The Journey 316
Read: Acts 15:1-11
Nowadays it is not a big news when somebody tells that that such and such a church has been closed while another new church has reopened in the neighborhood. It is tragic that church’s are closing down, but the more than the tragedy of a church closing down is the tragedy of church closing itself on others. A recent news item caught my attention and this happened in England. This is with regards to an order that has been brought out by a government agency against a Church. The government agency that oversees the charities in England, has refused to grant the status of charitable organization and its benefits to Brethren Church in Devon. The reason as to why the U.K charity commission has denied this privilege to the church is because the church does not allow any outsiders to come to the church, nor allows communion to others outside the church. Normally tax relief is given to church’s and other religious organization because of the concept and understanding that these organization and church’s work for common good and are an asset in helping the community. But these day I think we as church and members of church have claimed tax cuts and reliefs without evaluating our ministry and mission as to whether we really stand for common good and for the transformation in the community. The charity commission in England has thus found The Brethren Assembly in Devon as a closed church and hence cannot be granted tax exemption status. I think not only this particular brethren church, but most of our church’s are also very exclusive church’s that caters only to a select flock or community of faithful. Sometime the church is meant only for a particular age group or may be a select group of like minded believers, or may be the church is more exclusive in terms of language and culture of the people, just as the Marthoma Church tends to exist, may because that is what our members like and are comfortable. But then we need to understand the fact that whether the church closed group or an open group, how to make the church more inclusive is something that needs to be deliberated more seriously and not something that could be brought about by passing a new bye law in the constitution of the church or through the issuing of a kalpana by a bishop but rather it needs a total change in the perception and attitude of our members and the people of God. When we look at the Word of God we will find that in the early church as gospel message was crossing not only geographical boundaries but was also crossing language and cultural barriers, the apostles took some bold decisions that made the church more inclusive and thus making deliberate attempts to see that the doors of the church are always open. This is the paradigm that we also need today in the church of today.
As we meditate on the theme “Transformed Living” the portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Acts 15: 1-11. This portion describes a landmark decision taken by the leaders of the early church especially by Peter, Paul and Barnabas. The whole issue is related to whether the church can open its doors to the gentile believers without adhering to laws and regulation of the Jewish Christians. Some of the Jewish believers who were members of the early church, wanted the church to be exclusive. They taught that if one needs to be saved, all those who wanted to join the early church, should be circumcised according to the law of Moses. Till then the members of the early church were Jews and hence they found it natural, logical and reasonable to adopt the cultural and religious practices of their Jewish culture and religion and incorporate it into their new found Christian faith. But the problem arose when they became rigid and were blind to the new avenues that Holy Spirit was creating, in spreading of the gospel message with the result that new believers from the fold of Gentiles were being added to the Church. It is in such a context that Peter stands up and makes one of the most powerful preaching and a new interpretation on what constitutes a church, just in the same way he preached before the Jews during the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Peter tell the elders that God knows every human heart and he has made no distinction between neither a Jew nor a Gentile. Hence he affirms that it is not right to put God to test by placing a yoke on the gentile believers, when the Jews themselves and their forefathers could not bear the yoke. Here is Peter bringing a new understanding of not only what it means to be saved, what the essence of gospel message is but also a fresh understanding of what constitutes the church– the people of God. Thus the council of Jerusalem paved way for the church not only to open its doors to the gentile believers but also making gospel message inclusive. The world that we live is very diverse and hence most of feel good and comfortable when we have our own exclusive relationship not only the social level but also in the area of community of faith. This has often led the church’s to become a group of exclusive believers, often converting church into an private club, where members are allowed only if they believe and practice one particular brand of faith living. It is time for leaders like Peter to come up in our modern day church’s so that we don't create boundaries and hurdles for others to join our church rather make our church more inclusive and gospel friendly and church become always an abode for other to come in and encounter Christ in their life.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla
Nowadays it is not a big news when somebody tells that that such and such a church has been closed while another new church has reopened in the neighborhood. It is tragic that church’s are closing down, but the more than the tragedy of a church closing down is the tragedy of church closing itself on others. A recent news item caught my attention and this happened in England. This is with regards to an order that has been brought out by a government agency against a Church. The government agency that oversees the charities in England, has refused to grant the status of charitable organization and its benefits to Brethren Church in Devon. The reason as to why the U.K charity commission has denied this privilege to the church is because the church does not allow any outsiders to come to the church, nor allows communion to others outside the church. Normally tax relief is given to church’s and other religious organization because of the concept and understanding that these organization and church’s work for common good and are an asset in helping the community. But these day I think we as church and members of church have claimed tax cuts and reliefs without evaluating our ministry and mission as to whether we really stand for common good and for the transformation in the community. The charity commission in England has thus found The Brethren Assembly in Devon as a closed church and hence cannot be granted tax exemption status. I think not only this particular brethren church, but most of our church’s are also very exclusive church’s that caters only to a select flock or community of faithful. Sometime the church is meant only for a particular age group or may be a select group of like minded believers, or may be the church is more exclusive in terms of language and culture of the people, just as the Marthoma Church tends to exist, may because that is what our members like and are comfortable. But then we need to understand the fact that whether the church closed group or an open group, how to make the church more inclusive is something that needs to be deliberated more seriously and not something that could be brought about by passing a new bye law in the constitution of the church or through the issuing of a kalpana by a bishop but rather it needs a total change in the perception and attitude of our members and the people of God. When we look at the Word of God we will find that in the early church as gospel message was crossing not only geographical boundaries but was also crossing language and cultural barriers, the apostles took some bold decisions that made the church more inclusive and thus making deliberate attempts to see that the doors of the church are always open. This is the paradigm that we also need today in the church of today.
As we meditate on the theme “Transformed Living” the portion that we shall use for our meditation is from Acts 15: 1-11. This portion describes a landmark decision taken by the leaders of the early church especially by Peter, Paul and Barnabas. The whole issue is related to whether the church can open its doors to the gentile believers without adhering to laws and regulation of the Jewish Christians. Some of the Jewish believers who were members of the early church, wanted the church to be exclusive. They taught that if one needs to be saved, all those who wanted to join the early church, should be circumcised according to the law of Moses. Till then the members of the early church were Jews and hence they found it natural, logical and reasonable to adopt the cultural and religious practices of their Jewish culture and religion and incorporate it into their new found Christian faith. But the problem arose when they became rigid and were blind to the new avenues that Holy Spirit was creating, in spreading of the gospel message with the result that new believers from the fold of Gentiles were being added to the Church. It is in such a context that Peter stands up and makes one of the most powerful preaching and a new interpretation on what constitutes a church, just in the same way he preached before the Jews during the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Peter tell the elders that God knows every human heart and he has made no distinction between neither a Jew nor a Gentile. Hence he affirms that it is not right to put God to test by placing a yoke on the gentile believers, when the Jews themselves and their forefathers could not bear the yoke. Here is Peter bringing a new understanding of not only what it means to be saved, what the essence of gospel message is but also a fresh understanding of what constitutes the church– the people of God. Thus the council of Jerusalem paved way for the church not only to open its doors to the gentile believers but also making gospel message inclusive. The world that we live is very diverse and hence most of feel good and comfortable when we have our own exclusive relationship not only the social level but also in the area of community of faith. This has often led the church’s to become a group of exclusive believers, often converting church into an private club, where members are allowed only if they believe and practice one particular brand of faith living. It is time for leaders like Peter to come up in our modern day church’s so that we don't create boundaries and hurdles for others to join our church rather make our church more inclusive and gospel friendly and church become always an abode for other to come in and encounter Christ in their life.
Rev. Dr. Joe Joseph Kuruvilla