Seeking Guidance

What might a congregation with a robust discipline of guidance look like? There are recent books that give a glimpse of this kind of church, though they do not use this terminology. In her small group study, Unbinding Your Heart: 40 Days of Prayer & Faith Sharing, Martha Grace Reese explains techniques that encourage a church to become more open, more welcoming, more faithful, and more evangelistic. Her examples include a firm reliance on prayer during all church meetings, a careful attention to the newcomer experience, and an openness to the reading of the holy spirit. The benefits are appealing to any congregation - increasing membership, spiritual vitality and strong fellowship. Even if evangelism is not the focus, corporate attention to prayer, friendliness, core strengths and outward service are highly likely to encourage community unity and commonness of purpose.

Lent is far too short a time to bring deep trust in the Holy Spirit to the typical mainstream congregation. But the same Lenten practices that encourage individual alignment with God's will, can move entire populations to a stronger, healthier relationship with the Holy Spirit. Such work is not easy. It requires dedication on the part of many and a commitment to overcoming the most difficult human emotions, including pride, greed and envy. Most of all, it demands an almost divine patience, a willingness to work through all the many issues that separate members. But in time, as people recognize their needs are being met and their value to the group is consistently reinforced, they let go of their fears and their prejudices, boosting group unity as followers of the Holy Spirit.

The early church, as described in the book of Acts, experienced this type of guidance on a regular basis. Even though its members, Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, slave and free, were united primarily on the basis of their belief in Jesus Christ and the persecution they experienced because of their beliefs, these house churches thrived without priests or ministers or rabbis. Ordination, the official recognition of a calling to ministry, did not develop until many hundreds of years later. Today's house church movement can be traced to the practices of the early church, among them a strong dedication to the discipline of Guidance. This is detailed convincingly by Frank Viola and George Barna in Pagan Christianity? Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices. While Guidance practice differed, then as now, from congregation to congregation, certain common principles would seem to apply consistently. The importance of the individual is enforced, even as unanimity in resolve is stressed. This often requires the group to remedy adverse consequences on any member as a result of its decisions. An inclusive approach to membership must be developed and people must be affirmed in spite of their shortcomings. Members must trust the group to act in their best interests and the group must earn that trust in its actions and outcomes for every member. Christians from all walks of life aspire to such a Spirit-filled congregation.

But Guidance cannot be mandated. There is no 12-step program to move a church at odds with itself to one that is unified in worship and vision. Perhaps the best way to progress toward this goal, then, is to practice reliance on the Holy Spirit as much as possible. With a basis in the individual disciplines of prayer, meditation, study and even fasting, persons can begin to involve their most trusted spiritual companions in decision-making. Trusting an ever-larger group with Spirit-inspired discernment of increasingly communal issues, a core of Guidance practitioners can lead by example to a joyous, faith-full congregation.

May the Holy Spirit become your guide and inspiration in all decisions.