Institutional Church an Artificial Life Form

There is a field of research that is both art and science that is referred to as "Artificial Life" I actually did not know anything about this until today when I did a Google search on the term and found a Wikipedia article on the topic and in truth of course still know very little, but just enough to write this. Artificial life or Alife as it is sometimes referred is basically the study of how to mimic real life in various media like software, art, etc. If interested click here to read the Wikipedia explanation of "Artificial Life." Computer games like Sim City come to mind and artificial flowers which of course are not flowers at all.

Just this morning I was having a conversation with another follower of Christ I had met at local coffee joint near my home. Our conversation led to a discussion of what church is and is not and for the most part I have the impression we are in agreement. More importantly it led to sharing how we each are doing today in daily life and our relationship with God and the Body of Christ and how our experiences in institutional church forms our understanding of God and the Body of Christ as both have far more effect on our own spiritual condition then it appears many acknowledge or recognize.

As I mention before when we turn organic relational life with the ecclesia into organizations, systems, and programs we turn what the New Testament demonstrates as a organic community into something man made and artificially manufactured which is not real community and produces artificial relationships where people do not walk together as a family, but simply members of the same club with the same likes, dislikes, and agendas which requires that members become obligated to support or it fails. That in turn requires conformity rather then the celebration of and operation of each others differences and unique gifts. As a result we do not feel or experience love, because genuine love requires valuing people as individuals.

This also affects our understanding of Father's love, because those who are demanding the conformity and obligation to the organizational machine are also set up as examples, because they are the ones among us we are led to believe are the most Christ-like and have the closest relationship with God. Yet instead of encouraging the growth of our unique Spiritual gifts and fulling our unique place and function with in the church they keep using fear and shame to manipulate us into obligation and conformity to their program and personal agendas.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26 (New Living Translation) "The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad."

1 Corinthians 14:26 (New International Version) "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church."

The institutionalization of the ecclesia into many different organizations contradicts that "we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit." In most instances it also has resulted in congregations only fulfilling the function of one body part and not walking in relationship with the other parts of the body.

Some cities and towns are said to have a church on every corner that is like having a body with an eye on one side of the street, and leg on the other, and across town an ear and in another part of town...You get the picture!