THE CHURCH HAS EVOLVED AND IS STILL EVOLVING

By Kathrine Koo

As days, weeks, months and year passes; people and things around us keep changing. Our worldview, culture and lifestyles changes rapidly. Is it good to embrace such changes? Go figure! - People change, and we do need to change. Well, not all changes are bad, and most times, though we do not like it much, change does bring about good things as well.

But as we look at the Church, has the Church change throughout the centuries? To me I would say YES! All through the history of Christianity, from whence the church first began with the apostles to our current times, we have seen the church changed and evolved so much, and I find that with these changes, did we lose out the real meaning of what church is?

Just a simple illustration with the picture below:

3 cross counting from far right. Initially the design of a cross is usually simple and plain but it evolved to a more modern design with diamonds (middle cross) then it evolved again to a postmodern design where it is simple but yet sophisticated. What do you think? Does it still look like a cross?

Coming back to the CHURCH… it started off being the traditional church during the times of the apostles, and then as culture moved into a more scientific age, the church had to evolve into a modern church or state that would fit the culture of the times. And these days, we have and influx of the postmodern church or emerging church which stresses on being relevant to the current generation. What do you think? Does it still look like a Church?

Something to think about:

We have been talking a lot about what is the church in the blog posts and in class, but before we ask the question about what the Church is, I think we need to define what Christianity is? Sometimes we talk so much about church, but, did we miss the mark, about what we’re supposed to do as a Christian, someone who bears the mark of Christ?

To me, we are the hallmark of Jesus Christ and we need to put great effort in walking with God. Being an authentic Christian as a disciple of Christ and thus making disciple of Christ. This I call Church!  

 

What is the church?

By Tabitha Ong

Growing up slightly more postmodern than my parents or church would've preferred, the subject of emerging churches catches my attention..

The freedom in which to be able to live and function as a community of believers that isn't bound by traditions, red tape, fears of "what-ifs".. The promise of an atmosphere of acceptance instead of judgment that pervades is what draws an influx of Christians disillusioned or bored by the confines and rigidity of conventional and traditional churches..

The current trend of young people that are postmodern, seeking more than just religion or a "doctrine" of a relationship they could have with a higher being.. To be a part of something larger than themselves, that would actually make a difference in the world.. To find connection that accepts them for who they are, pushes them to be better in whatever they do..

The article in Christianity Today "Five Streams of the Emerging Church" gave a brief on emerging churches, the 9 practices that define them:
1. Identify with the life of Jesus
2. Transform the secular realm
3. Live highly communal lives
4. Welcome the stranger
5. Serve with generosity
6. Participate as producers
7. Create as created
8. Lead as a body
9. Take part in spiritual activities

The church's purpose according to Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Church" is firstly to Worship (Loving God with all our hearts), secondly to Ministry "Loving ur neighbour), thirdly to Evangelism (Go ye into all the world), fourthly to Fellowship (baptising them into the family), and lastly to Discipleship (teaching them to obey)..

Why does the traditional or conventional church seem so unattractive to this current generation, and I'm thinking that we do need to evaluate what needs to be done to be able to offer or present Jesus that makes it relevant..

Church service as temple worship?

Posted by Terry George

From my observation, most contemporary church-goers has considered the church “sanctuary” or the place where the corporate worship is carried out to be some kind of “holy place” or a “temple” where they come into God’s presence to worship. Although not explicitly said, but I think many in the local church subconsciously treated the church service or prayer meeting as something more spiritual or sacred in comparison to other kinds of Christian meetings such as home meeting/cell group or Bible study meeting. No doubt that since a church service is obviously more formal and organized compared to the other meetings, then I guess naturally it will be more esteemed. However, have we as new covenant believers unconsciously (or ignorantly?) transferred the Old Testament paradigm of temple worship into our religious practices? Have we also unknowingly regarded pastor as the NT equivalent to the OT priests or the worship leader/team as Levites?

Therefore, I strongly feel that the contemporary church needs to be biblically educated in the theology of Christian worship since there are many elements/forms of worship found in the bible (that is in OT) that are not directly “transferable” into NT perspective. Since Christ has fulfilled the OT laws, under the terms of the new covenant, it is either only Jesus is our high priest (Heb) or we have the priesthood of all believers (1 Pet). Jesus himself becomes the temple (Jn 2:13-22) or the church as a whole or as individual Christian is the temple (1 Cor 3:16-17; 1 Cor 6:19). Even the language of worship which in OT is so bound up with the temple/holy place and sacrificial system has been radically transformed by what Christ has done (cf. Jn 4:19-26, Rom 12:1-2).

So what are we to make of the contemporary church service? How do we understand what it means to come together for corporate worship? Is the praise & worship part of the service becomes our “offerings of worship” unto the Lord? In what way (if any) individual Christian’s acts of worship different from the corporate worship of the church?

The Church.

Greystones - St. Patrick's Church (Church Of Ireland) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

John Macquarrie said this :

Probably more gets written on the Church nowadays than on any other
single theological theme. Most of this writing has a practical orientation.
We hear about the Church in relation to rapid social change, the Church
in a secular society, the Church and reunion, the Church in missions. But
however valuable some of the insights gained in these various fields may
be, they need to be guided and correlated by a theological understanding
of the Church.

But what actually is the right understanding of the 'church'. Is it the Ekklesia, the congregation of saints? The building, a denomination or a fellowship? In this day and age, it is difficult to ascertain the actual church that  Jesus initiated to what it has developed into today.

Has the church today developed with society, with current ideologies and concepts? What is the church to you? Are we the church today, living up to what God meant us to be and are we projecting a correct Theological Foundation in our structure of our church today?