Beyond Charity: What are the marks of an authentic church? (part 3/5)

All of us who are churchgoers, and some of us who are not, have in our minds certain ideas of what to look for in a church. For those of us who are committed to a local church, we like to believe that what we look for in a church is what the Bible says we ought to look for. But the truth is, I suspect, that in many cases we take our own personal preferences equally seriously, and it’s important to be able to distinguish between what we prefer and what’s in fact substantially right or wrong.

Perkins laments the various lines that divide the church, the seemingly insurmountable lines that are sometimes theological, but quite often racial and/or preferential. What we need, he suggests, is a theology based God’s desire for reconciliation. With 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 and 1 Corinthians 12:13 in mind, he says rather boldly:

To reconcile people to God and then to each other is the purpose of the gospel.

That’s a strong statement. But if people are to know we are Christians by our love for each other, it’s also a statement well worth mulling over.

If this church stuff seems a bit off-topic for a series on serving the poor, consider that if community development is to be Christian, the church needs to be in the middle of it. So what are the marks of an authentic church? Consider the marks Perkins outlines, and thoughtfully compare them with your own understanding of the church, remembering that as long as churches are comprised of people like you and me, no church will be perfect. Here are Perkins’ seven marks:

1. An authentic church absorbs pain. Unlike any ordinary institution, a church is a body, and bodies feel pain. We are the body of Christ, after all, who said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

2. An authentic church proclaims hope. Wherever there is hopelessness and despair (everywhere), churches embody and proclaim that we have a reason to hope. We know that life isn’t pointless, we know that sin and death won’t last forever, and we know that God changes people in profound ways.

3. An authentic church points to God’s authority. There are all sorts of competing powers in or world, demanding our allegiance through dollars or attention or time or otherwise. But against and above them all, God stands alone as the only ultimate authority.

4. An authentic church brings people together. In the Bible, the final picture of worship we see is unavoidably diverse, and that’s by God’s design. What this looks like on any given Sunday in any given church is hard to say, but God intends for the gospel to bring believers of all kinds together.

5. An authentic church spends itself lavishly on the needy. If our church budgets are a reflection of what the church is intended for, where do the needs of the poor fit in? If they’re an afterthought, we have some serious soul searching to do. We might need to return the jumbotrons.

6. An authentic church reflects God’s character. God is not easily put in a box, but in Scripture -- all 66 books, not just Romans or James -- we are given a picture of who he is. Do our churches, made up of diverse members, reflect the character of God in a way that would lead our neighbors to want to get to know him?

7. An authentic church protects the vulnerable. We don’t necessarily need a budget line for this, but we do need a lot of love, courage and a reorientation in our thinking. In our churches, if we err on one side or the other, do we suck up to those with money and power, or do we put our necks on the line to defend those who routinely experience discrimination, profiling, abuse or neglect? Who we favor says a lot about our hearts and the God we are worshiping.

So, what is Perkins missing? What are we missing?

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