently make plans and take steps to get to that future, to promote agreement and conformity around those surface life choices. Perhaps without intention, we use our voices and energies in ways that lead to that identity of the church and sort others out. We begin to distinguish true from false around those surface life choices. We fill sermons and articles with appeals and warnings to take a decisive stand reflecting those choices.
And the damage is done. Our identity changes, the heart of what it means to be Adventist is altered. Mission becomes a message about culture. And too many of the next generation walk away without seeing a personal relationship with Jesus.
The people who don’t?
My heart breaks when we come to be known merely as people who do not do this or that, or persons antagonistic to neighbors of the Catholic faith because of literature we have distributed. In a word, we become known as a sub-culture, or worse, a cult.
Again, this identity is not the focus of the Adventist church everywhere. And in those isolated places where such identity is promoted, I see the actions coming from well-meaning people. My appeal is that every plan and decision be taken as an opportunity to glorify Christ, point to Jesus, show His care and love for others.
It is not easy being the church. Yes, we bring our individual stories into the church, and yes, we contribute our priorities for the church. So, study, pray, and think – great. Make life choices. We will continually grow and change as we do. But let’s stop making our conclusions on surface life choices essential and certain truth. Let’s do far less judging of the lifestyle choices of others, far less time deciding who is in and who is out, and far less talking of shaking and shifting. Let God be God. Pray, grow, and share His Good News.
The church? Jesus. After all, Jesus is the head of the church. He is our Lord; He is our Savior. “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1:22-23).
Skip Bell is Professor Emeritus of Church Leadership at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. He writes from Kennebunk, Maine.
