A living organism

We all know what a living organism is, it's a plant or an animal or even a bacterium. But in terms of church life, what do we mean by a 'living organism'?

A living organism

Church is very much a living thing. Together, we are the 'body of Christ'. Paul says that each one of us is a part of the body - a toe, an ear, an elbow. It's in this sense that we belong to one another. And let's always keep in mind that Jesus is the Head of this body.

So why is it that very often we make church into an organisation? It's usually done for the very best of reasons - for efficiency, even for effectiveness, to conform to what we are already used to, to recognise leadership, to manage things well.

But think about reproduction for a moment. Organic things reproduce, they always have automatic ways to do this built in at a fundamental level. Trees produce seeds, an acorn or a maple 'helicopter' will fall to the ground, germinate, grow, and have the capacity to produce new trees.

When Jesus spoke about growth he often used living things to illustrate his meaning. He talked about fig trees, grapevines, yeast, grains of wheat and so forth. He only mentions church twice in the gospels, and he doesn't choose synagogues or the Temple or the Sanhedrin as illustrations. He speaks much more about the kingdom of heaven, and he uses organisms, not organisations, as illustrations.

Does our normal experience of church fit that pattern? If not, why not? If we can begin to see church as an organism, not so much as an organisation, many of us would feel the need to make some pretty fundamental changes. This section of JDMC explores these ideas and encourages fresh thinking about what church is and how it operates. Here's a brief extract.

You don't need to make the church grow. All you can do is help the process start and provide the right conditions. Take good seed, bury it to the right depth in well tilled and manured ground, make sure it has enough water, keep away weeds and pests and your job is done. There will be a good harvest, but it might take a little time and patience.