Change Without Chaos . . .

WHAT MUST THE CHURCH OF CHRIST DO TO BE SAVED? (19)

      The term "Change Without Chaos" was used at a workshop recently held at the Preston Road Church of Christ in Dallas, called" A Church That Connects." It was sponsored by Hope Network and was conducted by Lynn Anderson and Jeff Nelson. Its purpose was to instruct, inspire, and encourage Churches of Christ to be a church that "connects" by making the right kind of change. The larger-than-capacity attendance was seen as evidence of "the hunger sweeping our fellowship." It is a hunger for change. The Churches of Christ are dying for change, they said.

      When I say in this installment that if the Church of Christ is to be saved it must become a changing church, I am not calling for change simply for the sake of change. The change must be positive and creative, displacing attitudes and methods that are no longer effective. The change must be in keeping with the mind of Christ, free of gimmickry, pride, and competitiveness. And it must be change without chaos, not unduly disruptive and threatening. It must be a balanced change that shows respect for the traditions of the past, the demands of the present, and the possibilities of the future.

      Change! The old Greek philosophers saw change as basic to the nature of things. Heraclitus, one of the seven wise men of Athens, insisted that everything is in a state of flux. One cannot step into the same river twice, he insisted, for the river changes between steps. There would be no growth except for change. Only God changes not, and that is because he is perfect.

      It is not a question of if we change, but how we change, for we are all changing all the time. So with churches. In a changing world it is essential that the church changes. It is folly to talk about being a first century church in a 21st century culture. We are to be a 21st century church with a first century faith, but not a 21st century church with a first century methodology, or even a first century view of society. Any institution that survives the centuries must change as the world around it changes or it will be ineffective. This is especially true of the church.

      So, we borrow a helpful term from the Dallas workshop on change — "Change without Chaos," but we will add "but with Purpose and Meaning." That is what the Church of Christ must do to be saved: Effect purposeful and meaningful change, free of undue disruption and chaos. I say undue disruption because change cannot help but be somewhat disruptive for some people. But change need not be chaotic. We may have to rock the boat but we can avoid capsizing.

      For change to be purposive it must consider the mission of the church as "the pillar and ground of the truth" in a lost and troubled world. To do this we must change the way we think about a lot of things, such as our attitude toward other religions and other churches. Purposive change may also demand that we see ourselves in a different light, not as a people with exclusive truth but as a community of believers in a search of truth with all other community of believers.

      For change to be meaningful it must be more than cosmetic. It must actually turn us in new directions — away from the backwaters of our sectarian past. We must do more than to elect more elders and change the order of worship. We must view leadership in a different light, with elders serving not as a corporate board but as leaders among equals. We must become a church in communication with itself, with an equitable and democratic decision-making process. We must re-examine such mentalities as "the authority of the elders" and "decisions handed down by the elders." How about decisions "passed across" in a way that involves many in the congregation?

      Purposive and meaningful change may call for substantial alteration in the way we view and conduct worship. We must see worship, not as an assembly to carry out certain "acts of worship," as if to conform to some check-list, but as a fellowship in the Spirit of all God's children, sharing the presence of God. We must move from seeing God as the prompter, the minister as the performer, and the congregation as the audience to seeing the minister as the prompter, the congregation as the performer, and God as the audience. Worship is to serve and praise God, not to please and satisfy ourselves. We must outgrow the mindset "to please as many in the congregation as possible" by thinking in terms of adoring and glorifying God.

      The prayers of the church is a vital part of this. Rather than the wooden, predictable, repetitive prayers by the same limited number of men, Sunday after Sunday ,let there be some joy, excitement, and spontaneity. And when God's family gathers to pray may only the males address the Father?

      Reading of the Scriptures must also be taken more seriously, planned and prepared. It would be helpful to follow the calendar of readings used by other churches, planned so as to give a balanced diet of much of Scripture, year after year. It is one more way to share with other Christians, with all of us sharing and thinking about the same portion of the Bible, week after week. And let the women do much of the reading.

      The assembly of saints is also for the building up of the church. A principle that transcends time and circumstance is: "Let all things be done for edification" (1 Cor. 14:26). Rather than thinking, "Will anyone be upset if we make this change?," let it be, "Will this edify, strengthen, and build up the church?" And this is the answer to those who resist change, those who are upset and say "That is not the way we've always done it." But it is edifying, we must learn to say.

      This means we will experiment in worship, trying new things, especially ideas and methods found effective in other churches. Others have led the way in making some vital changes, and they are growing as a result. We must either lead or follow — or get out of the way, as Iacocca put it on TV.

      To do all this without chaos we must lay proper ground work for change. We must not surprise people with changes, especially in worship, leading them to respond with, "What next!" We must "talk out" new ideas and methods, involving the entire congregation, before they are tried. The most effective way to do this is in small groups. When a church meets in homes once a month, which is a change many churches have recently effected, it is the ideal place to create the climate for other changes.

      If a woman is to take part in a Sunday morning service for the first time ever, plans must be made well in advance. And it must not be done at all until the right climate is created and there is general agreement. This can never be realized until the leadership takes the initiative and works for change. Those with objections are to be treated with forbearance. It is to be pointed out to them that they do not have to have their way, and that it becomes a Christian to be yielding. When such ones cannot adjust to changes that are deemed necessary for the good of the church as a whole, the congregation will have to allow such ones to go elsewhere, always of course with a love that is slow to let loose.

      I was interested in some of the suggestions for change in the Dallas workshop, which those attending found very encouraging. The main emphasis was on "Music that makes sense," noting that for this generation music is the "coin of the realm." The workshop presented a variety of musical renditions — solo, choral, antiphonal (groups singing back and forth to each other), and congregational— with a wide variety of songs, but all acappella, with no suggestion that instruments be used in the changing Churches of Christ. Among the handouts at the workshop were dozens of new songs, some written by our own people, songs of joy and praise.

      The workshop laid out a number of principles of change for the people to take back to their congregations, such as a church must first see the need for change, and change does not come without resistance. It also suggested that change will generate less heat if options are kept open. Change will not come immediately, and when it is effected it will not last unless it is carefully nurtured.

      Finally, the workshop suggested how we can "think" change by realizing that there is no way for the future to be like the past. Nor will the future be what we expect it to be. It also noted that change is more likely when an atmosphere of trust is created.

      For Church of Christ folk to hold a workshop on change is itself a testimonial to our capacity for change. And the workshop had to turn folk away who wanted to attend!

      Don't sell our people short. The Church of Christ will be saved, after all, by effecting purposive and meaningful change, without chaos. Hopefully sooner, but , if not sooner then later. — the Editor