Theological Thursday --- Bounded vs. Centered

Recently I sat in a pastor's office and a sign hanging on the wall caught my eye. It said, "It's against my relationship to have a religion". Quite a twist on the normal saying, "It's against my religion to..."

As I was thinking about that saying, a formula came to my mind about rules and relationship. It says, "Rules without a Relationship = Rebellion". That is so true when it comes to dictators that focus on rules with no relationship to his people, and the people rebel. Even if we think about children that grow up in very strict homes...if a loving relationship wasn't present along with the rules, many times these kids will rebel when they get out on their own. Problems also occur when there is a relationship, but no rules...both have their place.

So what does this have to do with the church? I believe many people are in rebellion against God because they grew up in a church or in a family that taught a religion of rules and obedience to God without the most important aspect --- a personal relationship with Him. It would be natural without the relationship to go into rebellion.

The Bounded/Centered Set for a church describes the philosophy of the church. A Bounded Set church is one that is all about rules. To fit in with us you must not be in a sinful relationship, must not drink alcohol, must refrain from gambling, etc, etc, etc. When you meet all of these qualifications we have set, then, and only then, do you belong. In a Centered Set church, the focus is on meeting people where they are, and moving them to where God wants them to be. Should the church expect unbelievers to fit any specific grid of morality before they know Christ? Should the church expect new Christians to have it all together (I hope not cause I'm not there yet!). It sounds kinda silly, but many churches operate that way.

Does that mean rules and obedience to God are not important? Of course not (especially according to 1 Timothy as it applies to the leaders of the church)! In a Centered Set philosophy, when people are sinning, the goal is to turn them back toward Christ and have them continue moving toward Him. In this, you can see the focus is on the relationship (moving toward Christ) rather than the religion (a set of rules). Both are important and play a part, but the difference is where the priority is placed.

Of course anything to be wise and true must line up with Scripture, and I think it is clear that Jesus was far more concerned with people's relationship rather than following a set of rules. The woman caught in adultery was simply told to, "Go and sin no more" (John 8:11) and to the woman at the well the focus was on the relationship and not her sinful lifestyle (John 4). But Jesus still knew the law had its place (Matthew 5:18) and wasn't afraid to preach obedience (Luke 18:22). It is important that the church not leave out either aspect, because Jesus certainly didn't! Christianity is FAR MORE than a set of rules, but not to the point of the postmodern world where no truth, sin, or hell exists.

A lot of babbling to say the main function of the church should be to meet people where they are, and move them to where God wants them to be!