Customer Reviews

Your Church Is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ's Mission Is Vital to the Future of the Church

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Last month, I received a review copy of Your Church is Too Small by John H. Armstrong (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009). From the buzz that I heard about this book, I was very excited to read and review this book.

When Armstrong says, "Your church is too small," he does not refer to the size of a church building or to the number of people who meet together. Instead, Armstrong refers to "our all too common penchant for placing limits on Christ's church - limits that equate the one church with our own narrow views of Christ's body." He has two purposes in writing this book: 1) for the reader to understand his/her own spiritual identity and 2) to better understand the mission of the church. Armstrong believes, and convincingly argues, that the two (unity and mission) are interrelated.

The book is a combination of exegesis (primarily of Jesus' prayer in John 17), historical study, personal experience, and theological reflection. The argument is based primarily on the conclusion that the unity for which Jesus prays in John 17 is not only a spiritual or eschatological unity, but a relational unity that all believers should strive to maintain.

Armstrong's book is divided into three parts: past, present, and future. In the first section, the author traces his own journey from sectarianism toward unity. He also reviews the perspective of the early church on unity given the four classical marks of the church: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

Next, in his section on the present, considers how the church can restore unity today. Armstrong suggests that the cause of disunity in the church today is sectarianism based on intellectual certitude. Instead, the church should be recognized as local, city-wide, and universal, with a focus on the kingdom instead of the local congregation.

Finally, in his section on the future, Armstrong recommends missional-ecumenism as a way forward toward unity. By "missional-ecumenism," the author means that believers should have relational unity with God and one another, including unity in our mission as God's "sent ones."

Throughout the book, Armstrong demonstrates that unity is more than a good idea. Instead, it is our primary apologetic. He says, "How we act and treat one another really matters, because our actions represent the nature and identity of God to those who do not know him."

Furthermore, Armstrong encourages the respect and consideration of different Christian traditions. All believers have traditions, and Christianity has a basic tradition that was handed down throughout the ages (often called the "Rule of Faith"). Problems arise when our traditions teach us that we are part of the one, true church while all other traditions are in error.

Instead of asking who is in and who is out when it comes to the church, the author recommends that we encourage active faith of all who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.

This is an important book. I recommend it highly. However, I do not want this to be a book that I just read and encourage others to read. Armstrong describes a unity that cannot remain a concept; it must be lived. This is the direction that I've been moving, and a reality that I want to continue to seek.

John Armstrong's book is a fine contribution to a subject that few evangelical writers are open to considering: the fragmentation of the church and its effects on our witness today. I addressed this issue back in 1991 in a little noted nor long remembered volume called Evangelical Reunion. John's book has brought these issues back before us again, and this time they will be harder to ignore. It's a touchy subject, for most Christian communions devote huge energies to showing that they are better than all other communions, that the reasons for their distinct existence are absolutely valid, and that that distinct existence must be maintainedx at all costs. But is that attitude biblical? According to Scripture, Jesus founded one church and prayed in John 17 that it would remain one, even as the Trinity is one. Fragmentation not only weakens the church's ministry; it makes the church to be less than it should be. I won't vouch for every statement John makes in this book, but his position is far better than that of the polemicists who support and enlarge the fragmentation. John makes it clear that this issue is about loyalty to Christ, and I hope it gets a wide readership.

When John says that your church is too small he is not writing about Church growth and mega-churches, but about the limits (historically, theologically, and relationally) we place on who is in the REAL church and who is not.

The book is based on Christ's prayer in John 17

20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."

It is divided into three sections:

I Past: The Biblical and Historical Basis for Christian Unity

What John advocates in this section is a relational unity: a cooperational love.

"If `God is love,' then our expressions of love within the Christian community must line up with his. It is his love that enlarges our hearts and forms our character so that we are freed to love others, whether they are a fellow Christian or an enemy." (p 54)

"Unity" is not synonymous with "unanimity," or "uniformity." (pp 54-57) The unity that John is writing about is based in the universally shared reality of all believers: the life of Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, living in us all. The more we are filled with his life, the more we love him, the more relational unity we will experience with all those who share that same love.

The problem for many Christians is that, rather than starting with the fundamental truths to which all believers adhere (see The Apostles and Nicene Creeds), we start with our favorite Bible verse, or, even worse, with where "they are theologically in error." Such an approach inevitably leads to arguments and divisions. On the other hand, if we base our conversations and relationships upon our mutual love of God and agreement on the core beliefs of Christianity, there is immediately space for us to work together for the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ.


II Present: Restoring Unity in the Church Today

One of the chief roadblocks to relational unity that John deals with is sectarianism: "a path, a way, a method, a party, or a faction." Synonyms would be narrow-minded, parochial, and limited.

"The word implies mutual exclusivity, an exclusivity that thrives where people and groups believe they have a superior claim to truth. Sectarians believe their church/community/tradition can best `represent the body of Christ, to the exclusion or minimization of other genuinely Christian groups.'" (p 93)

He is not suggesting that we ignore or compromise our beliefs--this would only create a pseudo-unity. What he is suggesting is that we all remember that our beliefs are our best attempts at understanding Scripture, God, and his message for mankind.

"(A)ll theological truth claims must remain biblically contestable so the church remains fully open to the Spirit....This does not mean that all truth claims are relative or that Christian confession is nonbinding; It simply means that all human knowledge is ultimately provisional." (p 95)

We are humans that "see through a glass, darkly." The beliefs we assert are, at best, a close approximation to the Truth of God. This means that we should always be open to added meaning or nuance ...or even to discovering that we are wrong.

Another roadblock John deals with is our understanding of "church."

"One local congregation is as much the church as any other church. But the church is also the whole of all such congregations throughout the whole earth." (p 108) If John is correct here--and I believe he is--what bearing should this understanding of "church" have on our attitudes and actions regarding other Christian communities? At the very least, I think it requires that we obey the laws of love (I Corinthians 13).


III Future: The Missional-Ecumenical Movement

"What is the Ideal Church?"

"Easy: it's my church/denomination/tradition. Sure, we aren't perfect, but we're closer to the True Faith then the rest of `em."

Evangelicals and Fundamentalist often teach - implicitly or explicitly - that you aren't a Christian unless you adopt pretty much whatever theological hobby-horse they are riding. While Jesus said, "Follow me ... Come unto me ... Believe in me ... Trust in me," these folks scream, "NOT SO FAST! You need to ALSO believe the following system of theology." Is it any wonder then that their churches are run more like boot camps for troops in the Special Forces? "The Few, the Proud, the Chosen!" Yup, that was Christ's vision of his Church--the Body of Christ divided and at war.

Roman Catholics and Orthodox churches have their hobby-horses, as well. Of course, their horses are older than Protestant horses, but this doesn't mean that they aren't barriers to the good news of Christ being offered freely to all people.

As John sees it, it is the (relational) unity of the Church that points people and nations to Christ. "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." (John 17:21) Conversely, the more divided the Church, the more impotent it becomes in fulfilling its mission.

And what is the Church's mission?

"The mission of the church is not to solve society's problems or to gain political influence in order to change culture. And as important as adding members to a church is, recruiting new members for the church is not the church's mission either. The mission of the church is `to participate in the reconciling love of the triune-God who reaches out to a fallen world in Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit brings strangers and enemies into God's new and abiding community.'" (p 153f)

This mission requires that we exemplify God's reconciling love. This doesn't mean that Christians paper over their differences. It means that we have truthful and loving conversations regarding these differences, rather than mouth-to-mouth combat.

"(W)e can begin a healthy new conversation , a conversation that can lead to reconciliation in a context where the truth is profoundly important. This conversation could well become one of the Holy Spirit's primary ways of pushing forward the `new ecumenism'--an ecumenism rooted in core orthodoxy and deeply shared love for Christ and his mission." (p 167)

If you are weary of Church Wars ...
If you are seeking an effective and biblical paradigm for unity ...
If you are sick of church in general and have chosen to go it alone ...
If you think the way to unity is for everyone to see all Truth as relative ...
If you think the way to true unity is for everyone to agree with you ...
If you are a theology geek ...
If you are a church-history nut ...
If you love stories and anecdotes ...

This book is for you.

John Armstrong's subtitle, "Why Unity In Christ's Mission Is Vital To The Future Of The Church" helps bring in to perspective just what he means by the statement, "your church is too small." I wish that I had more time to be a little more thorough with this review, but am confident that the following will provide as much of my thoughts regarding the read as possible.

Admittedly, the reading began with a reservation of Armstrong's perspectives regarding catholicity and the call to a missional ecumenism. Don't know what those words are? That's okay, Armstrong has provided a handy glossary at the end of the book to help clarify terms that most of us may not use in conversation regularly. However, I believe the audience that will be reading this book will be acutely aware of the buzzwords missional, catholicity, and ecumenism that generally raise the heresy antennae for the majority of us. It is indeed nice to see someone being thoughtful enough to consider that most believers may be completely unaware of this terminology.

John Armstrong takes a narrative approach and introduces us to his journey from what I would call close-mindedness to open-dialogue with the historic Christian powerhouses of Protestantism, Catholicism, and The Orthodox Church. His agenda is simple, promoting a desire within Christian congregations to accept the idea that the Christian Church is much larger than their local assembly. Armstrong does not stop there, he goes on to implore with his readers that there is a need to assess their own position in the current state of dialog occurring with members of different denominations and faith backgrounds in the Christian context.

Armstrong addresses several different spectrum's concerning the Church today. Where I resonate with him is his desire to see the restoration of what he calls an "Ancient-Future" faith. It is essential for the Christian to understand the roots and heritage of their faith in order to approach the future and their place in the mission of the Church. While Armstrong does not appear to be calling for a new reformation, he does infer that reformation will occur when the Church at large, the universal, Catholic Church of the Apostle's Creed realizes it's true place in history, its present need for mobilization, and the removal of a handicap that inhibits the actions of believers. The Church must wake up from its slumber and take note of those who may belong to other historic schools of faith but yet love Jesus.

By reading this book you will be challenged to think outside of the closed mind perspective that is often bred by our local assemblies. You will find yourself challenged to consider your own position in the theater of Christianity. You will have to evaluate your own membership of the Church of Christ that inherits, proclaims, and trusts in the Kingdom of God. I do not affirm all of Armstrong's perspectives regarding Catholicity with faiths that historically embrace doctrines long accepted as heresy, but do sympathize with the need to interact with those who believe they are trusting in Jesus and loving them because we are required to do so. If you know the Apostle's creed, and often wonder why you recite affirmation of the 'Catholic Church' this book will help you understand the implications that these words have.

Armstrong appeals to the unity of Ephesians 4 as a guiding premise for his thoughts and assessments. I accept that sectarianism and denominationalism have shattered and polarized many assemblies in the whole of Christian history and believe that a true embrace of Ephesians 4 will impact the believers life in more than just an ecumenical approach to modern ministry. Although I believe the continuity of this book redeems the uneasiness first felt in the beginning, I still have one last question for John Armstrong to answer.

Is the unity proposed by a missional ecumenism a unity that promotes an agreement to disagree for the sake of unity, or is for the purpose of believers being lead by the Holy Spirit in to unity of the faith, which then precedes an opportunity that allows us to fellowship in more than macro-ministry, but in the breaking of bread and drinking of the cup?

When I first opened your church is too small by John H. Armstrong, I had expectations that the book would talk about how many church goers sit in the pews, and never venture outside to participate in the mission God has called each of us to perform.

There's some examples in the book that mention that type of situation, but the book goes much, much deeper than that.

The book is split in a past, present, and future method, talking about unity among the various churches.

A key point throughout the book is that Jesus' prayer for unity shows us that we should avoid building barriers between ourselves and other Christians, even when we disagree on doctrine or practice.

Another point is that we must deeply examine the early church. Over the years, in my opinion, we lost something in translation. History shows us that there was a time when the western churches refused to help their eastern brethren, which cost lives.

Sickening.

An equation in the book that caught my eye: knowledge + compassionate servanthood = wisdom. We are all called to serve. You can serve every day, not just Sunday morning, or some potluck dinner, or VBS. You can serve your neighbour, your family, your co-worker, a stranger on the street. You can do it!

Pope Benedict XVI wrote in 1998: "Only when a person is struck and opened up by Christ in his inmost depth can the other also be inwardly touched,...can truce community grow." We all must let the Holy Spirit stir things up in our lives.

Ever hear the phrase "those that don't remember history are doomed to repeat it"? Our church fathers struggled with the same stuff today's church leaders do.

This book is not one that you will read quickly. However, it is definitely worthwhile, and as I continue down the pastoral studies path, I will refer to this gem again.

Blessings!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Book has been provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

This book is likely the challenging book I've read this year. It is a book on the unity of the church. This book managed to touch on many issues that I have thought about over the years but needed to reflect more deeply about. Thanks John.You may put it down because it can be a bit much for the average evangelical. But if you're nto ecumenism, you would love it and say "amen" to much of what Armstrong has to say. I am sure that most readers will enjoy this book and gain a bigger view of the larger church. If your church has been too small, read this book.

I am glad to see the author's support for catholic diversity. He states: "I do not believe we have to give up our theological distinctions to pursue unity. In fact, any pursuit of unity that denies our uniqueness and diversity is not positive...But I believe there is a better way--the pursuit of catholic diversity, a diversity that fosters vitality." (p. 93). Catholic diversity: I like this term and he does try to flesh this out a little more in ch.10. He describes what it is not by describing what sectarianism is.

I thought the ecumenical movement of the 70s and 80s was dead but with Armstrong's passionate writing in this area, perhaps I will change my mind. I have a feeling that ecumenism within young evangelicals might bring the ecumenical movement back to life. If what Armstrong suggests is true and "the influence of the fiercest forms of separatism seems to have waned in the last two decades in America" and that younger Christians are tired of it (156), then there is possibly a place for a new ecumenism. The author sounds optimistic that this is the case and he would suggest that the answer to our ambivalence regarding this possible new direction is to recover classical Christianity in all of its paleo-orthodox forms and that this recovery of classical Christianity must proceed in the context of missional-ecumenism.

John H. Armstrong is on a crusade to bring unity to Christianity in obedience to Jesus' repeatedly expressed desire that his followers be one. He particularly focuses on the passage in John 17: "that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in thee, that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that Thou didst send me." He sees the lack of unity as a key reason for many non-believers to reject the Gospel, so unity, in Armstrong's view, isn't just a wishful "add-on" to Christianity but an essential.
Coming from the Protestant wing of Christianity, Armstrong references his own personal journey from an exclusivist position--"we've got the only correct doctrine"--to a much more humble perspective that acknowledges that huge treasure of doctrine shared by all Christian churches.
He doesn't dismiss denominational differences as irrelevant, but he would have the various denominations instead look back to the early church fathers and study how the historical church understood Scripture. He points to the Apostles' Creed as an example of their expression of their core orthodoxy.
In contrast, he points out that churches claiming only the Bible as their doctrinal foundation end up inventing new interpretations and new doctrines that totally ignore the historical understanding held by the church for many centuries.
Armstrong doesn't expect Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox to all come together under one legal/ecclesiastical structure. Rather, he expects a relational union that includes shared ministry and mutual respect and acceptance. His arguments that this does NOT result in relativism in regard to many denominational doctrines seem to me the weakest point of the book. If denominations differ in their understanding of what needs to happen for someone to be saved... baptism or an altar call...how do they minister jointly? Maybe they do both!
Nevertheless, Armstrong's call for relational unity is certainly one that deserves attention with the splintered world of modern Christianity.

I admit right up front that I am biased. John Armstrong is not only my dear friend but someone I admire greatly. But this alone is not enough for me to recommend his book, Your Church is Too Small. No, John's book speaks for itself. To evangelicals (like myself) who have preached unity (based on John 17) he has thrown down the gauntlet. Do we really believe what we preach? Do we truly believe in the unity of all believers, everywhere? Or is unity just for people like ourselves who agree with what we believe? I think most of us desire unity; but what that means is that others have to become like us, adopt our views on all the major doctrinal and ecclesiastical issues before we come together.

John is challenging us out of our sectarian views to a soaring view of what is possible. His vision is not for the faint of heart. He is boldly calling for all Christians, as J.I. Packer says in the foreword to the book, to see the "visible church as a single worldwide, Spirit-sustained community within which ongoing doctrinal and denominational divisions, though important, are secondary rather than primary." Whqat John is calling for, based on sound Biblical commentary, is not unanimity nor uniformity, but cooperation in the mission of the gospel and the call to announce the reign of God around the world and in all areas of life.

When the world see that Christians can get along, work together and genuinely love one another in spite of differences they will have a credible witness that Jesus Christ has truly come to this world. John's book is a manual for working out this unity, what it does and does not look like and how we can begin to work toward a different realty than the infighting and distrust that often marks the global body of Christ. He shows us how to take both doctrinal faithfulness and Jesus' call to unity seriously. I hope this book gets a wide reading. The church needs this message and John is the right person to deliver it, both prophetically and lovingly. May we listen!

In Your Church is Too Small, John Armstrong has put forth an essay on what surely must be, in this day of fraction and faction, the central endeavor of all who seek to honor and serve the Lord of Glory. Jesus has made it eminently clear in his "prayer to the Father" in John 17 that the shared and unassailable goal and outcome purposed by the Trinity is our UNITY in the Lord. Only one whose life has been arrested by such a convicting truth could write so clearly and profoundly as has John Armstrong on this bedrock truth. John has responsibly identified those "issues" that legitimately distinguish the many and disparate bodies of believers, while steadfastly upholding the central unifying "issue" of our identity in the Christ of the Cross. Should the church - the broader body of followers of Jesus - begin again to embrace and employ this fundamental reality of our oneness in Christ, in both our internal and external relationships, the effectiveness of our witness in the world would grow exponentially. The world is desperate to see a Christ who truly makes a difference in our lives, and a biblically unified church will increasingly hear, "My! How they love one another." John, I commend you for a tool we can so easily understand and apply.

Zondervan recently provided me with an advance copy of John Armstrong's latest book, "Your Church is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ's Mission is Vital to the Future of the Church." (Website)

I must confess at the outset, I am one of the conservative evangelicals that Armstrong mentions. I have not yet finished my journey, and at present do not intend to end with the same result as Armstrong, that is in ecumenical standing with a larger catholic church.

That being said, the book still provides some excellent principles that, though I may not agree with every item of application are extremely helpful in attacking our Western-American small-church mindset. In other words, read with discernment.

He argues that he will "make a case for how the one church of Jesus Christ, ministering out of its spiritual unity in Christ and rooted in core orthodoxy, can best serve Christ's mission." I believe he does so. I must, again, disagree with his application.

John 17 is Armstrong's focus passage. He details the past, present and future iterations of church unity as his personal progression from the small-church mentality to a broader catholic-church mentality. Not Roman Catholic, but rather, the universal church. The fact that there exists beyond our church, beyond our city, beyond our country, a larger body of believers.

The issue at hand is the nature of Christ's prayer. As Armstrong himself points out, "unity is based on the relational and cooperational communion that existed between the Father and the Son during his earthly ministry." But the Father and Son agreed, not only in unity, but uniformity. No matters of doctrine divided them. I believe Armstrong may hint at this when he says that "the three great historic branches of the Christian church cannot presently pursue union with one another." And why not? If the three mainline traditions, Protestant, RCC, and Eastern Orthodox are entirely Christian, why not pursue that union? Clearly because we would say that there are elements of the RCC and other traditions which preclude salvific faith in Jesus Christ. Let me illustrate.

Armstrong quotes P.T. Forsyth saying that the unity of the church lies "in the unity of the gospel that made the church." And I agree. However, despite the claims about Vatican II and it's subsequent changes, I believe that they still point to alternative means of salvation, including a super-elevation of Mary. Armstrong himself admits to "still have misgivings about parts of the ecumenical movement." While I do believe there are saved, believing Christians within the RCC, when we base our call for unity on the outward, visible expression that is the RCC I can no longer subscribe to that type of Unity.

Despite my disagreement with his application, Armstrong has incredible insight into the problems that have plagued Protestant, American Christianity. Not understanding the cultural significance of churches around the world, focusing on denominations and splitting churches at the slightest sign of disagreement, and perhaps the most deadly of all, we "have a unique predilection to approach the Christian faith as if what we know is vastly more relevant than what previous generations knew."

He also points to the mass exodus of evangelical church members. "The reasons for this exodus are numerous - loneliness, boredom, lack of community, church teaching that fails to go into the important truths of the faith, and the inability of the church to reach people who are suffering or going through deep trials." Furthermore, he also touches on the racial segregation that still exists in many of our churches today. This may be one of the prime examples where I appreciate his principles, and make my own application. There are numerous Christians holding to the exact evangelical, doctrinal faith that I hold to, yet they are of a different race. When is the last time I considered our relation to one another in the universal church? Paul's illustration of the body of Christ does not merely apply to the local body of believers, it also points to the catholic nature of the church.

In conclusion, Armstrong calls on the 80/20 principle. That is that 20% of a group will lead the change and 80% will follow. I hope to be in the 20% that continues to lead the way as we consider a church larger than ourselves, larger than our local church, larger than our denomination, larger than our racial profile, indeed larger than our American church. A Church that is the body and bride of Christ.

So, is your church too small?