The worldwide church of Jesus Christ has a side that remains a deep mystery to me, even after many years of ministry in different countries. This mystery is that the church is so weak and so broken. Where we expect glory and clarity and moral steadfastness, victory and focus, we often see a church wandering, compromised, declining, confused, even corrupt. What is the plan? Is there even a plan? Or did the plan fail?
Yes, persecution can bring revival or refining of the church, but this is not a given. Under pressure, Christians can also choose to compromise, hide their faith, completely abandon any idea of evangelism or outreach to those around them, even hate their enemies or take revenge on them. They can also choose to align themselves with a political leader or party whom they hope will protect them, abandoning their prophetic responsibility. But even if the church is faithful in persecution, the suffering may leave the church with deep scars.
Freedom and prosperity bring other challenges. Materialism is so engrained in many Christians in prosperous nations, that we have lost the ability to even see it as a danger. A lust for political power or confusing the kingdom of God with the kingdoms of this world is another danger when a church is free and flourishing. No lessons seem to be learned from church history in this regard.
And moral issues seem to arise regardless of whether a church is persecuted or not. Leaders abuse their flock. Sheep go astray and find excuses to embrace the immorality of society, in secret or openly. Those with access to funds often cannot resist the temptation to use them to their own advantage.
Confusion meanwhile is everywhere. Heresies old and new divide and lead people astray. Cults lure people away from the light. Great moral examples are found to have lived double lives or have troubling secrets. Christian friends can fall away from the faith or betray us. Political leaders can woe the allegiance of Christians with attractive promises and dispose of them when they have the votes they need. Who can we trust?
These questions can be troubling. And they should be troubling. We clearly haven’t arrived yet. The promises of the church as a pure and spotless bride, victorious, glorious, celebrating, these promises are still to be fulfilled. We see the beginning, sometimes the fulfilment seems closer than other times, but right now, we live between the hope of glory and the pain of the present reality. How can we, without denying the heartache, hold on to that hope?
Hymnwriter Samuel John Stone can perhaps help us to keep the right perspective. He witnessed a time of deep confusion and division in the South African church in the 1860s. In response, he wrote hymns reflecting the 12 articles of the apostolic creed, the central truths all Christians hold on to. One of them is “I believe in one, holy catholic church, the communion of the saints” (‘catholic’ referring to the one church of all times and places, not Catholicism).
He begins with two beautiful verses about the deep and joyful mystery of the church as the Bride of Christ and her unity over all the earth.
1. The church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2. Elect from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.
But he goes on to describe the oppression, scorn, division, confusion, betrayal from without and within. And the cry of distress that is the hearts of so many believers.
3. Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
4. The church shall never perish,
Her dear Lord to defend
To guide, sustain and cherish,
Is with her to the end
Though there be those that hate her,
And false sons in her pale
Against a foe or traitor,
She ever shall prevail
What does the church do in all this, except cry out in distress? She waits. She trusts. Christ himself will defend and keep her through all this trouble. Our longing eyes will see the victory of the church.
5. Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
‘Til, with the vision glorious,
Her longing eyes are blessed,
And the great church victorious
Shall be the church at rest.
The mystery of the weakness and brokenness of the church is mirrored in us. We are part of this, just as we will be part of the glory that follows. As weak vessels of clay, we hold the treasure that God has put in us. His power can and will again fill his broken, confused and wounded church. A mystery even greater.
