Circle or Vine?

Publication: Pastoral Letter, May 2003

Dear Friend in Christ:

I pray this letter finds you and yours well. This month, I want to write about a most
significant topic, to those whom I believe love the Lord and His Church. I believe a
reformation is occurring and in these days, I want us to prayerfully ask together, “What
is the Church?” You will probably agree with me, this is no small issue!

I literally “grew up in church” – for a while, we actually lived in an apartment located in

the church building. I was born in a hospital operated by a church denomination. I
attended two colleges and a seminary, all operated by a church denomination. It would
be at least ungrateful of me to attack churches. That is certainly not my purpose.

Having said that, when God called me to the ministry, I was most uncomfortable with
the idea of pastoring a church. Though I did become a pastor, I have always struggled –
as have many other pastors_with how Christians understand Church. We all bear
responsibility for that understanding. Now, almost 50 years after responding to the call
of God to be a minister, I believe that the concept of “Church” is in the midst of a very
significant reformation.

Like many other Christian leaders, I have watched churches succeed in growing, but
generally fail in their mission to fill the earth with the knowledge of the glory of the
Lord (see Habakkuk 2:14; Ephesians 4:10; Colossians 1:18). Why is this still so, after
2000 years? Some would suggest our lack of commitment, spiritual impotence, a lack of
holiness, or some other problem. Indeed these may all contribute to the failure to fulfill
our mission. Some may even believe that we are fulfilling our mission. (To the latter
group, I would say, “You have made peace with half measures.”)

I have witnessed great revivals including the Pentecostal and Charismatic ones, and
others as well. I have seen visitations of God to local assemblies, including one that I
pastored for 14 years. Years after those visitations, I have noticed the lack of long-term
effects. My conclusion from these observations, as well as the conclusions gathered
from biblical studies, is that we are thinking of the Church in the wrong way. If my
observation sounds arrogant, please forgive me.

Two Figures

Recently, I was asked to meet with a group of elders, who also happen to be long-term
friends with each other and with me. We spent several days discussing the future of that
particular local church. Like many other churches, it seems stuck in a particular orbit.
As we talked, I offered two metaphors for church life, which I will offer to you: Circle
or Vine?

First let’s look at a circle. By definition it is inanimate – not living. It is a single round
closed line with a center. Theoretically, every part of the circle is equally distant or
related to the center. It could be, by definition, an assembly around a person. It could be
an association of friends with a common interest. It could be an orbit around some
center of gravity. A circle includes everything within it and excludes everything outside
of it. But most sadly of all, a circle is a line that ends where it begins.

Now let’s look at the second figure or metaphor: the vine. A vine is a living plant that
has significant roots that draw life. It grows outward along the ground, but
opportunistically clasps fixed objects in its path to grow upward. It produces long stems
which produce joints and other stems. And in the case of Jesus’ vine (see John 15), it
bears fruit.

It should be noted that the vine analogy is used to describe both Israel and the Church
(see Psalm 80:8; Isaiah 5:1; Jeremiah 2:21; John 15:1-8, 16). The people of God are
never referred to as a circle. But have local churches today become more like a circle
than a vine? I think so.

Circle Church

There are many ways that local church life imitates a circle. First of all, often we
understand the church to be a meeting, not a vine. We gather with our friends around a
primary person – not Jesus, but the pastor. O yes, we worship Jesus, but the pastor
likely determines which circle we gather in. (Worship of Jesus is sometimes
questionable.)

We see the church as something to go to, not from. The church circle is something we
join – not each other. Church circles are often built around a particular doctrine or
method, or even less worthy, a particular convenience. Often church life becomes an
orbit of activity. Our time and resources are consumed by the circle. Then our personal
circle becomes a matter of including or excluding based upon who is in or out of the
church circle.

A worse part about a circle mentality is that it all too often ends where it begins. That is,
even after all of our best efforts at preaching, teaching, and worshipping; we only
maintain what we started.

Let me be clear, I do not fault either the dedication or effort of those sincere souls, even
heroes, who manage to keep the church doors open, send missionaries, and support
desirable causes. A lot of good is accomplished. But I do fault our willingness to
perpetuate the notion that we are doing what Jesus and the apostles did. We have
unwittingly stymied the vine with the circle, and boxed the circle in facilities that shout
to the world, “Here is the church!”

I could go on and discuss how the center of the circle has often become a matter of
entertainment instead of a matter of mission, but let’s move on to our second figure, the
vine.

Vine Church

While the circle is inanimate, the vine is a living plant. The circle is a closed figure, but
the vine is an outward moving one. Which figure did Jesus use to describe the Church
for which He died?
Any analogy can be pressed too far, but it is remarkable how far the vine analogy
carries the intent of our Lord. To understand what He meant when He said, “I am the
vine, you are the branches,” one should examine what He, Himself, did during His
ministry:

 Jesus was rooted in the “soil” of eternity and the Father’s will.

 Jesus was relational and discipling in His church planting.

 Jesus was continually outward in His mission.

 Jesus was interested in all of life and not just the synagogue.

 Jesus met people where they were, doing what they did.

 Jesus built effective “joints” with those to whom He imparted life and truth.

 Jesus’ intent was to teach all nations through replicated leadership.

 Jesus measured success personally not corporately, and expected real disciples
to produce fruit.

The vine analogy does not stop at any one place, but gives life to a universal mission
that is accomplished by Spirit-filled and Spirit-led individuals.

The vine church is rooted in eternal life and eternal truth. It is not a mushroom. Jesus
Himself is that root and vine-trunk. The vine church is Jesus dependent, life producing,
and outwardly focused. The vine church is extended by branches that are truly joined to
one another (see Ephesians 4:16).

The vine church is not highly centralized; it is not personality or program driven. It is
driven by the life and character of Jesus (His DNA). The vine church covers the ground,
goes thru, over, and around, as each new branch reaches out. It is opportunistic, clasping
onto what lies before it.

The vine church not only relates to its life and itself; it relates to the world before it –
business, labor, professions – wherever it finds itself. It is not programmed from
without, but from the life within. It is never confounded by obstacles; it climbs them
and goes on. It does not say, “come to us;” it says, “we are coming to you.” It is not
defensive; it goes on the offense and moves forward. And even when saints give their
lives to extend the vine, the martyr’s blood becomes Kingdom seed.

The blood of Jesus was not given to nourish a circle; it was given to nourish the
branches that would produce – some 30, some 60, and some 100 fold. In the vine
analogy, dead or non-productive branches were pruned by the Father, gathered, and
burned. Every parable indicates the Lord’s great displeasure at those who draw life but
fail to produce fruit (a frightening thought).

When Jesus commanded us to be fruitful, was He simply speaking of us having the

“fruit of the Spirit,” which Paul later wrote about in Galatians 5? I don’t believe so. He
was talking about reproductivity – spawning new branches and bearing reproductive
fruit that reached the world.

I suppose that the vine resides in most “church circles”…that is, there are believers
joined together in Christ to bear fruit. But in most cases, the vine is much smaller than
the circle. What the New Testament calls for is a vine that not only grows inside the
circle, but advances outside – far outside! There should be more life produced in the
world than in the circle – that’s where the fruit is. No, I don’t mean “evangelism” as it is
often understood. I mean fruit bearing on a personal level – not merely corporate, local
church growth.

Purpose

One might appropriately ask, “Charles, what is your purpose here?” It is not to be a
mere critic – that’s too easy and irresponsible. I love the Church and for nearly 50 years
have given my life to it. My purpose is to offer a different view of what the Church
ought to be – a view that releases life to the world.

Good churches are warehouses of Divine truth and life. But we are not growing beyond
our walls. Significantly, in many cases, we are not truly reaching the younger generation
– one which is very relational. They just don’t see the Church as being relevant to their
lives because Christian individuals are not able to relate to them. It is not the programs
that we fail to offer, it’s the people that we fail to offer. Our people are not
“programmed” to relate the love of Christ to “strangers”.

What I hope to offer is a different philosophy, mindset, or blueprint for Church life. It is
personal versus corporate; relational versus mechanical; outward versus inward; and
above all, Christ-centered versus personality driven. Like the vine, we should grow one
person at a time – that’s not slow growth if all the branches “get the picture”. That’s
compound interest.

One thing is for sure; the true vine will not end up where it started. It started in
Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem. It will end up covering the islands of the sea and
every nation, kindred, and tribe. We will not do that going in circles!

In Him,
Charles Simpson

Scripture References: Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 4:10; Habakkuk 2:14; John 15; Psalm
80:8; Isaiah 5:1; Jeremiah 2:21; John 15:1-8, 16; Ephesians 4:16; Galatians 5