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 Column:  Balancing Acts  Issue: August 16, 2005
Beginning in the church (Part 1)
by Tom Beutel
August 16, 2005
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Tom BeutelSince March, we have been looking at issues related to peace, justice and nonresistance as presented in Article 22 of the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective [1995] of the Mennonite Church USA (see <http://www.mennolink.org/doc/cof/art.22.html>). This article is rich in challenges to Christians of all denominations as it presents God's will for peace, especially as revealed in the birth, life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

God calls us to action-and that action arises from our worship, where we come to understand that God calls us to both charity and justice:

Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, "Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land." Deuteronomy 15:11

Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:23-24

The witness of Mennonite Church USA against violence in all forms is prefaced with the powerful and important qualifier, "Led by the Spirit, and beginning in the church." This phrase qualifies the subsequent specifics by making the church's witness subject to the leading of the Holy Spirit and by directing it first to the church itself.

This focus, "beginning in the church," is a crucial one. It is not intended to mean "withdrawal of Christians from the world," although that is something to be wary of. It is not intended to set the church apart from the secular world in a way that is exclusive and divisive, although this, too, is a potential pitfall. It is not intended to ignore the reality of the suffering and hurt that exists in society. It is, instead, intended to call the church to "first, take the log out of your own eye" (Matthew 7:5, NSRV), and to "let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

The admonition to "[begin] in the church" is a call that echoes from many quarters. Here are some examples I have run across recently.

  • "Don't Go To Church, Be the Church"-T-shirts sported by youth from Kidron (Ohio) Mennonite Church

  • The "church must be the church"-Ron Sider in The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience (Baker Books, 2004; see <http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2005/001/3.8.html>)

  • "Peacemakers start with the church"-Susan Clemmer Steiner in Joining the Army that Sheds No Blood (Herald Press, 1991)

This idea of "beginning in the church" has been growing on me for some time now. The world is a mess. Humanity is fallen, broken, in need of redemption. But in many ways, so is the church! Although the church will never be perfect until Jesus' return, we must strive, led by the Spirit, to "obey everything that I have commanded" (Matthew 28:20). By doing so, God will be glorified and our witness will have integrity (or, as Matthew 5:13 says, our salt will not have "lost its taste").

In their book Kingdom Ethics (Intervarsity Press, 2003), Glen Stassen and David Gushee write: "It is no overstatement to claim that the evasion of the teachings of Jesus constitutes a crisis of Christian identity and raises the question of who exactly is functioning as the Lord of the church." (xi). John Roth, in Choosing Against War (Herald Press, 2002), asserts that "it seems that many contemporary Christians…are more inclined…to evade hard thinking about the concrete teachings and example of Jesus and, instead, to reformulate the essence of Christian faith in terms that are more amenable to our current cultural practices" (16). Finally, in The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience, Ron Sider claims: "With their mouths they claim that Jesus is Lord, but with their actions they demonstrate allegiance to money, sex and self-fulfillment" (review in Sojourners magazine, June 2005, 42).

The church is to be the in-breaking Kingdom of God, to provide a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God will look like when it is fully present. It is to be a "city on a hill" (Matthew 5:14). Its disciples are to be known because they "have love for one another" (John 13:35). As a family of disciples, Christians are to share all they have with "any, as they have need" (Acts 2: 45). At least within the church, we should "be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5:21). We should work diligently "as done for the Lord" (Colossians 3:23), and "in humility regard others as better than [ourselves]" (Philippians 2:3).

It is too daunting to try to lay out just how the church may need to re-form. But for starters, I would suggest a return to the basics. Everything we do within the functioning of the community of believers called the church must be led by the Spirit and grounded in the life and teachings of Jesus. For all Christians, we should intentionally understand and reaffirm what we believe as disciples of Jesus Christ. As members of denominations, we should intentionally understand and affirm our denominational distinctives. For example, Mennonites should understand and affirm their historic affinity for peace, justice and nonviolence.

As we grow in understanding and in conviction, "led by the Spirit" we need to put our beliefs into action "beginning in the church." Our structures, committees and other organizational entities should be just, inclusive and non-discriminatory. Our business practices should promote peace, justice and responsible stewardship. We should take care of one another physically, emotionally and spiritually. As we "love one another," the world will take notice and know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ. We will be salt and light to the society and culture in which we live.

Here are some suggestions for "beginning in the church," oriented specifically for Christians committed to peace:

Understand and affirm Jesus' way of peace by reading and discussing one or more of the following excellent and highly readable books:
Make use of peace resources including worship services, prayers, Bible study materials, etc., and become familiar with groups engaged in peacemaking, such as:
Take a small step in peacemaking by declaring your commitment to peace publicly. Be part of the city on the hill.