backyardmissionary

Hi mate

Obviously done a lot of thinking about this lately and the family image is the primary for me. Not just because it’s cute, but because Paul uses it as something that God has fore-ordained. That seems to be the NT impression anyway

Comment by Steve McAlpine — September 9, 2007 @ 10:39 pm

Jesus wasn’t stupid – You cant beat the ol Flock of Sheep image. Sheep would have to be among the most uncritical thinkers of the animal kingdom.

Comment by Simon — September 9, 2007 @ 11:41 pm

Family works for me. I have what I consider to be a healthy extended family with one or two extreme exceptions (…ya just can’t choose those cousins!) But I guess that too is like the church. Family, yes, that is mine for sure.

Comment by vawz — September 10, 2007 @ 7:58 am

not having ever experienced a healthy extended family that’s what I long the church to be…

Comment by deano — September 10, 2007 @ 9:21 am

cockroach – getting into the cracks, finding life in dark moments, and discovering you can survive flood and fire…it’s just the mortein that kills you!

Comment by travis — September 10, 2007 @ 12:19 pm

The Embassy of God’s Kingdom

Comment by Lance Mac — September 10, 2007 @ 2:22 pm

Family for all the above reasons (including the fact that I’m still learning how to love family – immediate and extended), but also “The Body.” I appreciate the whole idea that, while we can survive w/o certain body parts, we aren’t completely healthy without them. It goes both ways – I need you as part of the body, and you need me. Of course, this becomes a more important analogy when one considers the local church, not just the church universal. There are other parts of the analogy that I like, but you get the idea.

Comment by Paul Loeffler — September 10, 2007 @ 11:41 pm

I’ll cast my vote for “family” also – although I’m not sure if this is a metaphor, an image, or simple reality.

-Alan

Comment by Alan Knox — September 11, 2007 @ 4:03 am

Honestly? I love the idea of the church as a body, an organism. The trouble is that I keep wondering if the clergy is like the apendix or tonsels … they’re nice to have around, but ultimately aren’t necessary. Like other parts, when they get infected, they cause a lot of trouble, but unlike other parts, when you take the infected parts out, you still get better. Maybe with a piece or two missing, but you still work just fine.

*sigh*

I think I just depressed myself.

Comment by Chris — September 11, 2007 @ 10:38 am

Paul Minear has a book called “Images of the church is the New Testament” in which he has 96 different metaphors for the church from scripture.

Of those I love: One loaf; the cup of the Lord; the circumcision (ouch); the pillar and buttress; the wearers of white robes (not good on pasta night;)head of cosmic spirits; the confessors;the slaves; the tree of life and the brotherhood (ahh… I knew my denomination had it right somewhere)..

what is interesting is the if you ask the average Joe Christian, they would be stuck the church as the body as a picture of the church and without the other pictures, it become a bit introverted… (the church gets stuck staring at his belly button if it had a metaphorical one).

Comment by Big Dave — September 11, 2007 @ 12:36 pm