Why Doesn't Xenos Look Like a Church?
by John Rue, Quality Initiatives Division Coordinator
Why Do We Have Tables at Central Teaching?
In a nutshell, the tables help create a relaxed atmosphere that fosters
learning and hanging out with friends! We've been experimenting over the
last several months with moving the tables around to find what will make
it as easy as possible for all guests to find a place to sit. Our most
recent move is to create a more personal setting a little closer to the
teacher.
Different on Purpose
People who are used to church traditions and rituals initially wonder
"where's the cross?" or why doesn't our facility feel like a
typical Western church?" These "omissions" are indeed very
much on purpose.
Xenos is highly regarded as an innovative, teaching, first-century-style
church by renowned Christian leaders like Os Guinness, Grant Osborne,
Hugh Ross, J.P. Moreland and many others. We are truly happy to see Christians
who have been looking for a new church home find fellowship here at Xenos,
get involved in a home group, and become equipped and active in ministry.
However, our Central Teachings are designed to support the efforts of
Christians sharing their faith, by creating an environment that primarily
reaches non-Christians and unchurched Christians. We hope to reach people
who are willing to give the message of Christ a serious hearing on its
own merits in a setting free from cultural barriers. Many people have
unpleasant memories from childhood of "going to church." Almost
all church decorations, traditions and rituals are extra-biblical, meaning
they have been added in over time by religious institutions, including
the cross on the building or steeple.
The irony is that Christ died on the cross to fulfill all the Old Testament
rituals, end the need for priests and liturgical ceremonies, and usher
in a new way of relating to God through a personal relationship and a
deepening understanding of his Word. Only two biblical rituals remain
today—baptism and communion, both of which are practiced in Xenos
within our home groups.
A Common Misconception
A common misconception is that the church building is holier than any
other building. Many people also are confused by differences between the
Old Testament temple and the New Testament church. Why was God so concerned
about allowing only the high priest to enter the temple behind the curtain
of the most holy place in the Old Testament?
Old Testament Temple
It sounds like God was confined to this place during OT times, when in
fact, God was never confined to the temple. Many passages in the Old Testament
state he was omnipresent, meaning he wasn't limited by space and time
in any way. (See most of Job and Psalm 139:7-10 for examples.)
The reason only the high priest could enter the temple in the Old Testament
is because the sins of mankind had not yet been paid for by Christ. The
veil was a symbol of the separation between the sinfulness of men and
the holiness of God. A blood sacrifice was necessary for the priest to
enter into the holy of holies on the one day of the year in which it was
permitted, namely the Day of Atonement after the Passover.
New Testament Temple
Ironically, when Christ was crucified on the Day of Atonement, the veil
in the temple tore once and for all (Matthew 27:51), at the very moment
of Christ's death when he cried "it is finished; it is paid in full."
Christ's proclamation signifies that in the New Testament, the new temple
is in people's hearts. We can have direct access to Christ through his
Spirit because he has paid for our sins.
Jesus taught that his church goes wherever his people go. "For where
two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst"
(Matthew 18:20).
The apostle Peter affirmed Christ's words in his teachings, saying that
all Christians are "living stones being built up as a spiritual house"
(1 Peter 2:5).
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