Micro-Church

Hats off to Howie.

I’ve been mulling this over throughout the weekend after Howie and I talked about it Friday night at a lock-in we were running.

I’m really excited about the idea of Micro-Church. What is Micro-Church I hear you ask? Well, within the laws of physics, one must assume that if there’s a micro church there must be an opposite: mega church. We all know what mega churches are. The sprawling suburban worship centers with five services per weekend and 15 pastors on staff. So, micro church-the actual opposite of mega church would be mini church, but that denotes a level of weakness or inferiority-would be the equal and opposite reaction to mega churches in all their glory. A small group of people, humbly and quietly gathering together at a church, or at a home, or in a park to talk about, pray about, sing about, learn about God. A few points of interest:

The church has become deluded. These mega churches-in my opinion-miss something big in the message of Jesus Christ, humility. Mega churches have bought into the American ideal that bigger is better, which is contrary to Jesus’ teaching on the last and the least and the lost. In Borat (whose wisdom will be discussed in the post below), Borat ends up asleep on the street in front of a church. The camera wakes up with Borat still sleeping on the church porch and the Sunday morning worshippers going out of their way to walk around him. 15,000 people, worshipping together in a 25 million dollar church, in a upper middle class suburban neighborhood---doesn’t sound anything like the last, least or lost. Doesn’t sound very marginalized at all. The message, mission and purpose of the church have been lost to the pursuit of numbers on the membership roles or the pursuit of the biggest Family Life Center.

The solution is going back to the base roots of the church. A few people gathering together, mostly in homes, to read and study scripture, sing hymns and talk about living as Christians. These few people collect gifts or dedicate time to serving the marginalized in society. This group may OR MAY NOT be associated with a larger church, or church conference, as simply a branch off of a mega church. This is how almost all denominations started-the Christian church, the Protestant church, the Methodist church.

Two problems:

The issue is the interpretation of our great commission, to make disciples of all the world. I think we can spread the love, compassion, justice and peace that Jesus teaches and represents without making our churches big and ugly and impersonal and inauthentic and Americanized and computerized and polarized. So, how do we make disciples of all the world and not let ourselves get too big for our own britches?

The second problem is keeping these groups of a few people gathering together to simply and humbly experience life as God’s kids together theologically informed. The potential for sectarianism and, at the most extreme, cultism is high. Becoming overly private and separated from other groups goes against the relational aspect of church. On the other hand, we live in a time in which its easier than ever to be in touch with people. So, possibly, online communities of these micro churches, something like myspace, is a way to keep them together and united as a body.

The emergent church tried this. They broke out on the claim of anti-organized church and being the alternative to big, faceless suburban mega churches. But, then they grew and grew and have now organized into a church corporation of their own.

Anyway, sorry this is so long. But its been awhile and this has been on my mind. Comments on Micro-Church are welcome. Stay tuned for yet another post today on Borat!