Pilgrim Soldier

In the books I’ve been reading lately, as well as in a couple of articles I’ve been forwarded, there has been quite a bit of mention of the individualistic nature of modern Christianity. It’s something that I’ve been thinking about quite a bit as well.

During most of the second half of the 20th Century, and on into the 21st, the evangelical arm of the Church has taught us to put a emphasis on our “personal relationship with Jesus Christ”. Through this we have concentrated on personal worship, personal holiness, personal sin, personal this and that, and have often neglected the communal aspects of the Christian life.

Perhaps one reason the much of the Church has lost its power is because many churches are not longer about God, but about our individual selves.
Thoughts on Individualism - Relevant Magazine

Like it or not, I think the writer of the above article has hit the nail on the head. Much of the Church has lost its power and of course this is a complex issue. Now I for one don’t want to see a return to the Christendom days of the Church as I believe that it has a much more important role to play today than the sort of controlling social influence it was for the majority of its history.

The sort of power it has lost is one that makes people sit up and take notice of it. The cult of individualism within our churches is a significant cause of this. We see individual leaders either raise them selves up as examples, or be put there by others. When they fall the faith of thousands is rocked! The media love this as it shows that all Christians are hypocrites who are not to be taken seriously.

I long for a day when it becomes impossible for one Christian to be held up as an example for all, because its impossible to single out an individual for such high praise. The only individual we should care about is Jesus! Yes it’s important to maintain our individual faith in Christ and grow to be more and more like Him. But just as important is the community aspect of the Gospel. We are not called to be individuals but to be a community.

I cannot be the Church on my own! It’s simply not possible. I think that’s one reason that Jesus said that wherever two or three gather in His name He’ll be there. It’s not that He isn’t with us as individuals but the real work gets done in community.