Its a weird-sounding idea, isn’t it? Almost an oxymoron; or like the pastor is a moron. But what if, in difficult times, the best possible church is the intentionally small one? Over the next few weeks, we will be doing a periodic series on why CTK is a small church… on purpose. Last week: the Family of God. This week: The Small Church and Mission. Next Week: Meeting God.
Power and religion have a complex relationship. History is replete with examples of religious people (of all stripes) using the power of the sword or of the state to compel conversion, or coerce cooperation with various tenets of their faith, with results that are usually destructive to our common humanity. But recent events in the United States have demonstrated that it isn’t just political, violent power which gets used in the advancement of certain religious ideals; more powerful cultures can dominate less powerful cultures just by virtue of the strength of their institutions. Local, neighborly cultures get subsumed into the mono-culture of multi-national corporations, which have no problem doing violence to local distinctiveness. This violence is always justified with talk of the ideals of freedom, justice, fairness… but it is violent nonetheless. And it always provokes a backlash. The question is, “What kind of backlash?”
You would think then, that a community called “Christ the King” would be aimed at accumulating just this sort of domineering power. The reality is quite different. The kingdom of God comes, not by invasion, but by invitation. Not by sword, but by service. Not with a leer, but a laugh. Not by force, but by farce. A holy farce which sits, laughs, listen, tells the truth, woos. It is the way of God himself; the way of humility (Phil. 2:6-11). Someone once said that you cannot understand the Suffering Savior unless you understand the court jester. The court jester was able to tell the truth in surprising, shocking ways, precisely because he was beneath contempt. He could get away with it, because he had nothing left to lose. What could be more laughable (is enjoyable or entertaining a better word?) than God eating fish with his hands like a child who cannot use a fork?
The purposefully small church is perfectly positioned to pursue a life of holy farce. How can we do anything else? We are under no illusions about our power, or our relevance! We dare to tell the greatest joke of all: that where two or three are gathered together in Jesus’ name, he will be with us (Matt. 18:20)! We are a living parable of the kingdom, which begins as small as a mustard seed, and ends in the restoration of the world. Our only power is Spiritual Power. Our only invasion is Incarnation. Come eat fish with your hands!
Children we were—our forts of sand were even as weak as we, High as they went we piled them up to break that bitter sea. Fools as we were in motley, all jangling and absurd, When all church bells were silent our cap and bells were heard.- GK Chesterton