Returning to Square One
In my last blog, I spoke of how the church was transformed when the citizens of the Roman Empire generally accepted Christianity. After the Emperor himself was converted, most everyone else followed suit.
Prior to that, one could get you trouble by merely saying, “Jesus is Lord.” The common greeting was, “Caesar is Lord.” Two lords were not cool.
Romans were used to being told what to do. They were good at following the leader. Everything happened from the top down.
This attitude and practice quickly trickled into the church. Follow-the-leader became the byword there as well. Eventually, elders, pastors, and bishops were venerated. They were like royalty. The church hasn’t been the same since.
“We hire professional clergy…”
In today’s church, we hire professional clergy to preach to us, tell us what the Bible says, and lead us in the way we should go. A thorough reading of the New Testament reveals a much different kind of gathering.
When the church began, it was informal and intimate. Each congregation was more of a family than a corporation. Clergy were not CEOs. There was a deep understanding that all her members were a priesthood of believers. Everyone played a part, had a 
say, and pulled their weight.
I may be romanticizing it a bit, but not much. When the clergy became a special class, we lost a lot. Over the centuries, it’s only gotten worse. These days, we don’t know any other way. It seems normal and practical.
When we strayed from our roots, we developed a chain of command. That may sound harsh, but that was our model. We were more benevolent than tyrannical, but our new hierarchy was strengthened by our willingness to allow someone else to do it—whatever it happened to be at the time.
Where does the power lie?
I’m sure this sounds strange coming from a man who has been a hired gun for over thirty-five years. There was a time when I thought it was right and good that people like me should lead. We do need leaders. But we’ve got to realize that leading is not the same as calling all the shots.
It’s not simply that clergy types have usurped all the power (although that has certainly been the case in many instances). Over the years, much of the laity has willingly ceded their ministerial responsibilities and calling. The result is a sharp contrast between the laity and clergy. It has become an “us and them” situation.
One would be hard pressed to read Scripture and find such a distinction. Yet, we do. I think this is a result of reading the Bible through our twenty-first-century blinders. It’s all we know, so it’s all we see.
The church is God’s instrument on this earth to share the good news. These days we seem to be more interested in simply preserving what we have.
We need to get back to square one. It won’t be easy to return there from here, but we need to make a strong attempt to do so.
[Dave Zuchelli is a graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and is currently the pastor of Smith Chapel, in Great Falls, VA.]
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