In a lot of my recent experiences and conversations the question, “Is the c(C)hurch still relevant?” has been asked, most often indirectly, but most recently as direct as possible. And I’ve been stewing in this of late – even posting this question on my FB page. Here are some responses from this posting and then a few wandering (truly) comments/thoughts of my own:
Kim Conway A question at a brief conversation just before I got home tonight: Is the Church still relevant? (I was trying to get the person to define church – aka, structure…body…universal…) What do you think? Is the Church still relevant?
Griffin…
it is debatable. many people’s understandings of/expectations of/desires for the church are utterly irrelevant. certainly the beauty, grace, and love of god are relevant. there’s a short circuit somewhere.
Jim…
If we believe it is the Holy Spirit that calls, gathers, and enlightens the whole Christian church on earth then the body of Christ in the world, The community of faith, is still relevant. I am not sure we are responsible for its relevance, God is. I think we are called to be faithful with what the Spirit calls us into and calls us to do.
Julie…
I think the better question is “what is relevant?” Usually that means “can it do something for ME?”
Erik…
the big “C” Church, as the Body of Christ, is and always will be relevant. The little “c” churches become irrelevant when they stop doing the work given to them by Christ a.k.a. love God & love neighbor and start operating as a club or discount service organization where you can get the ritual you want, when you want it all for a low, low price.
Edward…
As long as you’re asking that question, there’s the potential for relevance; I suppose the question/s may be: relevant how, for whom, why.
Me…Erik …
It’s the fact that God is responsible for its relevance that keeps me going. God’s love for us will keep going no matter what us stupid humans do to mess it up. Even if not one stupid human is left who even tries to get it, God still loves us and that is relevant, even if we don’t know it.
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I keep saying that we need to define what we are speaking about when we say “church.” Are we speaking of the local congregations and the national/international structures/bodies that we call “church?” Or are we speaking of the universal body of Christ? You see they are different and it matters. It matters because if we are speaking of the local and concrete bodies (or clubs as some have described them) then I think we are in a serious moment of discerning relevance, or even over-relevance. Has the local/national congregations/communities sought to be so relevant that they have wholly and fully abandoned the central meaning and “otherness” that is the central meaning to their gathering?
But the universal Church, the body of Christ itself is beyond relevance. You see, relevance is all about what does it matter to “me”…and the body of Christ transcends all of that, and is in fact the central importance for ALL. If relevance is about what is matters to me, then the relevance of the body to all people – you, me, him, her – is beyond our comprehension.
So I give thanks that relevance is God’s work and that my work is about being open to doing my part in the work of God in the world. And when I blow it and totally screw things up – the relevance is still not my responsibility.
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