A discussion of satellite church planting (as in sermon via satellite) is happening over at Heart Soul Mind Strength: "Church" growth. I posted my two cents on that topic in the comments. It got me thinking about growth and plants.
No one would think it a wise idea to try to grow a plant with pictures of leaves or flowers. The notion is patently absurd. Plants must have real leaves and flowers to survive; images will not do.
While it is true that learning and spiritual growth can happen via satellite, a gathering of individuals around the image of a preacher may be a learning environment but it is not church. Church is about relationship. The very notion of church involved inherent interconnectedness with Christ and with each other (see Body, Building, Bride). As Susan said over at Heart Soul Mind Strength, "This is not church that is being replicated. It is some other kind of organism; it looks like a church, and even does church-like things...but it does not function like one."
We cannot redefine church. She has been defined by her Creator and Lord. We can only translate the definition so others can understand. If the essentials of the definition are changed, we no longer have church; we have something else. That is the way of things.
Tag(s): church ecclesiology
Laura your comment on my blog was spot-on and gracious. Your post here is a brilliant analogy. I could learn a lot from your exact; but kinder way of saying things. I tend to get a bit over-ranting.
ReplyDeletePlease pray for my church tomorrow? Dr. Groothuis is preaching, as a guest, on the topic Spirituality: True and False from Acts chapter 19:1-20. Boulder is a city with a great deal of confusion about spirituality, and our smaller fellowship affords us a time of discussion afterward which may be fruitful if we attend ourselves to not getting in the way of the Spirit.
peace,
Susan