Another of the hurdles to clear in applying those tenets of a Distributed Church philosophy is an institutional mind-set.
Let's be honest. Or, as comedienne Joan Rivers has made a living asking, "Can we talk?" I don't imagine that there is a congregation anywhere which would readily admit that they operate with an institutional mind-set, but most do. Survival has become the prime-directive of the local church. We have come to view people as resources that facilitate effectiveness and growth - and we need to gather those resources, and then (I apologize in advance for the vulgar word I am about to use) assimilate them into little church people. Gifts and abilities are, more often than not, coveted with an eye towards internal application. Pastors and church leaders, more often than not, are moved to hour upon hour of in-focused ministry.
This inward focus causes a competitive reality to exist in the church across our society - though we all try to ignore it.
Recently, in the news, we witnessed one of the most pathetic sights I recall seeing - video tape of an elderly man being struck by an automobile in Connecticut. The accident itself, however, wasn't the hardest part of the video to watch. As the man lay bleeding in the street a number of bystanders, who witnessed the accident, did nothing to help. Instead, they stood on the sidewalk a few feet away and gawked at the man laying in the middle of the street. If that weren't enough, we watched as other automobiles continued to travel the street, some pulling up within a few inches of the man in the road, the driver's head poking out the window for a closer look. Most Americans watched that video with great shame.
That's a very accurate picture of how much of the church reacts when scandal or division rocks another congregation in their area. People stand at a distance, watch the tragedy unfold, and wonder how many families will soon be looking for a new church home.
1 Corinthians 12:25-26 speaks of each part of the body having equal concern for the others. Paul goes on, "If one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers". When is the last time you saw that in practice in the church in our culture?
Let me ask you this: How would things have looked if among all the curiosity or indifference on that Connecticut street, one individual ran to the center of the street and gave assistance to that man? How would it have changed the picture for us if one person would have thought of another before himself? How would it look if one congregation took a different tact when another local expression of the Body of Christ was in need? How would it look if one local expression of the Body really bought into the "when one part hurts..." teaching of Scripture?
You have to wonder.
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