Locking Church Doors for the Good of the World

August 8, 2007

I recently finished reading a brief overview of the Reformation by Stephen Nichols called, The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World. Although brief, it was an excellent overview of the people and events surrounding the Protestant Reformation, and I learned a number of things I hadn’t known before. Of those, perhaps the most interesting is the simple fact that Calvin would lock the church doors in Geneva after the worship service.

Nichols writes:

Despite his insistence on the primacy of the church, Calvin knew the church had its limits. John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress illustrates these limits well. In his classic allegory Bunyan calls the church “The house built by the Lord of the Hill for the safety and rest of pilgrims.” Bunyan has his main character, Christian, enter this house, the church; he has him “fed,” his allegory for the sermon and the Lord’s Supper; and he has him led into the armor, where he is equipped. Then Bunyan has the keepers of the house send him away, out into the world. Calvin did the same for his parishioners by locking the church doors after the service. Christians, having been fed and equipped, refreshed and nourished, are to be in the world, according to Calvin.

Theologians of the medieval era tended to downplay life outside the walls of the church or monastery or convent. They tended to give little credence to one’s work in the world and to the world itself. Calvin and Luther, joined by many other Reformers, hammered out a doctrine of vocation: one’s work is a calling. They also reminded their congregations and us that this is God’s world, and we are to cultivate it and enjoy it for God’s glory. Calvin locked the church doors so the church could be in the world.

Having read this, I was struck by how poorly we do the same today. Too often, rather than sending Christians into the world, we’re continually calling them back to the church. Today we have Bible studies - fellowship groups - youth groups - elder/deacon meetings - children’s programs - VBS - recreation programs - church softball - church choir - church picnics - church schools - church dinners - etc.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with any of these things. Some of them are quite biblical (such as church dinners, fellowship and Bible study). The problem is that the sheer volume of all of these church activities effectively removes the Christian from the world altogether. There is no time for involvement in community activities and no time to love and care for and interact with one’s neighbor.

For many, evangelism now simply consists of inviting someone to church, yet the true Biblical idea of evangelism means going into the world to share the gospel. I can’t think of one instance in the N.T. where a conversion takes place within the context of church worship. Paul allows for the presence of unbelievers within worship (1 Corinthians 14:24-25), but his statement is conditional, “if” an unbeliever enters. It is not a command to bring unbelievers to worship. Every instance of conversion in the New Testament (unless I’m missing something) takes place in the world, not in the church.

Maybe we would do well to ween our church activities down to a necessary few - and then actually live in this world. Maybe we would do well to recapture the Reformation vision that affirms the goodness of the world, and then devote ourselves to community life in the neighborhoods, towns and cities where we live. Maybe we would do well to invite unbelievers to church less frequently, and more frequently accept their invitations to participate in their lives. Maybe we would do well to lock our church doors a little more often.

Maybe we would do well if our boasting were a little more like Paul’s, “For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God…” (2 Corinthians 1:12).

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Church and Culture, Missions, Theology 

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