"The Way We Do Things"

I often find myself aggravated when I discover an organization of my affiliation making political statements of support for a candidate in the political forum. The National Education Association and Texas State Teachers Association are often on the opposite side of my belief system and yet I see them come out in support of candidates I would never support. I have often objected to this because the membership was never polled to determine if even a percentage of the active group believed in the statement of support. The honesty and integrity of various organizations is often found lacking in this area when communication with the membership and a statement reflecting a percentage of support from the membership given in representation of the complete organization would be an easy task.

In our church congregations, we often find ourselves in the same hierarchy of decision making because we have created something for the church of our Lord replacing Jesus as the head of the church. In our attempt to copy things from the first century congregations, with very little, if any, guidance from God in the bible, it is easy to recognize how we have appointed people as the decisions makers for the local church. It is so odd how I was part of those who condemned the Catholic Church and the other denominations for having this hierarchy of decision makers and yet I was guilty of the same thinking. I was even taught to use this characteristic of having a hierarchy to define those who were denominations and later it became the basis for me being able to understand how my own heritage of the churches of Christ was actually a denomination. Basically, all of us who have been part of church groups have been part of denominational structure after coming out of individual homes.

Moving back around to the point of this blog, referenced in the title, I have considered who is supposed to be the decision maker for the church body. In my thinking, the bible only indicates one head of the church and this is Christ! The Church (body of Christ) does not have a main part of the body, separate from the head called upon to make decisions for the body but rather a condition where all parts work together under the direction of the head.

My understanding of the bible has me believe each part of the body works to support each other but no part of the body gets to tell the other part NO! There is no one in the body of our Lord given the authority to tell another Christian "you can't do that" or "this is the way we do things." If this exists, I would sure like for someone to show me where it is. I often hear other Christians communicate a directive to other Christians describing how we are to obey the instruction of our elders and I still don't see anything in the bible replacing Jesus as the head. Elders are not called or appointed in the bible to be the decision makers for the body but rather the spiritual leaders. The very qualifications we are asked to consider in men who would be elders is a life without reproach and life they are living as an example of how we are to live.

The simple explanation for the conflict which exists within the body of Christ is found in those who first, believe there is a need to be right and second find a need in their own lives to tell another Christian what to and not to do. It is not enough in our lives to live the life Christ lived as an example and nothing more. We have to make others into ourselves.

I am encouraged to hear of so many congregations who are giving up on the concept of elder directed congregations in favor of elder led congregations. Many have examined the false doctrines of their past and realized the error of placing Christ (as the sign says) in a co-pilot seat.

My dad used a phrase I believe might have been used by many adults in the past of telling me not to do what he did but do what I was told. I must say that I have used this phrase many times and I don't believe it was the true philosophy of my dad (particularly in his last years) but it has been a policy very close to the one we have traditionally held in our churches of "do what I do or else you are not welcome as a brother."

Christ said "follow me" and even the apostle Paul said "follow me." The focus of what to follow is not found in rules but rather a life. Just my opinion, but the body needs to focus on following and, in reality, becoming Christ to the world.

I look forward to a time when someone told "you can't do that" or "we don't do that here," to simply say, in a loving manner, "who placed you at the head of the church?" The local church body may want to do something or not want to do something but it is not the position of man to say no or yes, but rather the body to say yes or no. The body is ready for the task if only each part will do what it is called upon to do and not try to instruct the other part of the body.