Pagan Christianity January 14, 2008

Frank Viola and George Barna have partnered up to write a book called Pagan Christianity (The title itself is a critque of church as we know it.)

When George Barna’s research causes him to question the very shape that the church has taken, questioning the need for buildings that get used for a few hours a week, questioning the programs and staffing arrangements that have become standard operating procedure, when the church growth movement, the rise of the mega church, contemporary worship, none of that has stemmed the steady decline in participation in church as we know it, that’s got to give us pause.

We’re in an exhilerating and frightening age when NOBODY really has a handle on what’s next for the church. We increasingly know that church as it has come to be practiced is pretty much uninteresting and unsustainable.

For some of what Viola and Barna have to say, here’s a gigantic quote from the book:

“WE ARE LIVING IN THE MIDST of a silent revolution of faith. Millions of Christians throughout the world are leaving the old, accepted ways of “doing church” for even older

approaches. Those older approaches are rooted in the Holy Scriptures and the eternal principles of the living God. Consequently, the motivation for this transition from the old to the older is not simply to get us in touch with our history or to reclaim our roots. It is borne out of a desire to return to our Lord with authenticity and fullness. It is a thrust to bond with Him through the Word of God, the Kingdom of God, and the Spirit of God.

The heart of the Revolutionaries is not in question. There is ample research to show that they are seeking more of God. They have a passion to be faithful to His Word and to be more in tune with His leading. They ardently want their relationship with the Lord to be their top priority in life. They are tired of the institutions, denominations, and routines getting in the way of a resonant connection with Him. They are worn out on the endless programs that fail to facilitate transformation.

They are weary of being sent off to complete assignments, memorize facts and passages, and engage in simplistic practices that do not draw them into God’s presence. These are people who have experienced the initial realities of a genuine connection with God. They can no longer endure the spiritual teasing offered by churches and other well-intentioned ministries.

God is waiting for them. They want Him. No more excuses. But this revolution of faith is challenged. Those involved know what they are shifting from—lifeless, institutional forms of faith to breakthrough. But what are they shifting to? House churches, marketplace ministries, cyberchurches, independent communitywide worship gatherings, intentional communities. These forms of church are all intriguing, but do they really represent a meaningful step toward God’s highest purpose? Or are they just the same stuff presented in a different setting? Are they developing the same roles, but attaching new titles adopted by different role players? Are we living in a culture that is so infatuated with change that we have forgotten that the church is about transformation, not mere change?

As we grapple with such issues, there is much to be learned from the history of God’s people. Followers of Christ appreciate the stories God has given us in His Word. We discover much about God, life, culture, and even ourselves by following the journey of God’s people in both the Old and New Testaments. Consider how much we learn from Moses and the Israelites’ pursuit of the Promised Land. Or the hard-won insights of David’s rise from lowly shepherd boy to king of Israel. Or the plight of Jesus’ disciples as they left their craft to follow the Lord before meeting with martyrdom. In the same way, much can be gleaned from the efforts of the earliest Christians—our physical and spiritual ancestors—as they sought to be the genuine church that Christ purchased with His blood.

But what do modern and postmodern Christians know about the history of the church that would help to shape present-day attempts at honoring God and being the church? Precious little, it turns out. And therein lies a significant problem. Historians have long held that if we do not remember the past, we are doomed to repeat it. There is ample evidence to support that warning. Yet we often persist in our well-intentioned but ignorant efforts to refine life.

The recent story of the Christian church in America is a great example of this. The major changes in spiritual practice over the past half century have been largely window dressings. Pick a trend—megachurches, seeker churches, satellite campuses, vacation Bible school, children’s church, affinity group ministries (e.g., ministries for singles, women, men, young marrieds), contemporary worship music, bigscreen projection systems, EFT giving, cell groups, downloadable sermons, sermon outlines in bulletins, Alpha groups. All of the above have simply been attempts to rely on marketing strategies to perform the same activities in different ways or places, or with particular segments of the aggregate population. Whatever difficulties were present in the larger institutional setting that spawned these efforts are invariably present in the smaller or divergent efforts as well.”

I guess they about covered all the bases. I’m interested in having a better understanding of how to move the church beyond what these guys clearly see as band-aid approaches (I’ve got a soft spot for Alpha especially). Guess I’ll have to buy the book …