Students often tell me that they are okay with Jesus, but they don't like organized religion, therefore they don't attend any church (I am tempted to ask their opinion of disorganized religion, but I'm sure I'd get a confused stare). Today, there is a growing group that seem to affirm faith while disconnecting from other believers. Rather than an affirmation this is a rejection of Jesus' work and intentions for mankind.
First, let me say that I understand that some people have been hurt by impersonal, bureaucratic, and authoritarian churches. Always hear someone out before you respond. At the same time, church is not an optional extra for disciples of Christ.
A church is not a building or a corporation. Scripture describes the church as people who have been united by faith and the Spirit of God. All believers are part of a universal church, but that universal reality must be realized personally in some setting if we are to be obedient to Jesus' call.
Paul instructs the Corinthians that "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body---whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free---and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many." (1 Corinthians 12:12-14) We are not only baptized in Christ, we are also baptized into his body. Communities of the redeemed who care for each other and work with each other to redeem the world are part of God's plan. If we are disciples of Jesus, then we go where he leads us, and he leads us into caring communities.
Jesus has come to establish his kingdom, the way God intended life to be lived. Under Jesus' Lordship, we find wisdom, creativity, and love. Love doesn't come naturally for us (Time to be real). We need the Holy Spirit to teach us and empower us to become more than we were before we met Jesus. Love cannot be experienced in isolation. It must be experienced together. God brings us together as a forgiven and humble (at least we are if we are honest about why we needed to be forgiven) people. Together we fumble around learning to support and encourage each other. We often fail, but as a community united by Jesus' forgiveness, we learn to apologize and ask for forgiveness. More importantly, we learn to extend that same forgiveness.
If we can't extend grace to each other, the grace that builds up, liberates, and forgives, then how can we ever represent Jesus to a world that doesn't know him?
But there is a larger issue here. Can we claim to be Christian, to be disciples of Jesus, if we refuse to follow him, if we refuse to gather together as he instructs us? Most of the students I meet who claim to follow Jesus, but aren't interested in "organized religion", are really saying that Jesus isn't important enough to change their life for. Church on Sunday is inconvenient. In most cases they don't want anyone telling them right from wrong. Not even God.
Jesus is never just okay. He's either the gracious and powerful Lord that leads us into a better life, or he's an advice columnist that you periodically consult. Jesus' teaching were divisive because he defined himself as God and never as a consultant. His love inspired him to tell the truth, and we should never water them down. We should make sure our words represent Jesus' love and grace, but there is nothing loving about hiding the truth. It's a package deal. Jesus and the church come as a package deal. You walk away from one and you walked away from the other.
Aren't you putting exactly the kind of constrictions on how the Christian life works its way out for each person in their relationships to God and to the Church and to the World that has driven these people from the churches? Besides, you are defending the churches, not the Church. How Christians come together should be orderly, but only in Love. The way, timing, frequency are not important. If these were you would meet every day as in the beginning and not in buildings, but in a field, a courtyard, or someone's house. You wouldn't burden each other with loans and bills for buildings and utilities and maintenance. But we both know this is not important.
ReplyDeleteIf the members are not meeting in Love and the ones undermining this Love are not excluded, then the faithful will scatter. Then you are left with the situation you are describing - Christians who accept Christ scattered like sheep, when the shepherds are irresponsible in protecting them from the wolves. You know you've seen it.
It is not about authoritarian churches, but about the presence of those that not only deny Love is the way of life, but actively refuse to live it and reinforce this through theological mind games in their own heads. Jesus had the harshest words to say against these people of the time at the beginning of the Church. 2 Peter and Jude directly addresses this situation that precedes what you are describing. Don't keep beating the sheep and blaming them. This isn't what a shepherd does to the sheep. Take care of the wolves and GENTLY lead the sheep back.
It is about Love in a loveless world and the churches do not have the balls to take care of it as Jesus did.