Life Without Walls – Structure in the Organic Church
On my way to work last Thursday, I noticed a new billboard on Highway 494. In the 5:00 o’clock pre-dawn darkness the orange and blues shouted a message to passersby: “Windows – Life Without Walls.”
I am a Mac enthusiast. Therefore, I’m naturally pre-disposed to a critical attitude when it comes to Microsoft Windows. However, the advertising slogan that Microsoft used is worthy of some honest criticism.
“Windows – Life Without Walls.” Think about the windows in your home or office. They provide light from the outside world, protection from cold Minnesota winters, and mild entertainment when the occasional bird flies into it. Windows themselves are actually very useful.
However, a window by itself won’t do. A garage-full of windows does not benefit anyone. In order to take an otherwise useless piece of glass and metal and put it to use it must be installed in a wall. Only once it is hung on a structure does it fulfill its role. Structure is a necessity.
When I talk to people about my experience leaving the institutional church, most people falsely assume that it involves a religious-flavored version of anarchy. Images of wandering individuals and purposeless gatherings flicker through my mind. They assume that I am living “life without walls.”
Why is it that leaving the four walls of tradition conjure up visions of reckless free-for-all’s?
Truth be told, leaving the institutional church does not require a departure from order. I’m still on my journey into the realm of organic Christianity, but here are some key points that I understand thus far.
Structure is Vital to a Healthy Life
I like the word “organic” because it implies something that is living. The trees outside my window have life within themselves. The Canadian geese waddling around the frozen lake have life within themselves. Anything that is living is organic in nature.
The human body is comprised of 50-75 trillion cells. These cells are organized in varying patterns and functions that result in arms, lungs, eyes, etc. That means I am an extremely complex, organic creature!
The human body also has 206 bones. These bones provide a framework that supports my organic body. If these bones were missing, I would be nothing more than a blob of tissue. Not having a framework to hold my brain, heart, or lungs in place would result in death.
Structure sustains and protects life. Participating in an organic church setting requires structure in order to promote healthy function.
For instance, we had a handful of people over to our home last Friday night. We shared a meal, drank coffee, and talked about our experiences with God. It was unscripted and life flowed naturally from our conversations. However, it required someone to organize the gathering by inviting people, cooking food, and making the guests feel welcomed. (Shameless plug here: My wife is excellent at this!) My wife provided a context for people to gather together and share life.
We’ll look at the concept of organic leadership in a future post. However, it is important to know that it does exist. Structure can actually be very beneficial when it operates in a healthy way.
Organic Structure Is Not Predictable
During my brother’s generation, they had this novelty called a pet rock. The first Pet Rocks were ordinary gray stones bought at a builder’s supply store and marketed as if they were live pets. The fad lasted about six months, ending with the Christmas season in December 1975.
If I took a pet rock and set it on my office table, I can reasonably guarantee it would be there the next day. It would be predictable.
However, if I had a pet dog and I put him on my office table, I could make no guarantee that he would be in that same spot the next day. He may have wandered into the bathroom only to be caught drinking water from the toilet bowl. His demeanor may have changed. His energy level may be different. His living, organic nature, makes him an unpredictable companion to the pet rock still sitting on my office table.
In an institutional church format, one could reasonably predict a gathering of believers. Any given church building would probably be occupied on Sunday morning, between the hours of 9AM and 12PM. There would most likely be a service led by professional clergy, introduced with a musical number. Towards the end of the event, there would probably be a single person delivering a speech that was religious in nature. Chances are, that speech would have three points, and be followed by a congregational prayer. One week later, the entire process would most likely reoccur like clockwork.
Organic church, on the other hand, is spontaneous and unpredictable. Last night, when we met with other believers, we ate dinner and spent most of the time sharing about how we encountered Jesus in the past few weeks. The next time we gather, however, it may be on a different day, at a different time, and at another home. Instead of talking the entire time, we may pray or worship. We might decide to take a trip to the grocery store and buy a cartload of groceries for the family in need next door. Each meeting has a mystery to it.
If something has life within it, that life will constantly take on different forms.
Organic Structures Grow Naturally
Staying with the illustration of the human body, notice how the skeleton structure changes over time. A newly conceived baby, still in its embryonic stage, has no pronounced skeletal system. At five weeks, the neural tube begins to develop, which will one day become the baby’s brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone. The structure is simple and accommodates the present needs of that child.
Twenty years later, that child has been born and matured. He is now a fully developed human being. Instead of one neural tube, he has 206 carefully fashioned bones, each contributing to the overall support his body requires. Structure naturally formed within this human being. As he grew in maturity, the structure also grew and conformed.
If you are interested in launching out into organic Christianity don’t get bogged down with trying to figure everything out immediately before you begin. Start small with what organic elements you have. Let the organic structure naturally grow over time. You do not need to designate “elders” and “deacons” right away, if at all. You do not need to set agendas to the meetings. Seek Father together, in your group, for what His agenda is. Since you’re seeking a vibrant, organic experience things may look different every time. The important thing is to gather, love one another, and focus on Jesus.
Avoid the tendency to name the group, establish roles, and set rules. Seek to make your gatherings as simple as possible. Follow the method Jesus used. The method is incredibly simple, highly relational, easy to duplicate, and centered on God. The method is found in John 5:19 - “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”
Here’s a good example to get started. Invite your friends over to your house for a meal. Either provide the food or have each person bring a dish. Sit down around a big table and, as you eat, ask one another, “How have you encountered Jesus this week?” You can also ask them, “Where are you on your journey with Jesus?” Follow the ageless slogan that I’m beginning to appreciate, the KISS method (Keep It Simple, Stupid!).
Thanks Matthew for the excellent post. It really summarizes well what you and I have been learning so far. Very easy to read too btw. And thanks for the plug!
Not so sure I agree with the “KISS” since I don’t think I’m stupid, but whatever.
I get what you’re saying.
Great post.
Hi Matthew,
I was pleasantly surprised to see you had stopped by my blog to visit.
) Thanks.
It took me a bit to remember how I found your blog. I read so many blogs each day and follow so many rabbit trails from them, it is sometimes hard to retrace my steps. But as soon as this page loaded I remembered. It was via Facebook. I noticed that David Flowers had joined a new blog network and I went to check it out. The name Raw Religion peaked my interest and so I had to check things out from there. And that is the rest of the story…. (“Paul Harvey”)
A little background… my husband and I have been part of the ‘organic church’ for most of 2008. Before that we were part of a Lutheran church in our small town. God definitely led us to where we are now and we find ourselves very blessed to be here. We meet regularly with two other families each weekend, so we have about 13 people with ages ranging from 5 to almost 50.
) We have found that each week is a gift and a mystery (like you mentioned), we never really know what we will do even when we think we have a plan to follow. The Holy Spirit changes things up each week for sure.
This article you have written about the organic church is one of the best I have read to describe the experience which is why I gave a shout out on my blog for it. Not many people “get” the concept, and I have friends and family that fall into this category. I am hoping they will read this artlce and maybe catch a glimpse that I haven’t been able to convey to them.
Thanks for your site I have used it as a go-to for one more perspective on this subject. I recently have tried to explain it myself to those that were interested. I will paste the portion of the conversation and hopefully bring another perspective. Blessings, Tim
Greetings Brothers, The following is what I pasted as a reply to a conversation with a friend in Texas and thought you might want to join in on the discussion.
What is Organic Christianity?
I am pasting some links on Organic Christianity. It’s very simple really. It’s a return to relational church rather than seeing the church as a program or institution. Gods can use all of it to facilitate the real church which cannot be defined as an organization but a living organism–the Bride of Christ. This is the eternal purpose of God to — form from his Body ( a type of ADAM) a Bride ( a type of Eve ) that loves Jesus( the Bride Groom ).
2Cr 11:2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.
2Cr 11:3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Books like ” The Divine Romance” by Gene Edwards, bring these truths out. I am still learning these eternal truths and have sooo much more to learn. I have studied the “Church” for more than 15 years now and realized I am just beginning to understand what God is after and what he desires. God has blessed me more than I deserve and its about time that I get with HIS program. Our culture will not give up it’s “religion” easily so be prepared for a battle if you start getting this revelation.
We were removed from membership from one AG church in 2007 because we were sharing these truths to our home group. My wife is still recovering from the rejection. The new AG church has received us and is encouraging us in our vision. The old AG church has lost members and has gone through a leadership crisis because of how this went down. Several members have left the old AG church and started like us with the new one. The pastors wife of the old church has come down with an inoperable condition and is not doing very well. My heart goes out to them but there is only so much we can do.
God is after our heart and religion can blind us from seeing his heart. I quoted Augustine’s Christian axiom to the old AG church and realized that I was in hot water when it got back to the leadership. I was at that time on the board and took it for granted it would be embraced, but wasn’t. The axiom says “In the essentials unity, In non-essentials liberty, but in all things Charity(Love).” Augustine was an early church Father and was the first Christian apologist. When the present church starts rejecting the truths that have been established as a foundation of our faith, beware. The religious people that Jesus had to deal with were very good in knowledge and doctrine but didn’t have any heart. Hitler had people with PHD degrees help him burn the Jews. Until the church starts loving one-another in unity we can’t expect the world to notice, John 17. Knowledge and Doctrines don’t save, but Jesus does.
It sounds like you have experienced the move of the Spirit in the past and I’m sure that was encouraging. The Spirit is the impetus by which we live and move and have our being. I am still learning how to walk in the Spirit and I am far from this reality on a daily basis. Paul says if we do we will not gratify our flesh and put to death our sinful nature. I see this as an Ideal way to walk with God but how many really do it? Organic Christianity is also an Ideal to be desired because most of us realize that we cannot do it alone. There is synergy that is created when unity is a reality in a group connected by the Spirit. This is what Paul meant when he said in,
Eph 2:22
And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
The Church should no longer then be identified by a set of doctrines or man made structures but by those unified by the Spirit. The term Organic Christianity is used to describe this as a reality.
It’s an ideal but something to desire.
I have experienced this as a reality in the past but Satan has eventually worked to destroy the unity by his lies.
I have at times experienced the flowing of the Spirit out of my inner being Just like Jesus described to the women at the well.
Jesus will eventually set up his kingdom and we will walk in these realities for a thousand years but then we will be tested again when Satan is loosed.
God wants us to be tough so we just don’t walk by how he makes us feel by these experiences but honor him for who he his.
Be careful who you share these truths with because some will reject you as a heretic. We are all at different places in our walk and some still see God as keeping the rules and doctrines within the institution.
God desires to be our LOVER and he has many love languages, so I have to be very careful not to judge others or their lack of revelation.
I’m sorry if I have been preachy but this is my passion to see the church mature and be what God intended — his LOVER.
There is so much more that can be said but I am very slow at typing. I hope you discover your own love language ( if you haven’t already) that which brings God pleasure.
I hope you enjoy (as much as I have) discovering these truths. Blessings to you and your family. Tim, Brenda, & Family
A different perspective on organic church:
http://www.thebeankc.com/jeffs-blog/2010/1/3/the-organic-church-movement-reinvigorating-the-church-or-sim.html
I left the institution over 24 yrs ago.. and have found love and growth in all of the home meetings I have enjoyed from Hawaii to Oregon.
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