"Belong, Believe, Behave" is an emerging church mantra I have often heard that rewrites the "Believe, Behave, Belong" paradigm that is associated with mainstream churches. The idea is that rather that the usual route to joining a Xn community is first they need to believe what everyone believes, then they will start to behave the same way everyone else in the community behaves and then they can join join the community. The idea of Belong, Believe, Behave is that first people are welcomed into a Xn community and then they end up believing what that community believes and then behaving in the same way that the community behaves.
There are two problems I have with the "Belong, Believe, Behave" idea. Firstly that I can't see how an obvious inner circle of people with correct beliefs and behaviors is not going to be created which in turn makes the whole belonging thing a bit tricky and really results in "Welcome, believe, behave, belong". The second problem I have is believe what and behave in what way? This is a question that has been plaguing Xns ever since the New Testament where Peter and Paul disagreed over whether Xns had to behave like Jews or not. Today the issues have changed but still Xns disagree on points like whether the Bible is to be read literally, whether homosexuality is ok. The list goes on, and hence we have people who say I like Jesus but I don't like the church or Xns.
Further more, as I continue to grow as a person and as a Xn (one and the same thing to me) what I believe and hence how I behave is constantly evolving (or spiraling into heresy depending on how you look at it). To simply say believe in Jesus and behave like a Xn is too vague, this is why we have denominations this is why some Xns see John Spong as a friend and others as a foe.
Perhaps we could move to just "Identify and Belong". Where to belong to a Xn community is merely to identify with Jesus, to say "I'd like to be more like Jesus and I'd like to see more of his ideas in the world". The rest is negotiable. Is this possible and if not why not?
There are two problems I have with the "Belong, Believe, Behave" idea. Firstly that I can't see how an obvious inner circle of people with correct beliefs and behaviors is not going to be created which in turn makes the whole belonging thing a bit tricky and really results in "Welcome, believe, behave, belong". The second problem I have is believe what and behave in what way? This is a question that has been plaguing Xns ever since the New Testament where Peter and Paul disagreed over whether Xns had to behave like Jews or not. Today the issues have changed but still Xns disagree on points like whether the Bible is to be read literally, whether homosexuality is ok. The list goes on, and hence we have people who say I like Jesus but I don't like the church or Xns.
Further more, as I continue to grow as a person and as a Xn (one and the same thing to me) what I believe and hence how I behave is constantly evolving (or spiraling into heresy depending on how you look at it). To simply say believe in Jesus and behave like a Xn is too vague, this is why we have denominations this is why some Xns see John Spong as a friend and others as a foe.
Perhaps we could move to just "Identify and Belong". Where to belong to a Xn community is merely to identify with Jesus, to say "I'd like to be more like Jesus and I'd like to see more of his ideas in the world". The rest is negotiable. Is this possible and if not why not?
4 comments:
Actually, I was doing a bit of research, wondering where this discussion about "belief, belong, behave" came from. It seems that many teachers of various theologies are using this terminology lately. I was doing research online, searching for its usage, hoping to find some kind of beginning source.
To enter the discussion with you on the matter, you are right to have concerns about the fact that the giving "belong" primacy brings in complications with delineating between who "belongs" and who does not. I do not think this answer is solvable, and yet, the "belong-first" model is not completely in error.
Theologians from various circles choose theory (which is what I would call belief -- since the majority of the time what is meant by it has to do with reason/idea/conviction) over praxis (behave) [the conservative model] and the community suffers for for lack of the ability to determine who is in. There is a tendency to question individuals about their belief to determine whether or not they can belong to the group.
Then other circles choose praxis over theory (Liberation theology -- some forms of both liberal and conservative protestantism), claiming that morals have primacy.
Still other circles choose Belonging to have primacy, (Catholicism, Judaism, etc.) where membership in the community is valued most.
Yet neither of these options seem to be the biblical model. In the entire Bible, there is not a single individual who is separated from the community because of false personal beliefs about God. It was alway either about sinful behavior, or attempting to cause division and draw individuals away form the proper beliefs about God.
With this being said, Jesus' model included all three, equally. Neither behavior, belonging or belief take primacy, for they are all equally important always. Anywhere you start, one leads to the others (or dies out).
To address your concern about identifying those who belong, this is simply an issue because we are not supposed to make that call based on a persons beliefs, unless they are clearly causing damage to the community. We can not determine who gets to stay based on proper beliefs. This is because it is an exclusive model and God does not give us the ability to make those kind of distinctions about individuals because it is not supposed to be our job. Belief is not static and is always changing. While some core beliefs may remain, they will be modified in light of more experience and different contexts. This is clearly seen by watching a young believer grow to maturity in their belief system.
This does not mean that proper belief should not be taught or expected, only not placed to a position of primacy over and above praxis or community.
Thanks for the discussion.
Hey Michael,
Thanks for your thoughts and the long comment. I like your idea that the three happen at the one time. I think I've heard a lot of talk about "Believe, Behave and Belong" spoke from an evangelical perspective where right belief is, even if unspoken, considered the most important thing. Hence the thing that has disturbed me about much of the "believe, behave and belong" has been the unspoken impetus to get other people to believe what we believe.
Thanks Again.
Chris
Over 25 years of ministry in 3 different settings I've found Belong, Behave, Believe to be the most effective way to introduce people to Jesus, so that they answer the question of belief on their timeline, not mine or the institutions.
Think of how it worked with the disciples.
1. Come Follow Me – Choose to Belong
2. Do these things – feed the hungry, care for the sick, welcome the outcast, etc.
3. Then Jesus after all of this has taken place asks, “Who do you say I am.”
Even the Great Commission, it was given to those who worshiped and those who doubt, go and do these things. And the promise is given to all "I'll be with you until the end of the age."
Hi Robert,
Thanks for the comment. I Belong, Behave, Believe is certainly a big improvement on the old Believe, Behave, then you can belong paradigm. My concern was really around how people's beliefs change or are challenged and how that then affected how they felt they belonged.
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