Churches are different to individuals in that they are more subject to powerful people, currents of opinion, personalities and dysfunctional behaviour. Churches don’t always seek help when they are in decline. Sometimes preferring denial and nostalgia, sometimes engaged in a struggle amongst those who have different opinions about its state of health and the potential cures.
Do you want to be part of a healthy church? Will it benefit you (the utilitarian’s question)? Is it possible (the pragmatist’s question)? Will it give better honour to Christ? Will it be more healing to unbelievers?
And how healthy do we want to be? Healthy enough to feel comfortable (the cruise ship and hospice question)? Healthy enough to heal? Healthy enough to be anticipating heaven? Healthy enough to evangelise the world?
All of us have opinions about these kinds of things. Sometimes they surface in the form of complaints. Sometimes they surface in our prayers. Sometimes they surface in our actions. In many cases they are only partly thought out and depend on what we are used to and already know about.
So asking the question can help us think about it afresh. Do we want to be part of a healthy church, and what are the things that make a church healthy?
Tell me what you think.
Dale