What Makes a Church?
Dead Ends and Live Options

 

I. What Gathers the Church?

The practice of procession

"Wandering" Israel (Ex. 40:36-38, Num. 2, 10:11-28)

Bringing the Ark of the Covenant (2 Sam. 6)

Torah procession (hakkafot) in the synagogue (Orach Chaim 149:1, cf. Josh. 6)?

Triumphal Entry? (Rodney Clapp, A Peculiar People)

Roman imperial parades

Procession helps indicate what gathers the Church

 

II. What Makes and Mediates the Church? Dead Ends

1. The circumcision party: Works of the Law (Acts 11:2, Gal. 2:12-14)

2. Gnostics: The "secret knowledge" of the elite (cf. Acts 8:18-24)

3. Donatists: Moral purity of leaders (cf. 1 John 2:18-20; Rev. 2-3)

4. Social clubs and mystery religions: The members themselves (Acts 17:16-21)

 

III. What Makes and Mediates the Church? Three Live Options

(see Lesslie Newbigin, The Household of God)

1. Apostolic succession, a formal connecting over space and time

Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican/Episcopal
Worship begins with a processing organic, sacramental hierarchy

Effect: Stress on formal structure, intolerance of ecclesiological difference

2. The Word preached (and sacraments rightly administered)

Lutheran, (Reformed, Wesleyan)
Worship begins with gospel proclamation and response

Effect: Marks of the Church come from fidelity to Scripture

Effect: Doctrinal statements and schisms multiply

3. The Holy Spirit's powerful presence ("this is that," Acts 2:16)

Pentecostal, Baptist? (And the others too?)
Worship begins with inspired praise

Effect: Indifference to polity, openness to innovation and historical heresies