Back to the church!

The shape of the church is a centuries old discussion.

My ancestors, in the middle of the last millenium, found themselves pushed out of both the Catholic church and the emerging Protestant Church.  We now call them the Radical Reformation — they were anabaptists.

I’m not sure what their church services were like.  I understand they practiced baptism, communion of some type, there was lots of preaching and indoctrination because of the “radicalness” of their approach.  They met in churhes (where permitted), in forests, at homes — wherever they could.  Perhaps for that reason I am not frustrated by those who have been pushed outside the institutional church. 

OK — there is some frustration!  I watch some people isolate themselves.  They are no earthly good in a society that needs “salt and light.”  I watch others maintain “victim” status, never dealing with real and perceived hurt, needing ministry and not giving ministry.  I even wonder when people will realize that everything has a structure — the question is not — “Let’s start a group without structure, or discipline, or expectations!” — ain’t gonna happen!!

Greg, your previous comment regarding the church in China is well worth considering — “ the hunger of believers to exercise their faith in community with worship, Word and sacraments overcame the loss of their ‘structure’. ” 

The current struggle within the Salvation Army church is also worth considering.  The Salvation Army dispensed with sacraments (baptism and communion) and kept worship and word — calling their meetings holiness meetings.  Now, a century or more later they are asking if sacraments need to be reinstated.  Or was worship and word enough?