Where is the “I like” button. Or better yet, the “I love” button!

Dr. Oord,
Have you read Nicholas Healy’s book “Church, World and the Christian Life”?  Basically, he draws on von Balthasar’s theodramatic theory (which I am not really familiar with) to talk about individual roles being played in a drama.  And just as a drama needs each role, the church (and even beyond the church) needs the various roles, or parts, to be played out.  There are many characters and many parts that need to be allowed to develop.  It’s very much like what you said about how “the greatest amount of life can be supported by the greatest diversification of structure.”

John

Great essay Tom.

It is true that we need diverse structures, an environment of diverse strata if we are to accommodate the diversity of the body. I agree that Paul’s metaphor is a very good one. I think that the church needs to reflect this diversity and make room for all of the parts. When we try to force all the parts or species in a region into a single stratum then many die off or flee to find their niche elsewhere.

Very good drawing from environmental biology and population genetics, I think it fitting.

What would you say is the primary way that anyone first comes to know Jesus, the Christ of God, thus beginning their path to potentially being Christocentric?

I generally agree that the principles are sound, however, it seems to me that to negate the “same old, same old” as an aspect of that diversity, simply because it is the “same old, same old,” is to cut us off from the ways of worship and ministry that have worked for us in the past.  It seems that, as with anything, it is a matter of balance between the old, which has worked for us in the past, and the new, which may work for us in the future.

Yes, familiarity and diversity coupled creates a loving environment which is marked by love.  That is great, and I am all for it.  However, there is, really, a crucial part of the picture missing here: namely, how does the church embrace the absence of love? Or does the church have the wherewithal to locate and honestly name such a reality when it rears its ugly head, without immediately jumping to the diagnosis? 

I think the church does retain this wherewithal via Scripture’s prophetic canon, which was a crucial attribute of Christ’s message; though sadly tradition has often squelched this issue in order to save face.  In my personal experience, the church loves to talk about love but looks down up talking about frustration, anger and doubt.—Or if they do talk about it, it is marked by quotidian, quick answers like “just pray and give it all to the Lord; he will make things better.” 

Sometimes, I wonder if the church forgets the meaning behind Christ being dead and gone for three days (and the “fall” element in biblical paradigm of creation/fall/redemption is sadly forgotten).  There needs to be a place in time where answers are not given, where the dark interim of the wilderness questions and speculates and doubts.

I agree with this claim that there must be diversity within the Church, but with an appropriate amount of structure rather than chaos. At the same time though, where is the solution? How are we to implement these changes within the Church? From my experience, it seems as though as of late the diversity in callings seem to be growing within ministry. This is an issue for some. How are we to aid in opening up people’s perspectives within the church on what it is ministry actually entails? It seems as though it’s not until we do this that we can truly see the Church grow and thrive as a body, functioning in all it’s vast functions.

I agree that love needs to be the shared point of reference.  We all have different ways of thinking and it is good to bring different points of view to the table.  Through love, we can all keep an open mind and work through our diversity to benefit everyone.

After reading these principles, I tend to agree with them.  Although not only in the church we see that with diversity comes chaos.  I also agree that love needs to be a commonality between people no matter how diverse we are as a body.

Dr. Oord I really liked this blog post. When I started reading it, I immediately thought of a sports team and how it relates to the church having diversity.  I’ll use volleyball for my example:  A volleyball team has different positions (outside, middle, setter, right side, and libero/designated passer) and without those different positions it would not function properly.  The team has the players on the court and the players off the court working together to strive for their goals.  The team would not function properly without the players on the court and the players off the court.  With the different positions, there is diversity in the team.  Each position is different in and has a specific “job” or role.  If specific positions were missing or if there were too many of the same positions on the court at once the team would be imbalanced and function poorly.

The church has its leaders (those “on the court”): senior/lead pastor, youth pastor, children’s pastor, associates pastor, etc.  The church also has its congregation (those “off the court”).  Without the leaders and congregation working together to strive for its goals the church would not function properly.  A church mission statement is important to keep everyone on the same page and it needs to be reminded to everyone in the church regularly.  The leaders in the church are different in their specific ministry areas but are all striving for the same goal/mission.  The leaders need to be supporting and encouraging and equipping the congregation.  The congregation needs to be supporting and encouraging and following the leaders.

I agree with you that diversity in the church is very important.  Without diversity, everyone in the church would be the same (thoughts, beliefs, ideas, ect.) and there would be no room for growth.  With diversity comes growth.  People learn from other people.  I loved your statement: “Love comes in a million forms.  It takes a thousand shapes.  Love cannot be reduced to a one-size-fits-all formula.  In fact, love requires diversity.”  I think this is so true.  Love comes in many different forms because people come in many different forms.  Every person is unique and needs to be loved differently.  With diversity in the church, the church can learn how to love different people and help the church grow.  The church needs diversity to better equip them to take care of people.

These three principles give a good foundation for how the Church is called to imitate God.  We should welcome diversity, but we also need the “point of reference” to keep us on the right mission.  Christ did not come to earth to bring salvation to a select few who fit a certain mold and there is also no mold people must fit before we love them.

I found your example of Paul’s analogy of the Church being like the body, in that it takes many parts to function intriguing. I also liked your statement on, “Love is what unifies the diverse expressions of a living and growing Church.” To me, this is so true! I believe that you are right on in saying that we as Christians are called to love as God loves us. Without this love and unity, the Church would not exist or would not have a firm foundation. Ultimately, God is our rock, but it takes human cooperation to build something great from this foundation.

I completely agree with your statements about love for God is love, as you stated.  As Christians, God must be the focal point to everything we do individually and collectively as a church.  This provides for a love centered church that is active in allowing God to do His work through each person and the church body.  This being said, I think that God can work in diversity and the “same old, same old” approaches.  I think that a church that has God as center and therefore is living in love will have a diverse and tradition setting for evangelism, body of believers, etc.  I think that diversity is a result of the other two principles.  This is just my opinion though, I do not necessary know specific Scripture to back this opinion.  Good post!

Enjoyed your perspective regarding the need for adventure/diversity in the church.  The irony is that many of the constructs of our lives are built around averting risk and change both in and out of the church.  Many avert risk based on fear of the unknown.  And yet, perpetual change is something that we all have to deal with.  I wonder what there is to fear in embracing Christ-led change in the church.  Can fear and faith share common mental and spiritual real estate ?

With Christ as head of His Bride, and we as His children surrendered to His leading, I believe that we are all in for a wild ride of discipleship - one filled with diversity, change, and hope.

Hi Dr. Oord.

I agree with your point that diversity plays an influential role in a person’s maturation and development.  I also agree that the apostle Paul was alluding to both the importance of diversity in the Church and likewise unity in love in the cited passage.

That being said, because of perspective, environment and a nameless amount of other influential factors, people are inevitably and innately diverse.  It is a widely held if not universal opinion that everyone in some respect is especially unique in his or her own way. 

Nonetheless and interestingly enough I have also heard it said that the most segregated hour in the United States is from the hours of nine to eleven on Sunday mornings.  What an unfortunate observation.

I personally am curious as to how much this issue has to do with identity.  Perhaps we would be more comfortable celebrating our differences if we understood ourselves to be solely Christian and nothing else.

Great post. We as the church need to recognize the value in our diverse ways of showing love.
Too often we either attack each other’s approach or copy it. Both are not adequate responses. We need to see how we complement each other and, as you said,“foster diverse opportunities to love.”
We should celebrate our differences while recognizing just how similar we are. After all, we are all on the same team. We are diverse people meeting the needs of diverse people in cooperation with an amazingly creative God.

I believe that people are becoming to stuck in their ways, and need a kick of diversity to remind them how amazingly vast this world God made is. Our diversity is what makes us special, and to ignore what is unfamiliar is to ignore a part of God.

I agree that diversity is key to growth, especially in all aspects of life.  This is the main reason why the Church is not growing as much as it potentially could.  The Church is so afraid of change that they most often times choose to ostracize that which is different from the traditional way of doing/thinking things.  This is also the reason why I believe so many youth are falling away from the Church.  This is a changing world we live in today and I believe the youth are recognizing that.  And when the Church looks the other way to change (whatever it may be), the youth gradually push away from this close-minded mentality.

I absolutely love the thought that diversity should be stressed more within the church. To have a specific purpose within the “Body of Christ” give you the feeling of a sense of worth. Different people have to capacity to love through listening, gift giving, touch… and so on. Each of these gifts is important in the role of the church in every day life. Some people respond to certain gestures more than others so to continue to diversify the church will further enable to the church to be able to reach a wider variety of people.

I like the last principle the most when it says that love comes in many ways and forms and that there isn’t a one-size fits all. I have seen that some people actually try to love everyone the same and this doesn’t work. Every person receives love differently and thinks of love in different ways as well. So, when I show love to others I try to make sure that I keep in mind their personality as well as their responses, which helps me to love them better.

I really enjoyed this blog. Being a social work major, I am always learning about diversity within our society. It is often perceived that having diversity is a bad thing but many don’t realize that each diverse part contributes to the whole group. I agree that you need each individual part for the body to function properly and to thrive. I think the church needs diversity because God created all people, and He created us differently from one another but was hoping that we would all be united under one common cause, Him. I agree that just like people, love comes in a variety of forms. But not one form is better than another. Our world would not be able to grow if we all expressed ourselves the same way.

I agree that diversity is important for the church to function at a high level.  Having differences makes people more aware of a wider view of the situation and can help make better decisions.  I think that loving in diverse ways is great for reaching different types of people.

I think as with a lot of things in life, balance is key to being successful. I like the biological analogy about how even plants and animals need a certain amount of diversity in order to thrive. It is the same with love. There needs to be a certain amount of change and diversity just as there needs to be a certain amount of consistency.If you loved on someone in the same way it starts to lose its genuine feel. One of the ways you can define love, i feel is the way that love requires creativity and change just as much as it requires consistency.

With diversity comes different perspectives and different opinions. These differences can lead to conflict. However, diversity should not be avoided to avoid conflict. God created a diverse world. In order to reach that world and truly love it, we must become diverse in our methods and understanding. Of course, it is important to remain true to the foundation of Christianity and the teachings of Jesus. But how can we reach a diverse world if we continue to use the same tactics? As the world transforms, so must we transform how we express love. In the end, though diversity may bring conflict, it is something that is necessary.

One of my biggest pet peeves within the church is the lack of an interdenominational mindset. Being a life-long Nazarene, I have seen this first hand in countless churches. People are giving testimonies about people becoming “new Nazarene’s” or talking about the goals and success of the Nazarene church. I don’t think that this is necessarily a bad thing by itself, but in many churches I have been to, it seems like when they refer to the “body” they are referring to the Nazarene church, rather than the universal body of Christ. We need to work on embracing our brothers and sisters within the body, and show them our love in order to spread that love to unbelievers.

I really like how the church is tried into this discussion. It’s interesting to hear how different churches, different denominations feel we can love one another best. I believe there is not only ONE way to love best, but as this blog says, there are MANY ways to love best. One arguement I’ve heard recently was, it isn’t loving to go on mission trips just to give to the poor and needy, because when you leave their still going to be hungry, poor and needy. But the other side of the arugement says, that that is necessary to help those in need… I don’t think one way is right over another, I think a lot of it is situational. Either way, I do think it is important to recognize there are different types, and ways to love, and to practice as many was we can.

Diversity is indeed a good thing to have.  I believe that having diversity, whether good or bad, allows us to move away from stagnation and complacency.  In life, if we are not moving forwards it means that we are stuck in neutral whether at idle or high rev’s, or we’re just spinning our wheels; either way is not a good thing.  By bad diversity I’m referring to those who are in our midst (seemingly) against us and are constantly trying our most sacred, religious, and patient inner mother Theresa hair … but as the old adage says, “no pain no gain,” “if it doesn’t hurt it is ‘cause you’re not pushing yourself hard enough,” etc.  Chaos may also be a good thing as it pushes us to overcome our toughest difficulties, thus, achieving growth and eventually personal self-satisfaction.  Just as important as diversity is in our lives’, to have diversity in our Church is also important as it equates to overall Church growth and strength.  If there was no diversity in the Church where we all are one and the same, then we will eventually find ourselves all nicely gathered together singing kumbaya while awaiting in perfect harmony of blandness and sheep-like complacency for our next comet ride into space.

I love the idea of the church having diversity and different ways to love. Showing love is what Christians are called to do, and if the church has diverse ways in showing it, the better. Diversity gives us the chance to grow, not only as a person, but as a community and church as well. There are so many ways that we as Christians can express our love for others, and I believe that that is is important for the church to have this diversity.

This topic has been the primary one in my own thought life over the past couple weeks. I have this subtle feeling that something is very wrong with the American church. Our great amount of diversity should be a positive sign, yet our seeming lack of a shared reference point far outweighs the positives aspects of diversity. Sure, we can say that we all share the reference point of Christ. But when we are really honest, and look at all the things different denominations fight and split over, this is not really the case. We might have the idea of Christ as a shared reference point, but we have not (as a body) fully realized what it means to become one body under the practiced love of Christ. I think the countless ways that Christians choose to worship God is part of what makes life and being human great. I do not think, however, that our inability to disagree on small issues yet come together in love on the things that really matter is a good thing at all.

Diversity is definitely a good thing to have among a body of believers, but I do agree with you that it can also hinder the growth of the body. People have different aspects in life that they enjoy more than something else. The only problem is people can also say their way is the only good way, and that is where chaos happens. We as believers need to realize that as a body of Christ we need all aspects of life to make it work. I also believe that is good to see Christ as the head of the body to direct us in the path that should be taken. We need to look to Him for guidance. If the body of Christ finds that balance, I believe it is easier to love one another.

I was inspired by this blog because I think we often forget how important it is to remember that love takes millions of shapes and forms and that diversity is not a bad thing. I would agree that diversity is needed in the body of Christ. I used to go to a church where they required people to do certain things and have specific gifts in order to become part of the church and I felt this was so incredibly wrong. While still being united in Christ and love, we are all different parts of the body that work in different ways toward a common goal. This blog also made me think of how we go on mission trips and sometimes feel like we have been more blessed than the people we went to bless and help. People in different cultures, different parts of that world, or people who just have a different life story can teach us so much about love and Jesus that we never realized or ever encountered.

The Christian church is often wrapped up in its own culture that is created within the church, everyone else is often forgotten. Loving and accepting the diversity of this earth is important in understanding how God loves everyone, not just specific kinds of people.

I agree with what Dan said, it is very easy for us to become comfortable in our ways and not want to be pushed outside our comfort zones to love someone else. I think this is the reason why the church has been seen as stagnant over the past decades, because there has been no revolution or change, it’s just same ol’ same ol’. Christ calls us to love everyone, and that often means that we have to stretch and grow to fill that command, which is what diversity is all about.

I agree that diversity should be celebrated and that the church needs to step up and find important over arching similarities between people and cultures. Love should be this main focus but the problem is that people have different ideas of what love is and how it should be expressed. Its difficult for humans to always be loving because we each have an agenda but if the church keeps it priorities straight and actual practices what Christ taught then maybe we can get somewhere. However the church has some barriers to work through like forcing people to conform in order for them to be loved. When really the church should love the people as they come not what they think they should be. I have experienced this in my home church and even here at NNU.

It seems to me that diversity in the church is something that is generally opposed. Not to oppose diversity in its congregation or even its target outreach, but rather its standards, beliefs, and missions. As stated here, the church must be willing to reach out in ways that are new and current. I think that this will not only show the flexibility of the church but its drive to help those in cultures and situations where you would not typically expect an impact from the church. This can do nothing but broaden the diversity of love shown by Christians and positively impact those it is reaching to.

I really like the imagery of the body. Not only does the body need diversity of structures to survive, but it also NEEDS every single structure or part. The human body is so complex and interconnected between its systems, that the absence of one system major or minor may throw off the entire system and potentially lead to death. This is just for a surviving/functional body. To have a well performing and healthy body, all systems must be strong and do their jobs as they were made to. I feel like this is very applicable to the church and to love as you described above; all systems must work together how they were made to in order to live and live to its potential.

I strongly agree with the importance of diversity in the church. Diversity allows more people to be reached by the gospel. However, I feel as though this contradicts some of the other points we have covered thus far in class. It seems as though similarity is an important aspect in love. As an example, during yesterday’s class session we discussed that true friendship requires two to be similar in virtue.

I certainly agree that diversity is needed in love to allow it to continue.  Like both the biological analogy and a cultural viewpoint, if one simply focuses on one single aspect, a viewpoint would become rigid and stale.  This can apply to the Christian Church as well.  With only one single culture, the rest of the world is discarded, and thus our viewpoint is staggered and limited.  The Body of Christ must encompass a wide range of people instead of simply one.

I am surprised that I actually agree with Darwin and what he says about diversity. If I apply this concept to the Church, I realize people find it easy to identify with a certain denomination. I’m not sure if it is the teachings, or the culture that they prefer, but one common thing that most Churches fail to realize is that we can all (most of the time) agree on the thing that matters most, and that’s Christ’s sacrifice. So many churches have rules and regulations that it’s members have to abide by, rules that Christ never intended for his followers. I find this frustrating and unnecessary in most cases. I don’t even like the term “member,” if someone were to ask me what Church I belong to I would answer, “I’m a follower of Christ.” Which in all cases, any denomination that believes in God-this answer is applied.  Diversity is crucial, like the entry states, but so is communion, especially in the Church. I would like to see more churches coming together to do Christ’s work. Individually we are nothing, but diverse and together we can accomplish!

I strongly agree that churches growth is strongest when structures are diverse.  You need the creative people to think of ideas for the church, the money minded people to think of the financial sides, and the detail oriented people to make it realistic.  This reminds me of the lyrics, “If we are the body, why aren’t His arms moving?”  This song, to me, points out the importance of differences in people that complement each other to work things out for the best of everyone’s interest.  Individual members of a church should strive to overcome personal differences or prejudices to work together for a common goal.  I don’t believe this can happen until all the members of the church learn how to love each other in community.  If we are not acting in love, then the cooperation may all be forced anyway.

I am very glad this topic was presented. To many people try to assimilate to what they think is the right way to be and because of that they never find who they are and what they have to provide that no one else can. We need to embrace our differences and learn how best to use what we have to offer in the whole scheme of things. The only real flaw we have is when we don’t live out what we were meant to do and to learn how to do it in the right manner. When our manner is presented in a loving way we are typically following our purpose.

I tend to agree that diversity is an important part of the church.  Diversity allows people to become more conscious view of love and provides the individual as well as the church to grow and learn on a high level. Diversity is a great way to reach new people and spread the love of God.

One part of this blog that caught my eye was the part about being different to thrive. There is psychological evidence that groups of people from all different backgrounds and ethnicity do much better as a group that people from the same back ground and ethnicity in a group. The more diverse people are having to work harder to get along, but it is shown that as they start to get to know each other better, they realize because of all of their different backgrounds, they bring more to the table and some are more talented with different tasks than others. The diverse group thrived and the similar group did significantly worse than the diverse group. I agree that the church needs to be this way as well, and we need to be open to allowing that to happen. We can all bring different talents and skills to the table and I believe we need to be more willing to accent those differences. If we are able to do this, we are going to be able to love more openly and willingly. Very thought provoking blog!

I believe diversity is something that we need more of in our country. I believe it is something God created in order for us to learn and grow. I believe that diversity is a way to learn how to love differently. But with diversity, things that hinder growth may come along, such as other religions and beliefs. All in all this makes us stronger. I can relate this to mission trips. If we had good diversity in our country or around the world this would not be such an oppurtunity.