Here's the church and there's the steeple...
Wes Wick
“Here's the church and there's the steeple.
Open the door and see all the people.”
Mature Christians know that the Church is the people, not a steepled building. Buildings are wonderful structures, but unlike people, they are not living, breathing, interdependent beings, for whom Jesus died.
In a recent two-part podcast (Jan 10) interview with Cavin Harper and Sarah Greenstreet of ElderQuest Ministries, I (Wes) was asked about obstacles holding the church back from being more intergenerational.
Do you ever get asked a question, give an answer on the spot, and then continue to mull over the question in weeks to come?
This question prompted me to think post-podcast about my dad, who passed away over two decades ago. He was a successful building contractor, overseeing the construction of over a thousand homes in the Pacific Northwest.
He had his core construction crew and also worked with a myriad of subcontractors. Fostering close relationships between the various subcontractors wasn’t a priority. He mainly wanted them to work efficiently and stay out of each other’s way.
Houses/buildings have many parallel systems and fewer interdependent systems. The electricity and plumbing operate independently. The brick masons, painters, and carpet layers may have little interaction, and that's okay. You might say they ‘tolerate’ each other.
When the power goes out at our house (and it does!), we can still use our sink and non-electric stove. By contrast, our body’s digestive tract would shut down without the circulatory and nervous systems.
We know there is a temptation for pastors and leaders to operate like building contractors. The ‘body’ of Christ can sometimes drift to a more manageable ‘building’ metaphor, content with tolerant relationships.
Rather than operating like general medical practitioners, with keen awareness of the complex, interdependent nature of the body, some pastors thrive as successful contractors. Like my dad, they appreciate what each tradesperson brings to the table but may be less apt to focus on interdependent relationships, including intergenerational.
We’re here to support pastors and churches in this arena. Let’s all remind ourselves how much we need each other as the body (not the building) of Christ.