It's in our songs. It's in our writings. It's our most basic approach to spiritual life in America. It's even celebrated in many of our church cultures. However, it is foreign to the faith we see in the New Testament. While reading through the Gospels and early church letters, you may come across an individual's experience but the majority of these writings contain words like you, yours, and ours. When the biblical writers wanted to convey the finished work of Christ, they would say that He died for OUR sins. Does this make any difference? I believe it does.
Individualized Christianity makes the church all about us. It exists to meet our needs. Whatever happens there (the building), happens for me. It's a very Western, uniquely American, brand of Christianity. The focus is upon the individual rather than the whole. How does the music affect me? How does the preaching/teaching affect me? How does the schedule, ministries, and meetings fit me? While I understand American culture, and our way of life, this type of approach moves us out of a body mentality into an individual member mentality.
I actually began thinking about some of this on Sunday...during worship. I noticed that one of the songs had quite a bit of personal reflection. It often talked about "my" _______________________, and "my" ______________. Thinking of the Gospel as a message to the masses, I began to sing about "our" _____________, and "our" ______________. This slight pronoun change absolutely wrecked me. As I sang these words, I felt the Father's heart. A heart that beats for the entire world. In that moment I began to realize how often the Holy Spirit longs for us to recognize the Father's gift to US. The Bible does say, "For God so loved the world..." He desperately wants to reveal "the surpassing richness of His grace in kindness towards US..." The more I sang about what He accomplished for US rather than just me, the more I felt His heartbeat. I could feel His compassion for the world. I could see how our uniquely individual Christianity has hindered us in conveying the Father's intentions.
This should not have come as a surprise. I've known for some time now how we have missed out on the Koinonia (the shared life). I just didn't realize how many of us are climbing the spiritual ladder of success all by ourselves. "Our" faith makes a huge difference in how I grow. I can no longer be content with becoming a spiritual giant. There is a cry within me to bring others along in the journey. I can no longer be content with the church just being an entity that is present to meet my needs. NO!!! I now see that I have a part to play. I now see that whatever I experience in the Lord is meant to help others, and their experience is meant to help me. I need these people. I want to be a part of their lives.
In Koinonia, there are no spiritual ladders to climb. There are no spiritual hoops to jump through. I find myself in relationship, and in this place of relationship is where I am safe to become. It's here among the sons and daughters that I see the Lord so vividly. I experience different aspects of His nature. I grow. I share. I move freely. I hear His laughter, I sing His songs, and I discover the grace needed to be conformed into His image. This fellowship, this community, is where true leaders (true fathers) emerge. They don't stand out to be placed on a platform. They don't grow so they can create a following. Their maturity in the Lord is meant to bring others along. It's real, relational, and revolutionary. In it I see a picture of Jesus with His disciples. I see their life together. I hear their questions. I feel their anticipation as they move our of "discipleship mode" into "apostle mode." All of that time spent with Him, now coming to fruition. Then they turn to others and create the same culture. "Come and walk with me..." And the world is turned upside down.
You are an individual. Nothing can take that away from you. However, if you truly want to become all that God has created you to become, you need relationship. You need to learn how to do life together. You need to come out of the individualized version of Christianity and step into the Koinonia of the Body of Christ. It is here that you will learn of Him. You will see Him in the midst of these people. You will discover Him within you on a greater level because they will pull Him to the surface. This is where the advance of the Kingdom gets it's foothold. In you...in them. Let the journey begin!!!
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