Most Churches have a constitution: one speaks then of a constituted Church. But constitutions can fail. The first and perhaps the most common way in which a Church constitution fails is through legalism. If the atmosphere in which one wants to put the constitution to work is not peaceful, it is easily possible to have cock-fights over details and definitions. A second way in which a Church constitution fails is through unforeseen circumstances. Typically, a Church constitution is a lean document, and it can't predict everything. Situations easily arise which the constitution never contemplated -- then one finds oneself in a blind alley, relying on the grace of the whole Church. A third way in which a Church constitution may fail is where people simply withdraw their commitment from it: "I'm through, I don't care," or "It's just a guide, it's not a covenant." This is likely to happen precisely at the moment of crisis. Then one has a crisis on top of a crisis.
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