Faithfully Following Christ:
Unexpected Insights from
Psychology
On Being the Body of Christ
Faith is Relational
 Christianity is more than
a set of doctrines
 God not only forgives
sin, but adopts us,
drawing us into
relationship with him
 God, as Trinity, is
inherently relational
 Even “faith” is a
relational term
 Believing “that” vs.
 Believing “in”
Our Covenant Theology
 God chooses Abram…
 But to be father of a
people, so a community
 The Church is the Israel
of today
 We are a covenant
community
 And bear responsibilities
to one another
 What does psychology
say about such
relationships?
Our Plan
 A few thoughts on family and the church community
 Then focus on the church community
 And compare this to Romans 12
Families in the Family of God
 Clearly the NT stresses the importance of family
 Yet, it is a subset of Christ’s bride, the Church
 The two interact in many important ways
Faith in the Family
 Positives
 Faith shapes the family in
important ways:
 Doctrines shape the value
and sanctity of it
 E.g., Marriage typifies
the relationship of Christ
and the Church
 Prescribes roles in
marriage
 Promotes positive
parenting (love,
discipline)
 Gives the family a “sacred
mission”
 Stronger when marriage
seen as sacred (e.g.
Catholics make it a
sacrament)
 Marriages strongest
when both partners see it
as sacred
 Though falling short of
ideals poses problems:
 Divorce (more negative
coping and depression if
in church context)
 Or, “religious familism”:
seeing nuclear family as
core unit of society over
the church
Religious Families
The Good
 56% of married couples
with kids attend church vs.
39% of divorced or
cohabiting parents
 Provides moral context for
family
 And supportive community
for beliefs/standards
 Rituals support (baptisms,
weddings)
 Contrast recent trend of
weddings moved from
churches
The Bad
 For first time ever, more US
adults are single than married
 Meaning churches must adapt
to minister to these folks
while upholding value and
standards of marriage
 Not stigmatizing them
 Religious conflicts of parents
have detrimental effects on
kids
 Religion often used to justify
spousal abuse
 And even child abuse
So How does the Church…
 Keep its message of value and meaning of family alive in
the current climate?
 And still understand and welcome folks in other family
structures?
 Support nuclear families yet teach and practice the
importance of serving one another as a community?
 Teach the whole biblical truth about family without
allowing for abuse of the truth?
 Discipline without child abuse
 Family structure without missing the role of love and mutual
submission
 What steps does FPCC need to consider in this?
The Church as Community
Cultural Structures
 INDIVIDUALISM
 Individual goals > group
 Morals: do no harm and
leave me alone
 YET:
 25% in US say no one
to turn to with
problems
 50% if you exclude
family members
 Seen in churches that
try to cater to “felt
needs” of individuals
rather than develop a
unique community
Communal Structures
COLLECTIVISM
 Group of people >
individuals
 Often in Eastern
countries
 But also the view of
monasteries
 Can be high in this and
individualism as in Latin
American countries
COMMUNITARIANISM
 Balances the two
 Church is a community,
but aids in fulfilling
individual needs
 Still contrasts with our
broader culture with little
regard for community
Four Elements of Religious
Community

Believing
 Share beliefs about God and what he does for us and expects of us
 These are the “glue” of community
 Thus what of churches who hide or minimize beliefs?

Behaving
 Specifies moral behavior with not only “don’ts” but goals of sanctity and
holiness
 Supports charitable giving
 God the center of the community and all of life revolves around pleasing Him

Bonding


shared rituals and emotions
Belonging
 Identify with a valued and eternal group
 Shared beliefs promote this as well
What This Means to Us
 Protect our doctrine: should bind us, not divide us
 It is central to our identity
 Yet promote relationships among our members
 Consider the community in our behavior
 Our behavior reflects on who we are – something that has
harmed the Church in recent years
 Value our rituals (worshipping together, baptisms,
communion)
 These are when do or say things together
 Much meaning in speaking and singing words together and
sharing the emotion they evoke
 Will require of us:
 More genuine concern for the community and individuals in it
 More transparency to experience the support of God’s family
Romans 12

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies
as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of
your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and
acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you
not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with
sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For
as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same
function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members
one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us
use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one
who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who
contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of
mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to
what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in
showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the
needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you;
bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who
weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the
lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to
do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live
peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath
of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the
contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to
drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome
by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12 ESV)
Some Thoughts (with thanks to
Marva Dawn)
 Verse 8: Greek is “hilarotes”
or hilarity
 Christian community should
be “hilarious” in enjoying
God together
 Lack of joy comes from
individual approaches to
serving God
 Hilarity from mercy to one
another
 Verse 1: “bodies”
 Our individual bodies
 But also may allude to
house churches
 Verse 2: conformity
 More next week
 Yet, what is our measure of
success: business?
Acceptance? Self-esteem?
 We easily conform to secular
objectives/patterns
 Even our Bible studies quickly
become “What this means to
me”
 PRIDE the threat to
community (v.3)
 Though it often betrays a
lack of self-esteem
 Only in community are we
around all the spiritual gifts
(unity in diversity)
More Thoughts on Romans 12
 Abhor evil and hold fast
to good in verse 9:
 Flow from love of God
and love of others, not
rigid resolve
 “Hilarity is destroyed by
immorality”
 Honor one another
knowing how valuable
each other believer is (v.
10)
 Responding joyfully (with
hilarity) to persecution
 Consider the pain of the
persecutor – now and to
come
 Leave to God to seek
revenge
 Yet how readily we
quietly wish evil on
those who offend us
One More Note on Conformity
 All Hallows Eve is about the
evil spirits on the night before
All Saints Day
 What does it say that we join
in that celebration yet not in
celebration of All Saints Day?
 If of any value, Halloween is a
“teasing” of the spirits in light
of the work of God in the
saints
 But do we even notice this?
 And also it is Reformation Day
 So do we conform? Should
we?
In Conclusion
 Growing in community, as families and as a church, will be
increasingly vital as culture changes around us
 But will require greater vulnerability and a shift in focus from self-to
others
 Asking how can I pray for you, not just how are you?
 And giving honest, not just habitual answers
 What do I need to do?
 Prayer life?
 My way of thinking about those around me?
 Service?
 Getting out of my comfort zone?
 What does FPCC need to do?
 Pray for our leadership
 If in leadership, be intentional about community