An Experiment in
“Church Life”
by Dene McGriff
Is a dynamic living church life where everyone is a participant rather than a spectator, where everyone brings a psalm, a hymn, a testimony or revelation, even possible in these days? This has been described in Chapters 18-20 in the book Recognizing Apostasy and Deception, but is it possible today? Where would I find such a living community of saints? How could I be a part of such a “body life”? Where do I find it?
The problem is that Christians don’t know what to do. They don’t know where to turn. It is an oxymoron to say that Christians tend to be found in churches. That’s what they do. That’s where they go for fellowship. But when they get there they find a stultifying, self-perpetuating organization – not a living organism where every member functions. The pastor sits on top of the hierarchy (even though there may be a board of some sort). He is expected to do the heavy spiritual lifting – the counseling, the message on Sunday, the organization and all the rest that goes into running a “church”. Members find themselves relegated to less than meaningful tasks of ushering, passing the offering plate, setting up chairs, working in the nursery, teaching Sunday School (the only legitimate spiritual function so far) and baking casseroles for potlucks. Other than that, they follow along with the order of worship – sing the songs selected by the music group, pray along with the pastor’s invocations and listen attentively to the message and so on.
I’m not attacking the pastors. They are doing their best. They are doing what they are expected to do. That’s their job. But I am attacking the pastoral system because it perpetuates what is basically a one man show and keeps the rest of the members from having a meaningful opportunity for outflow and ministry. So how can we change the system?
The Problem
A friend, Pastor Joe, came to me and said, “Something is wrong in my church. We are going through the motions but don’t seem to be growing. I’m so tired. I give it my best week after week but we don’t seem to be really getting anywhere. Using the old analogy, I’ve been working my tail off fishing, cooking and serving it up to the congregation, but I’m not teaching anyone else to fish. So what if the Lord gives me fresh revelation week after week? Why can’t others have the same experience? I seem to be dragging folks along and I’m getting tired. What can I do to revitalize my church?”
I looked at him and said, “Has it ever occurred to you that many in your congregation, especially the younger ones, are chomping at the bit to be more involved, to share what the Lord is doing in their lives, but they just don’t have an opportunity? Do you know that many don’t even want to invite their unsaved friends to the service because they don’t think it is relevant to them? Do you know that many in the church have a real desire to start up their own ministries but don’t know how? Do you know that many members are looking for something more, especially the older Christians who have heard the same thing over and over again?”
“Well yes,” he said, “I know that some feel that way. When I read the Bible, the early church doesn’t seem to have much resemblance to what we are doing today. How do we get people more involved? How do we get them into the Word so they can learn how to get fresh revelation from God? How do we get them into ministry? In seminary they teach us how to start programs, identify “spiritual gifts” with surveys and such, but it doesn’t seem to be working. I know you said you had experienced something akin to the “early church life”, in your past, so do you have any suggestions? What can I do?”
“Pastor Joe, the problem is not easily solved. You have to be willing to radically change the way you think and do things. Your congregation is going to have to be willing to completely change the way they think about “church” and your role in it. It is going to take some time, some training and relearning. You have to see that your job is to equip the saints so they can minister. Your church needs to become a living ministering church – to one another and to the world around. I’m willing to help, but are you willing to do what it takes?”
Pastor Joe looked at me and said, “you know Dene, I’m willing to do anything. I am so tired of doing it all, I’m about ready to quit. I’ve been at this for twenty years and I feel like I have failed. The same loyal core is there but the rest of the congregation seems to be living on milk, if you will – just going through the motions. I’m willing to do anything even if it means working my self out of a job. I want to see people growing in Christ and ministering to one another. What can I do? Will you help?”
The Transformation
“Joe, you are about to turn your church upside down so we need to lay a little ground work and take it step by step. You can’t stop doing what everyone has been used to over night.” We talk a little about the church, their services, meeting times and so forth and decide that the best way to begin is on Sunday evening. We will fellowship before hand and do a “tag team” meeting where we will begin to lay it out to those most interested.
I meet with Pastor Joe and the elders and deacons to lay out the plan. There is some skepticism but basically support for going forward with the plan. I assure the leaders that this isn’t a gimmick or just another program, but will require their commitment and support. The goal is to turn the whole church from an organization into a functioning organism.
Joe announces to his church the next Sunday morning that in a week on Sunday evening we are going to start having special meetings with the goal of having a meeting where everyone has an opportunity to participate. That won’t happen the first meeting which will lay the groundwork with the help of their “church” consultant and they introduce me.
Before the meeting begins, the chairs are placed in a circle. There is no leader to look to – only the Lord, and you find that removing chairs from rows facing the pulpit will redirect attention and expectations.
Week #1
The first week, there is a pretty good turn out which includes the core leadership and about a third of the adults in a church of about 400. I begin, “over the next few weeks, you are going to experience the “church life” in much the same way as the early church, but we are not the early church. There is a couple of thousand years under this bridge. A lot has happened. Precedent has been set and accepted so we are going to look at what the Bible teaches about meeting and practice doing it ourselves. You are going to find a new and fresh relationship with the Lord. You will learn how to feed on the Word of God and get your own fresh revelation. You will learn how to practice the presence of God, live in the Spirit, hear His voice and follow His leading. You will be so full of a fresh experience with the Lord, you will be dying to come here and share what the Lord has done in your life with your brothers and sisters in Christ. This will become the most exciting time of the week as you look forward to sharing the Lord in your life and seeing what the Lord is doing in everyone of your friends here. Your relationship with the Lord and one another will go to new levels you have never before imagined.
“You know this intellectually, but now you have to experience it. Church is not something you go to. Church is what you are. You are members of His body, members of one another. Every part is important.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (I Corinthians 12: 14-26)3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:3-8)
In fact, you need to be connected to the body for life. We supply life to one another. Every part does its share for the building up of itself in love.
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16)
“The church meeting should be the expression of the reality of Christ we have experienced during the week. This does not mean the radio program we heard, the Christian book we read or the wonder experience we had five years ago at camp. No, the meeting is the fruit of what we have experienced this week. And when we come together, we all have something to bring to the meeting. We come…
filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 5:18-20)
26 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. (I Cor 14:26)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)
I go on to say that their goal in the next week is to experience the Lord by spending time in the Word and letting Him speak to them, by prayer and praise, by praying for one another, by obeying the prompting of the Spirit to do something for someone or speak to someone about the Lord. They are to come back with a prayer, a word, a song, a psalm.
Week #2
The format for the second week is to give them a little teaching beginning with one of the most basic things – the three part nature of man. Most Christians don’t understand the concept and confuse the soul (the mind, will and emotions) and the spirit (the conscience, intuition and fellowship). Christians think that increase in knowledge will make them more spiritual or they want to “feel” God’s presence. Certainly the soul is important, but the Lord dwells in the “human spirit” – the holy of holies within man, the part that is “born again”. So many get saved – that is, their human spirit is made alive but they go on in their soul or flesh. I could write a book on this, but the key is in I John 1. God is light and we need to learn to walk in the light (verse 7). What does this mean practically? It means that we open our heart and let the Holy Spirit shine His light into our conscience. We confess our sins and can then enter into fellowship with God.
I know this may sound pretty basic but most Christians don’t realize how important this is. Dealing with our conscience and letting the blood of Jesus cleanse us is the starting point for fellowship. Then, when you read the Bible, the verses jump out at you. You will have that quiet intimate fellowship with the Lord and then your “intuition” clicks on and the Lord speaks to you in that still small voice, perhaps telling you about something in your life that needs to be dealt with, or something you need to do or a decision you need to make. The human spirit is like the switch on the light. It takes practice. This is what your pastor does (whether he explains it in these terms or not) when he goes to the Lord. If you feel the Lord is far away and there is no fellowship, the Bible is clear, there is only one thing that stands between you and the Lord – unconfessed sin.
Anyway, this is basic to the Christian life. The next thing we do is start a practice “body life” meeting. The first thing we are going to do is to open our hearts to the Lord and ask Him to shine His light in us. If there is anything to confess, we do – quietly between each one and the Lord. Then we take a few minutes to praise and thank Him for who He is and what He is doing. I tell everyone the object isn’t to offer a 20 minute prayer, but to conversationally talk to the Lord being sensitive to the Spirit’s leading of the whole body and to pray in a few sentences following the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is in our midst as an orchestra leader and the Lord will inhabit our praises. You will sense His presence. He may lead one person to start the whole group in worship through a song. Another follows with another song. Others will be led to intersperse singing with prayer.
Then we open it up for everyone to share what the Lord did in their lives this week. We are amazed at some of the wonderful testimonies. We encourage folks to keep them short and sweet so everyone has an opportunity. We also encourage everyone to enter in and just like any family, you will have some off the wall things occur just like they would at a family dinner with a table full of kids from preschoolers to high school. But we learn by doing.
An interesting outcome is that the Holy Spirit convicts if we are sharing “head” rather than “heart” knowledge… if the Lord really worked in our lives or we were just making it up. But at the end of the meeting, we are all challenged to go back to the drawing boards and endeavor to let the Lord work more fully in our lives the next week.
Subsequent Weeks
This way of meeting may be foreign to us but we don’t get in a rut. We vary the format. Sometime, we begin with just quiet for a few minutes trying to sense the move of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we may be led to worship in prayer – others just in song or other times people are so anxious to share they start popping up excitedly with testimonies. You will find that the more sensitive everyone becomes to the Holy Spirit, the more a meeting will flow with a theme and you discover that the Lord is dealing with many on the same thing or He is leading everyone to thank Him for His faithfulness or worthiness and the songs, prayers and testimonies will follow so beautifully as you are led in worship.
As time goes on, people understand they don’t come to a meeting to GET but to GIVE. If a meeting falls flat (as sometimes happens), it is God’s way of exposing us as Christians acting the part rather than living it. The meeting should represent the surplus, the culmination of what the Lord did in our lives. We should come full of praise, worship and testimonies because we experience a living God…not just a few of us, not just the pastor and a few leaders but every single member. We need to learn how to let the life of Christ flow through us in love and building up for one another. We are not there to receive, criticize or evaluate but to share the riches of Christ.
Ephesians 3 sums it up pretty well:
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,[c] 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.1. It talks about being strengthened through His Spirit in the inner man (the human spirit we talked about).
2. The word comprehend also means “apprehend with all the Saints”. We comprehend and apprehend the love of Christ with all of the saints not as lone rangers.
3. Glory is to Him by the church – not the stain glassed buildings, but the blood washed saints – that church – not a mere building but “a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the spirit” (Ephesians 2:21-22)
There is so much to show the saints that the church is organic, not an organization and is dependent upon the function of all of the members. He also gives gifts for the equipping of the saints. The secret to the church life is when every member discovers their gift, whether in prophecy, serving, teaching, giving, evangelizing, exhortation, etc. This comes from the working of the Holy Spirit in each member.
But we function in order and with restraint. The strong and mature ones who would normally dominate a meeting need to defer to the younger saints and encourage them to enter in. The pastor is there to strengthen and equip the body, not to do all the work but to equip the saints.
As time goes on, folks begin to catch on. There are a few bumps in the road – some trying to take advantage of the freedom, but that is where the mature leadership comes in keeping it on track. This can usually be handled by a “Thank you for sharing. Now let’s let others have a chance”.
Every meeting isn’t perfect. Think of the church as a family. Parents are there to keep order, but not to preach to their kids every meal. Children need to be given the opportunity to make mistakes and learn by doing. The church life is about opportunity and expectations. Every saint needs the opportunity to participate and we expect to see the growth of Christ in their lives.
As the saints becomes more accustomed to this way of meeting, the Sunday morning meeting changes as well. That’s for later.
Conclusion
So what do you think about all this? Do you think it could happen where you are? Well, I’m sorry to say, this was a very vivid dream I had this week. My prayer is that there will be some pastors out there who will have the courage to abandon the “canned” service with its “order of worship” for a Spirit-led body life experience. It can be done. I have experienced it. We need a little help, a little guidance and a little reorientation for it to happen, but it can be done.
Saints need their eyes opened to see what the church really is – the Lord working in every part… “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:16).
The antithesis of this living body of believers is a dead body of believers. Saints who come to observe and be fed once a week who have nothing to share, who have no outflow, no gifts or ministry, are dead or at least on their death bed spiritually. Let’s be honest. If Christians don’t have the opportunity and expectation of being a living, functioning member of the body of Christ, they will be dead spectating pew sitters.
My prayer is that saints across the world will discover the simplicity of the true “church life” – in contrast to the planned lecture style meeting. If the body of Christ is to be alive and relevant on the earth in these last days, every part needs to be alive and flowing the life of Christ, supplying life and encouragement to the members they are knit to and expressing that love and life corporately to the world. Our meetings need to express the living Christ working in our lives.
Feel free, if you dare to forward this on to pastors and leaders. There is a yearning in the body of Christ for something more than our traditional churches have to offer. What I shared here is far more then your typical home meeting or bible study. It is the essence of the church life. It can be experienced in large groups as well as small.
If this has touched your heart, feel free to contact me any time.