What Does it Mean to be Church?
Here’s a few thoughts and questions which have come out of ongoing discussions with Christian Peace Witness friends about the meaning of church:
Thoughts:
- We must save Jesus from the church, raise the church itself from the dead.
- A new Reformation is required in which the purpose of religion itself is re-imagined in community. Faith is experiential, not propositional.
- Arguing over the metaphysics of Christ divides us. Agreeing to follow the essential teachings of Jesus unites us as imitators and animators, not passive believers.
Questions:
- What does it mean to be a Christian?
- How do we follow Jesus’ teachings today in this time and in this place?
- What kind of God did Jesus reveal?
- Are we spiritually crippled by our desire for cheap grace?
- How can our faith become biblically responsible, intellectually honest, emotionally satisfying and socially significant?
- How can church become a place of free and open inquiry, radical hospitality and spiritual sustenance?
