(Discussion) Koinonia Deprivation Syndrome (KDS)
'KDS' and Going to Church: Cure--or Custom..?
1. Is it the best-kept secret in Evangelicalism--that American Teflon Churchianity is a 30-Story Orange Juice Machine That Gives One Cup a Month..?
2. Is it an urban religious myth that 'social action' should erode forward and eclipse The Gospel of Christ in priority, importance, and emphasis..?
3. Is it an urban religious myth that being a church member, an Episcopalian, a Baptist, etc. is just as important as--or equivalent to--being transformed by the Holy Spirit in Christ..?
4. Is it an urban religious myth that going to church constitutes meaningful fellowship, 'koinonia', and biblical 'assembling together'..?
5. Is it an urban religious myth--that going to a church will heal KDS, social alienation, loneliness, touch-deprivtion (God-to-Man--or Man-to-Man)--or necessarily access Christ's manifesto regarding Himself based on Isaiah 61:1-3--in the same way that standing in a garage will turn you into a car..?
6. Could it be that going to church (in many cases) is a 'tribal custom' and (essentially secular) pop-cultural practice which brings with it as many problems as the solutions it claims to offer..?
7. Sadly, could going to church often be no more than a 'bait 'n switch' operation--offering faux caring, compasion, a 'touching experience', rapport, empathy, understanding, spiritual empowerment, relational friendship, and help in times of need--in exchange for a suck-up-to-the-government-tax-deductible contribution in the plate..?
8. Could going to church in some cases place the naive 'seeker' in the presence and manipulative control of social charmers, religious salesmen, ecclesiastical politicians, the Apostate Church, pop-cultural religiosity, mega or emergent church group-think, the manipulation of lighting, music, 'give-more-do-more' pressure, the intrusive indignity of steeple-box pulpit-pontification and crowd-control..?
9. Could going to church like a religion-ISP, offer biblical teaching of Christian ideals--while omitting authentically empathetic rapport--the essential 'passWord'--to the real life experience of the pew-sitter..?
10. Whatever your conviction is regarding the above-listed points, it is the opinion of thie writer that each new (or older) Christian believer must be helped to build his/her own (at least 10 to 12) koinonia group of (wise-elder-to-younger) stable, sane, Bible-studious, serioulsy-devoted-to-Christ friends--and meet regularly for fellowship, prayer, and sharing--and not be seduced into Teflon Churchianity and its used-car-salesmen subsidiaries, and (not the Father's) 'business of religion'.
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While I do not discourage attendance to Bible-believing churches where there are spiritually healthy pastor-teachers who are empowered by the Holy Spirit and who are scholars of the Word--and who are true shepherds in Christ (and not 'spiritual hirelings'), I still encourage each member of the community of the redeemed to build a koinonia group for him or herself.
(excerrpt: unpublished work-in-progress)
American Teflon Churchianity & Koinonia Deprivation Syndrome
Copyright 2008 by Philip C. Brewer All Rights Reserved
