‘Know thyself.” This popular saying of the ancient world has been attributed to many Greek philosophers, including Socrates à la Plato and was inscribed on the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Probably a common proverb used for various reasons and later interpreted to have a host of meanings, the ancient call to “know thyself” is a humbling invitation to look into one’s own heart, soul and mind in an effort to be centered there and to gain greater knowledge of what is at work in the surrounding world.
Alex Gallimore
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This could have been a reminder to the boastful that they boast too much or a call to know one’s own self as a way of knowing God and understanding the movements of the universe. In Plato’s Phaedrus, Socrates admits that he is unable to do that which is inscribed on the Delphic temple and therefore finds mythological conversation and speculation to be pointless. It seems that without knowing one’s own self, there is little one can truly know or do.
If we were to interview most churches and ministers today, I’m confident we would discover that only a few truly understand who they are and what they are all about. If we asked them, we would certainly receive countless comments about what these churches do, their countless programs and how they all reflect the building of God’s kingdom done in fulfillment of the Great Commission. We would see long lists of ministries, wordy mission statements, and empty doctrinal positions, all of which point to the undeniable fact that the lefthand never knows what the right is going. Take a look at most church websites and ask yourself what you see. Do these churches have a clear sense of themselves and their purpose or are they a slightly more religious YMCA, always offering some new activity?
With attendance in decline, churches today are busier than ever trying to ignore the undeniable fact that people just don’t go to church the way they used to. Sadly, our most natural response in such anxious and uncertain cultural times is to do and build more without ever taking the important time to be centered and to know thyself. Ironically, this is exactly what postmodern culture demands. More than another social activity, people today want something to believe in. They want a community that can help them make sense of their existence and connect the dots of the gospel that is al-ready present in their daily lives. They want a church that is less concerned with counter-cultural programs and more concerned about culturally-engaged mission.
Before we make that last ditch effort to fill our empty pews, we must first ask ourselves if what we do as a church offers anything of true substance. We can only answer this question after embarking on the difficult but worthwhile journey within.
Churches that make identity a priority are always taking a step back to reevaluate their position in the greater context and seeking to find the places where they can minister best. The church that knows who it is and what it’s about knows that it can’t do everything nor should it try. Such congregations have found their like-minded partners whom they work with to bear witness in their communities and don’t create new programs just because the church down the street did.
Instead, self-aware churches seek out places their distinct identities may speak to their distinct culture. These “niche ministries” are any kind of specialized ministry based on community need, service or worship that can be provided based on the elements that make a particular church unique.
If Baptist churches are serious about revitalizing Baptist identity for the 21st century and breathing new life into our movement, we must end our obsession with programs deemed successful on the basis of numerical growth and replace them with self-aware expressions of faith which promote vibrancy. As we continue to rediscover and reinterpret what it means to be Baptist and allow that identity to lead us into social action, we will naturally begin to discover holes that only we can fill. The result is a focused, niche-specific ministry at the intersection of congregational uniqueness and community need.
In the Gospels, Jesus asks “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world yet lose his soul?” While not exactly the same as our ancient aphorism, the idea is the same. What good is it for churches and ministers to draw huge crowds on Sundays, establish countless programs and break ground on new building projects while missing their unique calling to their community? Instead of trying to build mega-ministries, it’s time we rediscovered the soul of our congregation, who we are and what we’re about. It’s time to know thyself.
Alex Gallimore (alexcgallimore @gmail.com) is pastor of Hester Baptist Church in Oxford, N.C.