Church and it's relevance

To me traveling is not a mere journey but a slice of spiritual event. Meaning... you have opportunities to see other's culture and partake on the wider perspective of human existence and realities. The recent experience was even more close. It was the time for the hindus to celebrate Maha Kumth Mela, the biggest festival of sanctification for the sadhus and devotees. It was recently that i boarded my train from Delhi to Dehradun on the purpose of visiting our project site in the district. I've never experienced traveling in any of the Indian train with foreigners occupying the rest of whole berth sparing me alone to be seated at the corner (trully the tiny Asian amongst the huge westerners). As the journey progresses, I realize how this visitors are the hard core devotees and actually they're on their way to attend the Kumth Mela at Rishikesh/ Haridwar ( generally considered the holy land of the hindus). I started feeling reckless witnessing the whole human drama and the quest for spirituality within that particular coach. Some are busy chanting while some are discussing about the next trip to some other parts of the country. I felt really remorsed seeing how God was presented as an almost impossible dare to apprehend the unknown, or worse, the unavailing deity who is unineterested in the affairs of ordinary life. My friends from the west may have their own melodramatic reasons on why they have converted to hinduism but it makes me more intriguing to imagine the role & the relevance of churches specially in the west who were the pioneers of planting churches in different parts of the world some decades ago. This small incident is one of the many crisis that is attacking the Churches in the world and not necessarily just the west. Hence, this article is therefore borne out of the simple curiousity on whether churches are still relevant today? Is it important to be relevant? If so, are we relevant enough to exist? My intention is not to address upon the 'existence' per se, but to streamline on the potential challenges and priorities that pertain to it's purpose.
This was true of the post Enlightenment period Europe too. People like Immanuel Kant, a great
German Enlightenment thinker questioned the validity of church dogmas, especially the relevance of ‘faith’ in the age of reason - modernity. For him, authentic religion including Christianity was simply living a life in accordance with reasonably discernible duty. By this he meant to say that Christianity like other religions is to provide moral foundations and education for the society, thus, relegated to a mere ethical realm alone. Like the Zeitgeist (spirit of the age) of modernity of that age did, we are, in the post modern society, challenged by relativism, which I would say Zeitgeist of this age; pervades the whole system of life. The church seems to be out dated and irrelevant, invisible and voiceless.
Before attempting to answer the questions, I would like to look into the word ‘church’ for common understanding. The word ‘church’ has its root in the Greek word ekkclesia, to mean ‘called out ones’ or the ‘chosen ones.’ Basically, every Christ believing individual is a ‘church.’ The fellowship of these individuals is also called church. The church is, and called to be the body of Christ, the form of Jesus Christ in the world and history (I Cor. 12; Eph. 1:23). It is a gift and, at the same time, a call to live and do what Christ has done and is doing, to be rooted in Christ who is the head of the body. It was the 14th February, after the sunday service Mr. Timothy was sweet enough to treat 5 of us with momos and crispy chicken fried at Kamla Nagar. The order took longer than expected, while waiting, we managed to discuss on the message Pastor David shared on that particular sunday. It was beautiful to see how the message was deliberated on the context of strong and clear Biblical principles and making it relevant for the congregation to ponder upon. Similarly, the infamous article 377 debates on legalising gay issues shockingly generate maximum interest (reaction) specially from the church. That was a commendable move but the irony was the way how churches stayed a cold feet while coming to address the issue in the community, same is the case of the dreaded HIV/AIDS. The recent talk of the Naga leaders with the Govt of India on the famous 30 demands further steers me to ruminate the case with that of the existing churches specially the Nagas. There is no way to demoralized or otherwise diminished the whole concept of that particular community's aspiration for sovereignty, my only interest is to question the role of the church towards addressing stewardship and accountability of the community. What is that freedom or sovereignty we're talking about while the gravity of corruption have reaches the sky and so to many innocents today who struggles to meet daily provisions, freedom/soviegnty has become a sweet utopian dreams. So the question comes back, how do the church brings in that principles and standard? Am afraid if i've tried portraying church as another Christmas tree, expecting everything to be hanged there or decorated. My kind view of a church is the body of Christ, and to that how do that body (which comprises of the believer's community)bring about that difference on the table?
For whatever reasons, today there's a common approach to blaming the young generation on their lifestyles and how easy they have fall short of the church standards. By mentioning this, i beg the readers not to rush in to stamped me as another divisive prodigy. This simply means to convey that the ministry of Christ has surely become crucial and most profound. It is rather transcending to realize how relevant the Biblical principles in other words Christ ministry have become. Society's at the crossroad putting human existence at the cutting edge. At such juncture, the scope of this article therefore intend to urge the wider believer's community to be sensitive enough to ensure that our Church doesn't fall into that typical mechanical 'press button' driven ministry. Most often, politicians love to show how they can relate to the people in that area. Infact they can go to any given extend for votes(no offence). And that's a normal political ritual all over the world. But the greater sadness is that they can't really meet those people on the same level. They can't identify with common people no matter how hard they try to make it appear like they can. Jesus, though, never gives us that illusion of identity. He doesn't throw up a facade to try and appear like one of them. It astounds any believers to understand how Jesus was never out of place at any given point of time. Christ connected with the people of two thousand years ago, and He connects with you and me today on a level that we can understand and appreciate. To that extend of agreement, what about church? Are we seriously reflecting that connectivity of Christ with people today? There's a growing awareness among today's congregation that we cannot afford to do the same old things and expect a different result. Our's is a church outnumbered by young people full of positive energy and am glad because that makes PBCD special. Having said that, it is also inevitable to study and enquire into the domain these young congregations are engaged with or they are exposed to. Delhi is a land of dreams. People from different walks of life all over the world are here to compete and to survive each new day in such places like Delhi is a real fortune. Besides that, the mounting influence of relativism and secularization in our daily interpretation no wander is already a growing threat to our faith. Against such backdrop, the role of the church to penetrate through such environment and to sustain that faith & principles (who were generally exposed to such rough atmosphere) has become most critical.
By saying this, am not loosely putting the Biblical teachings to be submerged with today's latest fashion haute couture, but to engaged the Biblical principles and truth as most inevitable tool and source. Personally speaking, chances are also there where we may unintentional try dugging our own pitfall by limiting God's ministry to our own neighbourhood. I believe the heartbeat of the Christian church is not just limited to nurture the target congregation but also to the extend of becoming more sensitive towards the greater & wider opportunity of becoming a positive force of change in the society. It's time we break walls that deprives us from seeing the big picture of God's plan and His calling. Here's some independent opinion and thoughts shared by some believers on the same. Sincere thanks to them all.
Leshi: Yes, it is important to be relevant and it should be, because we are not in village and people here are smarter, more knowledgeable, well versed with theories but less practical. But i feel, sometimes physical things are been focussed more.
Jenkins Kongkongho, ETC:
• Because of the very fact that the world is changing, towards both good and bad. Church is placed in this society to be the salt, dissolved giving taste and meaning to it.
• Because it is placed in this society to be the guiding light, setting example of the coming kingdom of God. It is the body of love, oneness and unity (not necessarily uniformity), humility, service, caste and classless fellowship, gender equality, and racial acceptance. In this, local congregation exhibits the perfect light of the world intended by God which Israelites missed. We are the light showing the world to find the “Unknown God” in biblical God.
• Church is relevant today in the society because of the dimensions of its task or mission. The church exists because God has a mission. Mission originates in God, not the church. The church is not an end in itself but participates in God’s missionary action (missio Dei), which is valid for the whole world and embraces both church and society. And the dimensions of church’s task in God’s mission today would be:
3.1. To see what God is doing,
3.2. Joining in God’s task:
1. of evangelism,
2. as a healing community,
3. as a caring community,
4. as an agent of liberation; humankind and the whole of creation that cries out for liberation.
3.3. Pointing to God’s activity: what he has done, is doing, and will do in and for the world. We have the prophetic task of speaking the truth that illuminates reality for humankind in the world, pointing to the hope of eschatological experience and the coming kingdom of God. The agents of mission are not first and foremost the ministers or missionaries officially appointed, but rather the laity, the called out ones, the people of God. We, as a church are either missionaries or a mission frontier (field). And the structures of mission shouldn’t be unchangeable but must be so “flexible, differentiated and coherent” that people in all the many spheres of life in the changing society can always be addressed afresh, and thus stay relevant in rhythm with time. Any church not relevant to the society in which it is placed is terribly arrogant and straying away from the purpose of God. It has miserably failed to obey God in the mission of extending his kingdom.
Romeo Raih : As long as Christ' relevant today so should the church too. But not at the expense of burdening the people with secondary concern.
Naowoods : The word church itself has different conotation. One refers to the building and the other the body of Christ or the believers. Yes, it is still relevant and it's important to be relevant because i believe these are God's institution.
Irish, ETC: The church is not the place we go, but the church is who we are. Yes, i feel the church is still relevant.
Jeremiah Duomai: For the last two thousand years the church has survived all sorts of political, intellectual, spiritual assault. It's not that the church was great, but because the risen Jesus was/is the who started it I believe He would not let the church be destroyed...been studying Revelation in a deeper manner these days, and it's so comforting to know that the church will be preserved, whatever comes. I think it's extremely important to be relevant. However, being relevant should not mean compromising on ethical and doctrinal issues. But we also believe in a God who is unchanging and so there are matters church cannot 'inculture' in the name of trying to be relevant.

The above statements are from the independent veiws....!

Like many of you, I believe in the church's potential to restore broken lives and rebuild homes as long as we continue to be a Christ centered, God-dependent, Kingdom oriented, Holistic minded and purpose driven. It is however easy to be overwhelmed by all the needs and discouraged by the challenges at the process but I do reaffirmed my believes to the fact that mission springs from God's initiative, is guided by God's spirit and will therefore be accomplished by God's sovereign power. At the end of the day, it is therefore more of an opportunity for a church to inhabit and positively explore the intimacy between the realities of life and the promises of God which is real and unchanging. Hence, we can ask ourselves this way, ‘Am I, as a called out one, or are we who are part of the body of Christ, relevant in the society today? If so Why? It is for me and you to answer in your own heart. To that end, may God helps us unwrap that special gift of becoming a transforming church that transforms the community throughout.