From a post by Jeremy Myers, which I had bookmarked to respond to and have just come back to:
When it comes to people who claim a connection with God, there are “church people” and “God people.” Church people focus on what they are doing for God, and God people focus on what God has done for them. Check out this quote from David Bosch’s book Transforming Mission:
Kingdom people seek first the Kingdom of God and its justice; church people often put church work above concerns of justice, mercy, and truth. Church people think about how to get more people into the church; Kingdom people think about how to get the church into the world. Church people worry that the world might change the church; Kingdom people work to see the church change the world (p. 378. He is quoting Howard Snyder, Liberating the Church).
And here is what gets me the most: In my experience, there are not a lot of “God people” or “Kingdom people” in the typical Sunday gathering of the church. Most of the “God people” we’ve ran into recently don’t “attend church” at all. Why do you think this is?
I am glad to say that in my church there are “God people” and “Kingdom people”, as well as some “church people” but we are working on them. I don’t think I would continue to “attend church” if it was full of “church people”. But we are still struggling to get beyond the mindset that the best way of getting people into the kingdom is to get them through the church doors.
Agree with the sentiment here but completely disagree with the idea that there can be “God people” who don’t attend church at all. The bride of Christ, the church, is here to build the kingdom, the only authority in the kingdom we have is if we’re *under* authority. So while I agree, we need to be kingdom focused in the church, the idea of rogue christians fighting for justice outside the church is completely outside of God’s design.
Kyle, I agree with you. I certainly don’t support “rogue christians fighting for justice outside the church”. If I was in a church that was full of “church people”, I would look round for a church that was not, or for some like-minded Christians who I could meet with as an informal church, rather than simply not “attend church”.
Peter,
Thanks for the post! I read your blog every day!
I see I caused some confusion by saying that some “Kingdom people” I’ve ran into recently don’t “attend church.” What I meant by this, and probably should have clarified, is that they focus on “being the church.” They do gather regularly with other believers for mutual edification and so on, but not in a way that some would consider “church.” They are still being the church together, but it is not on Sunday morning for 70 minutes to sing 4 songs, shake someone’s hand, and listen to a 30 minute sermon.
Hope that helps a bit!
Thanks, Jeremy. Yes, that is how I understood your post. Perhaps I needed to give more context to avoid misleading people like Kyle. I could say that I don’t “attend church” in the way you mention at all, although I am present at our 90 minute Sunday morning session and usually busy doing things, except during the sermon – not as a pastor but as a lay member who serves in various ways rather than expecting to be served. But for me this is only the tip of the iceberg of “being church”.
Thanks for the clarification.