gutting it [underconstruction #2]

Peter continues to challenge 1st Century mariginalized Christians to become a community (1 Peter 1:22-2:5), the spiritual house God is building them into. A community that will be God's living and local presence in their culture. But for this community to truly become community, they must grow towards that goal, and it won't come easy.

So chapter 2 starts with these words: Therefore, RID YOURSELVES of all malice... deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies crave spiritual spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up...

Peter's goal is seeing these Christ followers grow into a Christian identity and community. If this doesn't happen, their witness will likely not survive in their culture.

Eugene Peterson translates this verse: SO CLEAN HOUSE!!

Most construction projects usually need a deconstruction phase. You often need to gut something before you build something else. In Peter's letter (specifically 1:22-2:5) it's relational characteristics that need to be gutted if this church (or churches) will grow into God's intended design for them as a community in their culture.

Taking the challenge further, is there anything that needs to be gutted as God builds a community into his living and local presence in a culture (spiritual house)? Here are a few things I've struggled with the last few years as I've tried to reorient my understanding of the church:

Gutting the idea that the church is a building
Peter calls us living stones and a spiritual house, indicating the church is less about brick and mortar and more a living-local community of God in our culture. (buildings are useful, but they will not be what defines the church)

Gutting the idea that the church is event oriented
Peter challenges us to live among the culture (2:5, 12), not necessarily invite the culture to us (though this can happen well in certain environments or for specific purposes). In this letter's context the church unlikely had crusades, seeker services, or events for the community to come to. They we're marginalized and persecuted, so they likely lived their faith within their culture... and as people took notice, took interest in Jesus, and became followers of Jesus they eventually became part of the church community. (although I doubt it was in steps and much more natural and fluid; i.e. someone could have become part of the community before they trusted Jesus fully)
(realated: Gutting the idea that we can make an impact in our culture by what we do inside a gathering; as great as a gathering can be there will never be interest in what happens inside if there's no interest in what happens outside)

Gutting the idea that you can divorce spiritual nourishment from mission
Peter invites the church to CRAVE for Jesus, the Living Stone, who is the source of their spiritual growth and formation. Our lives grow in worship and witness - being living and local - as we grow in Jesus. For the church to thrive in a culture it must be constantly craving towards spiritual formation (becoming like Jesus in character, action, what one cares about). You can't build a spiritual house on periodic meals just like you couldn't possibly survive physically by eating 2-3x per month.

Gutting out the idea that programs make better people
I wonder about the idea that a program will fix your child or teenager, that a course will make your marriage better, that an affinity group will cure all life-stage complaints. This stuff might be helpful, but I imagine a community with intergenerational mentoring, encouragement, challenge, and support. No program in heaven can substitute for an environment where people mutually share, care, and support one another.

Gutting the idea that the pastor keeps the church going.
pastors can lead, but not sustain
pastors can teach a community, but not make a community
pastors can love people, but not make them love each other
pastors can connect to people, but not make people connect to each other
pastors can creatively come up with ideas to be God's community in their culture, but God calls each Christ follower to be a spiritual entrepeneur in their culture - being an extention of God's living and local presence.
In essence, WE are the church who build each other up (see Ephesians 4:11-16).

Lots of us have started or joined new churches with misunderstood ecclesiology (theology of the church). Lots of us came into new settings with old worldviews. Whether you never understood the church, or just acquired false layers of understanding along the way, consider some things you need to gut out and allow God to grow you into his design with his foundation as a starting point.

Is there personal characteristics you need to deal with 1st (2:1) that inhibit you from contributing/connecting to your spiritual community?
Which of these gutting ideas for the church do you resonate with?
Which do you still struggle with? Which do you disagree with?
Is there anything else we need to gut in our understanding of the church so God can fully build us further into his spiritual house?

* the following weeks will focuse on the building blocks (next week: home base)