The Forgotten Ways - Part Four

Organic systems are the natural elements that form as an organism grows more complex. The opposite of these systems are the institutional systems (I wrote about that here). "The church in its most phenomenal from (when it genuinely manifests Apostolic Genius) organizes itself as a living organism that reflects more how God has structured life itself, as opposed to a machine, which is the artificial, inorganic alternative to a living system." The kingdom and church is portrayed in Scripture using organic images such as a body, field, yeast, seeds, trees, vines, etc. So, could we look at the doctrine of creation (cosmology) to guide us into a deeper understanding of ourselves and our function in the world? Hirsch thinks so.

"A living systems approach seeks to structure the common life of an organization around the rhythms and structures that mirror life itself." An organic approach includes the tasks of:

• "unleash[ing] the mDNA that is dormant in the system and help guide it to its God-intended purpose,"
• "bring[ing] the various elements in the system into meaningful interrelationship" - much like how Paul describes the body of Christ,
• "mov[ing] the system toward the edge of chaos;" that is, forcing the church to adapt and to become responsive to the community we find ourselves in, and finally,
• "help[ing] select the flow of information and focus the community around it."

Hirsch concludes, "Planting a new church in this approach isn't primarily about buildings, worship services, size of congregations, and pastoral care, but rather about gearing the whole community around natural discipling friendships, worship as lifestyle, and mission in the context of everyday life. As a living network "in Christ" it can meet anywhere, anytime and still be a viable expression of church."

On the other hand, churches often set up mechanical approaches to substitute for the natural systems that emerge. "Religious institutionalism happens when, in the name of convenience, we set up a system to do what we must do ourselves so that over time the structures we create take on a life of their own."

The dangers of institutionalism includes the transitions where

"mission becomes strategy
roles become tasks
teams become structure
networks become organization
recognition becomes compensation"

How do we stave off this decline? "It is the heart of the prophetic ministry to constantly call us to unadorned covenantal faithfulness; this is summed up in Micah 6:8, "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.""

"In catering to the religious needs of some (largely the insiders) it has as a consequence failed to respond to the wider spiritual hunger of not-yet-Christians....Liquid church is essential because it takes the present culture seriously and seeks to express the fullness of the Christian gospel within that culture. The defining element of this is church as a living, adaptive network highly responsive to the deep spiritual needs and hunger expressed in the surrounding society."

In order to understand how we can successfully multiply (natural in the course of living systems) we ask the question, "What is the irreducible minimum of the faith? What can be done away with? What is too complex and heavy to carry into a new missional situation and an adaptive challenge?" The problems with the complexity of the megachurch being the only viable option is that "the net effect will be to marginalize most people from ministry and church planting, and it will effectively put a contraceptive on the reproductive mechanism of the church. It will certainly stifle genuine people movements, because it necessitates a professional concept of ministry with massive buildings and resources."