as bad as individualism, if not worse

From a recent discussion on Jesus Manifesto...


You raise a good point about my sensitivity about group dynamics and the evils of institutions (if anyone's interested, I tried to explain my reasons for it in the article "Are we the people?"). But I don't think I automatically spout "Woe!" every time the church is mentioned. Only when it seems that submission or commitment to some human group is being pushed as a demand of Christian discipleship (perhaps because, as in a previous discussion, "God is always more present to the community than to the individual"), which happens to be in fashion these days in certain circles. Not at all Jesus' message, and nothing like his life (which was seen as dangerously rebellious to the religious leaders and community of his day). It's as bad as individualism, in my opinion, if not worse. And I think the history of institutional churches (and intentional Christian communities) with their suppression and abuses committed against rebels in "the community," bears out my concerns.

I agree with your observation that Paul called people to be the church, to live up to "who they are." But then he was preaching to people who had no concept of the church, who were just learning what it was. We, on the other hand, do have a concept of church, based on our experience of the multitude of churches on every street corner (often two or three on a street corner). And our concept is usually wrong, severely distorted (perverted?) by the institutional "incarnations" of the church that are often not the Body at all. So I think our preaching has to be different now, at least breaking down false views first, by contrasting them with the truth about the Body of Christ.

And don't we see some of that in later writings about the church? For example, in Revelation, this passage that I think fits a lot of our American churches quite well:

"I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.

"For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.

"Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent." (Rev 3.15-19)

And then there's Jesus' words in John's gospel (which also appeared later than Paul's writings):

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

"If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned." (Jn 15.5-6)

Which emphasizes that the crucial part is being connected with Jesus, since he is the source of fruit and life. He is the vine; we can be part of that, but we never determine the nature or fruit of the vine. If we move away from him then we are cut off, no longer part of the vine (though we are welcome to return). We can't drag the vine down with us; the vine is Christ. But we can separate ourselves.

Isn't that what Jesus is warning us about when he says, "Apart from me you can do nothing"?