A Puzzle Piece That Doesn’t Fit
When looking at the First Century Church, it was like a puzzle piece that did not fit the culture. They held positions that in modern American politics would look like they belonged on the right and some on the left. We might look at their stances and practices and think they leaned blue while others were squarely in the red. Some of the major issues the First Century Church supported were as follows:
They Were Multi-Ethnic
They Were A Community of Forgiveness and Reconciliation
They Were Famous for Their Hospitality to the Poor and Suffering
They Were Committed to the Sanctity of Life
They Were A Sexual Counter Culture
These characteristics made the First Century Church both widely persecuted and wildly popular. In a sense, they didn’t fit in with the popular cultures of the day. They didn’t fit into one subjection of people. They were not poor or rich, Jew or Greek, slave or free. The First Century Church represented every class, race, and background of their society. They were a puzzle piece that didn’t fit the culture.
Interestingly enough, the Church today, in many nations, finds itself in the same situation. There are policies and beliefs that the Church supports that are not widely supported by the cultures of the world today. In fact, especially in America, the Church is becoming a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit.
So, the question becomes, how do we stay faithful to the mission of God as the Church in a culture that is increasingly changing among us. Luckily for us, the present shift in culture is not the first time the Church has navigated changing waters. We can look to the not so distant past to discover some timeless truths about how to have a faithful witness in a cultural puzzle we struggle to identify with.
In my recent travels to Europe, there are some encouraging trends that I have seen and these trends are backed up by an article written by Ed Stetzer entitled, 3 Encouraging Trends I See in the Uk’s Churches. These trends are as follows:
There is a heightened importance on relationships.
There is a priority on building lasting relationships with believers in the church despite some theologically divergent views.
There is less tribalism in the Church in Europe.
There is a priority on building relationships outside of the church with unbelievers.
While there is still a focus on Christian community, there is also a focus on building relationships with others and showing them the love of Christ.
The focus in the church is on the mission.
As Stetzer puts it, “there is a greater awareness that churches sit in a mission field and that must be their focus.”
There were churches we visited that went door to door to engage people while others prioritized meeting the communities needs around them.
Despite the method, the church in Europe is focused on the mission which is reaching lost people for Christ not on the next church program.
There is a desire for better and more evangelism.
There is a recognition of the need for more effective evangelism.
There is so much diversity in Europe that churches are trying many methods to try and reach many people.
They do this through church planting, church revitalization, and discovery Bible studies.
The churches in Europe are constantly seeking new ways to reach people with the gospel.
While the Church in Europe has navigated a post-Christian culture for decades, they have allowed it to sharpen their focus and create an urgency around relationships, mission, and evangelism. Much like the First Century Church, the Church in Europe may not be a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit, but it is a puzzle piece that is growing in its effectiveness.
As the culture changes in America, we as the Church may soon realize we are a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit. While that may cause anxiety to some degree, it also creates opportunities to be refined and effective when it comes to the mission Jesus gave us. I say, lets celebrate that we are a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit because this is not our home anyway.