Churchless Christianity appears to be on the rise, with many Christians giving up on regular church service attendance in favour of podcasted preaching, MP3 worship and online communities. According to research from the Church of Scotland, some 44 per cent of five and a half thousand people who were interviewed described themselves as Christians but said they didn't attend church. On a personal level, I have met countless people who have either left church or are halfway out of the door. So let me give a heartfelt plea and a biblically-informed apologetic for why gathering as church should matter to all of us:
1. The Holy Spirit compels us towards unity
"No Harry, no! Don't look at the light!"
"I can't help it, it's so beautiful."
It's one of my favorite scenes from Pixar's smash hit A Bug's Life. Harry the moth can't help himself as he instinctively flies towards the electric light. Its a bad move and it doesn't take long before his wings get burned. Sometimes I feel like Harry on a Sunday morning. I know how challenging church life can be. I have more often experienced heart-break, criticism, rejection and bullying by other Christians than by atheists. But no matter how many times I have been burned, I keep coming back for more. I meet many people who say the same. Paul's letter to the Ephesians helps us understand why when he writes: "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:3)
Because the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of unity, he drives us towards other believers, to engage in their lives, to help us demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit and to use the gifts of the Spirit. How else could we practice patience without encountering frustrating people? How else could we engage discernment if there were not helpful and unhelpful prophecies? How else could we build unity if there were not gaps to be bridged? Yes, the Spirit is driving all Christians together, and it is his work to build the church of God. But notice the paradox. We are called to "make every effort", in other words participate fully in the process of unifying a broken church. This Spirit-powered unity that is in the heart of all believers requires our co-operation and action. It requires our presence in the church.
2. Churchless Christianity is not healthy or sustainable
A shiver goes down my spine every time I see a motorbike speeding down the motorway with a large pannier on the back labelled "Organ Transplant". The idea that wrapped in ice, a once-beating heart is now paused to hurtle down the motorway at 70mph before being transferred into another chest and re-started is pretty mind-boggling. Weird yet wonderful. I try not to get squeamish when I read Paul's metaphor of the church as a body (Ephesians 4:4 and v.12). Without a church to belong to, we are a little like that vital organ speeding down the motorway. We were built to be part of a body and although in exceptional circumstances we can exist outside of it, this is not a safe or healthy mode of existence. And the longer we remain outside the body, the more dangerous it becomes. Equally the reason that the motorcycle courier is speeding is that somewhere there is a body waiting desperately for that organ, which can only be artificially sustained temporarily. There is a church somewhere that needs you. Without you they are not in a healthy or safe mode of existence. There is a symbiotic connection between our spiritual health and the church's. We were built to flourish in a church body and the church was built to flourish with us in it.
3. Churchless Christianity squanders talent
There was a strange moment in the Euro 2016 football championship when the best goal of the entire tournament was scored by a player who was not signed to a local football club. Robson Kanu from the Welsh national team scored against the highest ranked team at the tournament; a goal worthy of any world-class football player. It consisted of a Cruyff Turn wrong-footing three Belgian defenders and then a top class finish in the net. But for all Kanu's skill, he had no home team to help him use his potential.
For many Christians their spiritual life is like a football match. Most of us spectate and cheer while a few talented players perform up front. But Christianity is not supposed to be a spectator sport. We are supposed to identify with those on the field playing our separate parts for the sake of the team. Paul's list of different gifts of the Spirit in Ephesians 4:11 is not an exhaustive list. He mentions "apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers." He focusses on speaking and leadership gifts but explains that these gifts are given to "equip his people for works of service." Church is not supposed to be one preacher talking and everyone else passively listening. We all have a ministry to perform for God whether in the church or in the world. We are all called to use the gifts we have received, and our gathered time of worship together equips us to do this. Trying to live the Christian life without the church is like Robson Kanu trying to play without a club. Talent is wasted, and opportunities for doing good for God's Kingdom is squandered.
4. Churchless Christianity leaves us underdeveloped and immature
Its cute when a toddler makes "brrrrm brrrm" noises as she pushes a toy car along the kitchen floor. But when a 40-year-old man tries to do the same with no children in sight, you know something is not quite right. Children are cute, but when we continue to behave in an infantile way as adults something important is lost. When we deliberately "play-act" our Christianity, resisting maturing and growing in our faith, we fail to become what we were intended to be. Some people live as if they are too mature for church – they complain that the church bores them, the teaching is too shallow, the worship too repetitive. Their attitude reminds me of when I was a stereotypical moody teenager who thought I was too cool for my family. Many times I would seek to minimise my contact with them, and try not to go out in public with my parents for fear of being embarrassed. In hindsight I can see that my stance was a sign of immaturity, not maturity. Paul argues that it is through the ministry of the church that we become mature. We need to be connected with church, sticking with it however strained that relationship gets at times, in order to see us through to a position where we stand firm and mature in our beliefs.
We the church members need to play our part in committing to our local church. We need to work with, not resist, the Holy Spirit's inner compulsion to build a united body of Christ. We need to recognise the symbiotic relationship between our spiritual growth and the growth of the church. We need to steward the talents we have received very carefully to see where are the greatest opportunities to use all that God has given us. We need to stay connected through the phases of development of a church until we reach maturity.
But there is another side to the story. Believers have a responsibility, but so do churches. Those of us in church must make sure we are inspiring unity, valuing diversity, releasing ministry and promoting maturity in our congregations. Without a radical shift in the way we welcome not only newcomers but also old-timers, we risk de-churching a whole generation.
Why not spend some time meditating on Ephesians 4:1-11, and ask God to give you a greater passion for being a part of his church?
Rev Dr Krish Kandiah a contributing editor to Christian Today, the founding director of Home for Good and an author and speaker. Follow him on Twitter @krishk.
For more in his series on Ephesians, click here, here and here.
