Church of the Happy Sky Fairies
Most people’s ecclesiology is decidedly gnostic. Somewhere along the line we broke with Rome and we also decided to break with an actual meaning to words like “one another,” “leaders,” and “submit to.” Community became this romantic ideal that we experience merely through “organic” relationships. Submission became a sexist, patriarchal sort of word. Leaders were unnecessary (until Seth Godin wrote his book Tribes.) But God intended for grace and obedience and love to be tangible. In other words we’re supposed to be able to point at them.
So when the author of Hebrews orders us to submit to our leaders. That should mean something. When John goes on this ridiculous tirade about us doing things for one another-he actually meant a defined community where that phrase meant something and could be obeyed. When we are told that we should be careful that there not be among ‘us’ an evil unbelievingly heart-we should have a clear understanding of whom exactly who we’re supposed to be keeping watch carefully with.
But these ideas have become de-physicalized. ‘One Another’ has come to mean either everyone or no one. Leaders has become a theoretical group of ‘them’ who hold no real authority and no real responsibility beyond what we may ask them and only until we tire of their authority. The church has become a community of sky fairies. More like a gas than a tangible community of people who we are actually answerable to God for.
Jesus said ‘they’ will see your love for one another and know that the Father sent Jesus. Which means all this is terribly tangible. We talk at Park Church about how we weren’t meant to live this redeemed life alone- but maybe what we should say is you can’t. Like not only is it not recommended, it’s not possible. In other words, the attempt is futile and an act of rebellion against what God has told us to do.
Stop worshipping with sky-fairies. Be answerable to someone. Be accountable to something beyond your own wayward conscience. Belong. It is good. It is costly. It means surrounding yourself with a bunch of people different than you and trusting some people to lead you who may not seem to be as clever as you. I know you have plans, and dreams, and bills to pay, and whatever-obey Jesus. Reorient your life. Redefine your goals. Tether yourself to a place and a people where the Gospel is proclaimed and bearing fruit. Find some place that has elders/leaders/pastors who are actually going to expect things of you-beautiful, wonderful things- but something beyond a tithe. Stop worshipping at the cloudy church of the foggy ideal. Start living with the messy church down the street.
