Regarding the questions raised in my previous post, there are no easy answers or strict formulas. A church can take many different forms. Sometimes the structure and infrastructure are very loose. Other times, it can be very formal.
I am not going to take sides on the debate over what expression, structure or style is best. In my life, I have seen a variety of different approaches work, and I have also seen many of these fail too. The key seems to be the degree to which a fellowship holds onto Jesus as the head. As the people of God, we belong to Him not the other way around. The second key factor seems to be the ability of a fellowship to act in love despite the circumstances. No matter how we disagree, all of those who are part of Christ are on the same team in the end. Actually, we are all family. And the world will know the truth based on our love for one another.
Oneness keeps on coming up in my prayer times and meditations as I look into God's heart for His people. Jesus prayed that we would be One as He and the Father are One. This was his last prayer for His disciples and for us as He went to face the cross. You can tell a lot about what is important based on what a person says before His death. Jesus prayed for Oneness.
Some people may react negatively to this concept because they misunderstand what Oneness is. Oneness is not everyone being the same. Oneness is even greater than unity. The idolaters were united when they build the Tower of Babel as a monument to their greatness. Demons can be united in their fight against God. Oneness comes when we are united around God's heart and His plans. Oneness comes when we are in harmony with the song that creation sings and God desires to make as He restores all things.
When we are in Oneness, we will realize that we need each other. We will value the differences that make up the whole. We will see that there are no unimportant parts or visions as long as God is directing what we do and who we become.
So why be part of a church? The answer to that question is simple. If we belong to Jesus, we have no real choice. We are yoked together with other believers through Jesus. He is the head, and we are the parts that makeup the body.
More than that – we need each other. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Christians should meet to worship, encourage, fellowship, serve, learn and journey together. This can be done in many different formats. Relationship to each other and God is essential. If you are in a big church, make sure to be community and deep personal relationship with some subset of that church. While you can't know everybody well, somebody should know you well enough to provide help when you really need it. And you should be able to trust them enough that you will receive from them when the time comes.
Many of the things in modern churches exist more because of the traditions of men than pure Biblical doctrine. These things can get in the way at times. But they are not necessarily evil unless we allow these things to become too important. Some people go on a crusade against everything that is not like what the early Church experienced. Well, I don't see these same people outlawing automobiles or modern plumbing.
Should all Christian women walk around with their head covered? I wonder how well that would go over with most women today. Societies and cultures change. While truth stays the same, the earthly realities where we apply those truths are not a static thing. We should take the concepts, practices and doctrines of the early Church as use them to develop Biblically-based fellowships and lifestyles that will impact people today. This requires us to understand the cultures and times of the early Church. Then we can separate what is absolutely essential to the Christian life from what was best for them at that time.
I guess when you get right down to the essence of what makes something the church, the answer lies in a person. And His name is Jesus.
