The more I think about it, the more I like the term “organic church” better than house church. It might not ultimately matter, but I think that the term “house church” doesn’t fully express the idea of what I feel Church is really all about, not to mention what we do.
Do I believe there are some practical advantages to meeting in homes? I do. But is it more spiritual because it is in a house? Of course not. In fact, I’ve seen and experienced some of the most unhealthy groups that happen to meet in a house.
I’ll go into more detail on this soon – I’ve got a new series coming that should piss most people off – but I do believe there are some real limitations with the building mentalities that much of the western Church seems to cling to. But that doesn’t necessarily mean homes, per se, are the answer.
All this to say, Frank Viola has a paragraph of a definition on his blog about organic/simple/house church. He’s been, for better or worse, a fairly prominent voice in the modern house church movement. Anyway, I liked the paragraph. Here is the link for his blog. The paragraph is below:
Organic church life is profoundly simple yet endlessly complicated. It satisfies the deepest longings of the human spirit but frustrates the soul and bids death to the flesh. It’s at the same time rewarding and maddening–it is without a doubt the greatest spiritual experience a mortal can know. Why? Simply because God has chosen the ekklesia in her organic expression to reveal the glories and the riches of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to bring to this earth the fellowship that exists within the Trinity.
Now, the reason that I like his “definition” is that it exposes one of the most important but little discussed aspects of organic church life.
Let me say at the outset, that I’ve read much of Viola’s stuff, and our fellowship is one of the few, if not the only, group in the Atlanta area that I know of that actually lives out the principles that he expounds upon. If there are other groups, I don’t know about them. Some have made valiant attempts, but they have come and gone.
This is not pride on my part. It just happens to be true. Our fellowship is truly built on two main foundations: open worship and living the Christian life together as a family.
I’ve seen others attempt open worship, but it always breaks down when you have neo-traditional type leadership that feels it is their job to control things. I’ve seen many attempt to have more “community”, but ultimately they resort to programs and special events to try to get people to “show up.” And most “small group” ministries have a hard time just getting people to participate, much less go deeper in real love and living life together.
Part of this is that many of us still think that church is something we “go to” not something we “are.” The “go to” part allows us to separate the rest of our lives from the fellowship of the saints.
But another part of the difficulty is what Viola describes as “rewarding and maddening.” True church life “satisfies the deepest longings of the human spirit but frustrates the soul and bids death to the flesh.” To call it “simple”, while true, misleads some because it becomes “endlessly complicated.”
We love the rewarding part. But we quit way too easy with the maddening aspect.
Viola is describing a reality that few are willing to deal with. Like I said, I’ve seen groups come and go, and ultimately, these “house churches” fail because they are unwilling to make the fellowship of the saints a priority, sacrificing other parts of their “individual” lives. And then when they do try to get deeper with others, not only is it extremely inconvenient, but now it becomes difficult to love people when you see them in their entirety, as works of progress with issues that are near impossible to love … only possible with the grace of the indwelling Christ. Oh, and not to mention, we have to be vulnerable enough to let others see the same imperfections in our own heart and life.
So we quit. It is much easier to have an organization make things more convenient for us than to show up and be held accountable for the divine nature that lives within us. It becomes discouraging when you don’t see people change. It becomes disheartening when you don’t notice a change in yourself. It hurts when people don’t notice you the way you feel they should. It becomes “maddening” when things seem insecure and all you have to fall back on is the love of Christ within the Body.
And that’s not even counting the little practical issues that you deal with in a smaller, more organic setting. Someone says something theologically you seriously disagree with. Do you still listen when they speak the truth from the Spirit other times? Or the guy that was kind of a jerk to you yesterday has an important teaching that the group needs to hear. Can you get over that? Or the kids were too loud and rambunctious in the meeting, making it difficult to concentrate.
And no solution to any problem is permanent. There are always new situations, new challenges, new things for everyone to deal with and endure as a family. What worked last week didn’t work this week. What is God revealing to us through His Spirit about what to do next week? That takes a maturity most people would rather pay a pastor to be for them.
Believe it or not, these things accumulate quickly. And the enemy does a great job of getting you to think about “what you need” and “what is right for you” and “your rights” and suddenly you’re out. That’s it. It’s just too hard.
We have a lot of visitors to our meeting. We have several “peripheral” people who always have a list of excuses as to why they can’t come. Most of the time, I feel much like Jesus, who never once gave validity to any excuse. Either you’ll give what it takes to have the reward of such an organic life or you won’t. And those who put their hands to the plow and “look back” aren’t even worthy of the Kingdom, or in this case, the true rewards of organic church.
Most of the time I say something like, “Wait six months. This issue you have will be resolved. It will seem unimportant and minuscule. Then a whole new problem will present itself and you’ll have to endure and grow through that, too.” In twenty years, most of the things we get so upset about seem pretty freaking silly. But quitting instead of enduring has eternal consequences on our character.
What is funny to me, is that sometimes people invite others to our meeting who are confused and “seeking”, thinking that “house church” is more conducive to people who aren’t sure about their walk with Christ and have lots of questions. They are always more than welcome. But, to be honest, organic church only works for those who are completely dedicated to Jesus Christ and to loving His people without exception. Organic church is “seeker-friendly” if what you are seeking is the end of yourself and a healthy challenge to live a righteous, holy life. You either “man up” and commit yourself to these things or you bolt for a myriad of excuses.
Let me close by saying that Viola is describing a reality that a few of us have truly laid hold of in our fellowship. And the difference is astounding. But the frustration was more than many are willing to even consider. So we see them when they visit and love them when we can. I cannot, however, “buck the system” by bending over backwards and giving into every demand or validating every excuse. I would be shortchanging the reward waiting for those who would endure past such things.
As a side note, I’m not trying to say we’re the only church around that does anything right. I know many sound fellowships and godly people who do not choose to buy into organic church, at least enough to live it out. But if you’re interested in the kind of organic church that Viola and others discuss in books, we are living it out in reality. We are a bunch of imperfect vessels that have much room to grow, but we’ve tasted something that most only read about in those books. I’ve been committed to these principles for years. What some call “organic church”, I just call the Church and the truth. I am unapologetic about it being a better, higher way. I would be doing something different if I felt it was equal among other paradigms. This is too hard, otherwise.
There is no other option for me. When I get discouraged or disheartened, I realize like Peter answered Christ when he asked, “are you going to leave me, too?”
There’s nowhere else to go. I’ve seen and tasted the fruit of true Body ministry in my own life and the lives of others. That’s the revelation it takes to endure. Without that revelation, I would have quit “organic church” years ago.
Peace.