Bible or not....churchiology or Christian?

The following postings are part of an exchange on the Fairlawn-West UCC, Akron, OH congregation listserv recently:

I.
The Bible is not to convince people of the existence of God or to believe in Jesus Christ. It is for those who have a relationship with God and follow Jesus Christ. The indication that there are people within the life of the body of Christ, the Christian Church, who argue with a great deal or even deny the message of the Bible, indicates how much the Church has lost its roots. We all have argument to some degree, but not to the degree that the Bible is called "outdated" or "irrelevant." If it has become that for folks, no argument from me. Only...why then seek to be part of the body that is guided by the Book of Books of the story of God's people?
David Loar

II.
Great post! The Bible is often used as a weapon.
Why do people seek out church?
Partial list...1. Looking for a substitute for family.
2. Status
3. Sense of belonging
4. Education of kids
5. Social outlet.
6. Looking for meaning
Any others?

The question that flows from this is what do we do with people who areseeking for whatever reason. The real evangelization happens after youwalk in the door.

Clare

III
Clare, important issue you bring up...how do we set clear boundaries andyet be extravagantly inviting to a wide circle? Remember...our mission is to serve...not to get members. Serving and inviting to experience are different than calling for dogmatic, orthodox belief. Yet, if we are clear about our faith, and what motivates us to be extravagantly hospitable, we will also be clear about our own boundaries as a community.

For instance, the most risk taking and far reaching Christian communities to protect Jewish people during the Holocaust/WW II in Europe were the clear boundaried Christian communities of the Mennonites and similar groups. The more "open", culturally flexible groups were afraid to risk it. Action was prompted by a clear boundaried community of faith.

Here ins the US for at least 5 decades, mainline churches like our own have not had clear boundaries. They have sought to be more "socially acceptable" and to get people to become "members." At the same time, their identity of faith AND especially their ability to take courageous action in the world around them has diminished if not disappeared. Bu tmany local "christian" (the small "c" is intentional) churches now have scads of members who are more entrenched in "churchiology" than Jesus Christ. And since the bottom line in people joining was implied "Are you a warm body?", there has been no accountability of faith and action.

So, now when the culture no longer props up the "church" and the Christian Church if it is to be known as anything of worth has to become more clear with itself, let alone the world around it, about what it believes, finds itself entangled in internal debates because no one is clear about what WE believe. They are all clear about what "I" believe, but that isn't a community of faith is it? That is a membership organization with a lot of individual members.

In this time of being challenged by the world around us about who we really are and what we really believe, longer term "members" have felt that the rug has been pulled out from underneath them. They have not had to deal with this faith and belief stuff before. They just joined the church. However, the truth be known, they weren't really a church all along. The closest they were is what John of Patmos calls the church of Laodecia in the Book of Revelation...a lukewarm church. And he says a group of people who deny Christ are better than a lukewarm church.

David