Considering a Functional Ecclesiology

My wife, Paula, is a dietitian and health coach who has spent a lot of time studying a thing called Functional Medicine. It’s pretty much just what it sounds like. Instead of focusing on making your symptoms go away without addressing the root causes of those symptoms, functional medicine tries to restore the body to proper function.

There’s a lot wrong in the Christian Church today. A lot! We all know it, and there’s a temptation to spend a significant amount of time talking about how this group is doing this wrong and that group is doing that wrong. This is yet another problem. We spend far too much time complaining about what’s wrong, and not enough time figuring out how to fix it.

I’m a big proponent of home fellowship. It’s not that I think there’s anything sinful about having a building and a paid pastor; I just think there’s a better way to do things, and I’ve been trying to figure that out. We heard about a “house church” conference happening in Houston, and even though it was being put on by a group with which we would probably have significant theological differences, it still sounded like a worthwhile event.

The host described his vision for a “Church of House Churches”, decentralization, distributed leadership, and “declergyfication” (which might be what Yeshua meant when he applauded the Ephesian assembly for opposing the Nicolaitans). During a break I told Paula that this sounds like the ecclesiastical version of functional medicine: a Functional Ecclesiology. Not just pointing out what is wrong with the current system, but going back to the Scriptures to see how Yeshua and the Apostles did it. The host’s organization has done some really amazing work actually helping people and building communities of believers.

One of the things that really struck me was how close his vision is to what I have been thinking about for many years, but just haven’t been able to find in the Torah movement, whether in Messianic Jewish synagogues or Hebrew Roots home fellowships. I don’t think the answer lies in rebuilding the Sunday church on a different day, but it’s also not in small, isolated home groups with no real connection to each other. There is a way we can be united, despite our small sizes and great distances.

There’s nothing especially wrong with having a church building with a worship team and a fulltime pastor. There’s nothing wrong with a close-knit group of friends meeting for Bible study and intimate fellowship instead of going to a church to be lectured. Just like there’s nothing especially wrong with managing the symptoms of a disease. These things only become pathological when they become a substitute for real community and discipleship, real Kingdom building. They’re not sinful. They just shouldn’t be normal.

As we’re beginning the Fall Feasts, our local fellowship will be thinking and talking about what the Body of Christ is really supposed to look like, not only based on the example of the Apostles, but also on that of Moses and of the righteous kings of Judah. We’re going to be talking about who we are and who we’re supposed to be. What does the Kingdom of Heaven look like embedded within the kingdoms of men?

Can the Torah movement move beyond being reactionary rebels against the church system–constantly on guard against anyone who looks like he’s trying to be the “authority”–into fulfilling our true calling as disciple-makers for Yeshua? Can you? I’m not exactly sure where we’re going from here, but we’re changing the status quo. We’re going somewhere.

Comment to let me know if you’re tired of the weekly book club meetings and ready to do something real.