I was writing to someone today who felt they had to defend their preference to use the word ministry in preference to Church. I wrote this little tirade.

I said, “I agree with you theologically. The institution was not commissioned by Jesus or Holy Spirit and the times people talk of Pentecost as the birthday of the Church does my head in. Pentecost was the fulfilment of the law which would be written into people's hearts - happening on the festival of the celebration of the Commandments. The institution was the result of the major appropriation of the Jesus Way people for political ends by a Roman Emperor. It was never supposed to be the way it has turned out, but people can be greedy when power slips their way. The number of denominations and colours of Christianity shows how much people have been arguing about what institution best 'holds' God ever since. God can't be held. We were only ever supposed to be communities of Jesus Way people wherever we could gather and care for each other and for the community. Our mission is not to add names to a list for a set of prescribed ways of connection; our mission is to enable Love to change a community for the better (to reduce fear, to bring hope, so much more).”

For me and for the recipient of my tirade, this is our position and we’re not alone. A significant number of us in this one of many faiths are absolutely committed to vision of church without walls. It is critically important in the culture we now live in. It is counter cultural to the conservative 'Christianity' which is dominating many countries' political narrative for narrow ends. Personally, as I have noted in my story sheet for my painting, The Stone Was Rolled Away, I am grateful for the institution because amongst all the ‘not called to be this way’ historical institutional activity, the core story was told and I was able to hear it. Personally, I am deeply grateful to the particular denomination I am in, the United Reformed Church, which is working hard at being inclusive, has ordained women for over 100 years, welcomes LGBTQ people in every part of church structure including it’s highest appointments (for a church with theoretically no hierarchy) and shows a counter cultural mix of cultures in its many congregations. Because the new age of well related peace is not yet here and because most of us exist in the capitalist empire/post empire world, we require the institution. My personal mission inside the institution is to support, wherever I can, the shaping of the institution so that it is pastoral, supportive, transparent, safe and as robust as necessary.

Rant over. For now.