Today, I want to put forward a proposal for a radical, new, spiritual movement: a truly Christian Church. It would look something like this:
- Totally non-denominational.
- No membership requirements of any kind: everyone is welcome.
- No creed or dogma: just the teaching and example of Jesus to follow.
- No positions of power, no leaders, no priests.
- Everyone, whether involved or not, is fully acknowledged to be of equal value, regardless of skin-colour, gender, ethnicity, age, wealth, poverty, sexuality, education, strength, disability, physical or mental health issues, or any other factors whatsoever.
- No services or rituals.
- Gender-free terminology for God.
- No sexist, racist, prejudiced or patronising language or behaviour of any kind, ever.
- No uniforms, robes, insignias, honours, symbols of authority, or any other tokens of power or superiority whatsoever.
- No judging, criticising or punishing of others.
- No dominating or excluding others.
- No controlling or abusing others, whether spiritually, physically, emotionally, sexually, by neglect, or in any other way whatsoever.
- All disputes to be resolved in private through open, honest communication, by listening, sharing, and working together towards a deeper understanding of one another, with the aim of acknowledgement, apology, forgiveness, reconciliation and renewed love.
- No hypocrisy.
- No making rules for other people whilst not keeping them oneself. In fact, no making rules for other people at all.
- No buildings.
- No bank accounts.
- All those who suffer from wanting to be first must be the slave of all.
- Overriding principle: loving God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, oneself, and all people.
May Christ increase to overflowing your love for one another and for all people (1 Thessalonians 3:12; TIB).
References
Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me” (Mark 8:34; NLT).
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:15; NIV).
If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back (Matthew 18:15; NLT).
Whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else (Mark 10:44; NLT).
One of the religious scholars who had listened to them debating and had observed how well Jesus had answered them, now came up and put a question to him: “Which is the foremost of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “This is the foremost: ‘Hear, O Israel, God, our God, is one. You must love the Most High God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-31; TIB).
Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).
Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).
Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NLT).