The Future Church

My mother, who will be 88 years old in February, recently spent a few days at home with Valerie and myself (mom lives in a Seniors community in Witless Bay). She had a fall the week before her visit, and ended up with some stitches above her eye, a broken nose and a lot of bruising. She has become more frail in her elder years, and with her short term memory loss, a tenderness and compassion is invited in her presence, at the same time eliciting a clear reminder of the unstoppable nature of change and decay. As mom’s physical life inches closer to its end, its essence, continuity, and newness continues in me, in my children, and in their children. There is a universal truth in this one particular family story. This truth is true for all families. This truth is true for all of creation. This truth is true for the Church of Christ. We all share in the one continuous Life that is God, that is ever emerging in new ways disguised as our own evolving lives. God is in our lives as they change. God is in the church as it changes. We need “heart” eyes to see, we need “heart” ears to hear, and to join in the movement of the Spirit.

Like my mom, the institutional church is old, frail and in decay. Change is not only being invited, it is being demanded. And there may be some “short term” institutional memory loss (relatively speaking in the context of the last 2000 years). The institution is not the raison d’etre of the church. The reason the church exists is to support followers of the Way of Jesus. Christianity is not an institution. Christianity is a movement. The church’s remembering of its essence, its continuity and its newness in the Way of Jesus, has everything to do with the new and emerging church. 

Brian McLaren, in his book “The Future of Christianity,” says “This emerging or emergence Christianity will be decentralized and diverse rather than centralized and uniform. In other words, it will have the shape of a movement rather than an institution. It will be drawn together by internal unity of way of life, mission, practices, and vision for the common good.”  That sounds like the church of the New Testament. McLaren goes on to say that Jesus was a non-violent leader who started his movement by saying “follow me.” He recruited diverse disciples, and after learning to open up to the depths of their spiritual hearts, he sent them out to teach and multiply this Loving Way of Life among “all the nations.” It is time to let go of what is no longer relevant nor helpful in living out the Gospel. The Jesus movement is more needed now than ever before. It is time to go deep into the well springs of our spiritual hearts, to let go of all that is passing on the surface, and to re-emerge drenched in the ever new Way of Love.