Jesus prayed not that his disciples would be taken out of the world, but that they would be protected from it. Jesus wanted his followers to be in the world, but not be corrupted by it. So the church , it would seem, was a mechanism for his followers to be safe from the evils of the world.
However, the world is insidious in its ways. Evil does not merely look at the church in fear and say, "Blast! Foiled again!" No, Evil got tricky. Rather than a frontal assault, Evil courted the church, romanced the church and seduced the church so effectively that the church never knew the difference. The kisses of Evil felt good in the shadow of the cross.
The church became not a Jesus desired, but as Evil had corrupted. The most effective evils are the kind that seem to do things in Jesus name, but damage people in reality.
-Materialism in Jesus name (look in your church parking lot).
-Exclusion in Jesus name (think race).
-Hatred in Jesus name (Yeah, think gays).
-Intimidation in Jesus name (Every use of Hell I've ever heard).
-Nationalism in Jesus name (God bless America, but no one else).
And on and on the list goes.
The church has done some terrible things in Jesus name. Mark that, the church does some terrible things in Jesus name. Evil has so corrupted the church in such invisible ways that we often think we got it all right. We trust the church to have it all together such that if we join the church, then we have it all together. Too many Christians practice righteousness by association rather than righteousness by becoming like Jesus, receiving grace and loving God and people. We're too interested in the short cut than we are the path that really goes somewhere.
Now, before you start thinking I hate the church, which I would not fault you for thinking, it is still the body of Christ. It is the tool of God. It is doing wonder good in the world as well. This world is a far better place than it would have been without the church. I am grateful for the church. I love the Church.
However, when I say church, I mean the people actually following Jesus, not the people who collect in this place or that on Sunday. God knows His church. Jesus is aware of his own body.
My point in this post is that we must be in God's church, which may appear to be in the form of a congregation here or there. However, what we must not do is swallow whole the way of any one congregation and think it some spiritual vitamin whereby we become something we are not. We must not neglect the personal relationship with Jesus because of our association with a "church."
To do otherwise is to be a Pharisee who followed the rules of their insiders club, but called it God's club - a club they could be in and you couldn't.
7 comments:
Maybe you won't get a lot of props for a post that hints that the church is evil...so let me be the first. Good post. I think that most cradle Christians need to get back to the unchurched mentality. Where I work, I'm teaching an 8-week series on Jesus' prayer that we would not be taken from the world, just protected. It's not being recieved all that warmly. If things keep going in this direction...it will probably drive me from the ministry.
Neal, I hope that you willnever be driven from ministry. I just talked with a youth minister from a big, middle of the road Church of Christ who is willing to work in the system,but not be of the system.
Keep up the good work. The Bible is full of not well received people, preachers, prophets, and priests.
Chris:
I'd like to express appreciation for the post, too. Many Christians seem to think that their church (particular parish) is the fullness of God's reign on earth . . . we tend to forget that each cell of the body of Christ is composed of both the just and the unjust, and that for most of us we're a mix of the two.
I minister at a PK3-8th grade Catholic school, and I sometimes have to practice extra-heavy-duty charity with the parents and staff members who somehow expect kids and preteens to act and behave like miniature adults, especially during prayer - not giving them the chance to just be kids! :-)
Keep up the good posts!
Blessings & Peace,
Hugo
The one thing you have posted that has stuck with me, is if all the props etc. were gone could I just be church. That is when it hit me. I must love the church, I am the church. If I let anyone run it down or make it something elitist it is ME they are running down.
At the same time when the group I meet with does these things, I must be ready and willing to seperate myself to preserve "the church".
Fajita, I think losing weight is making you grumpy!
Jesus loves the church, I believe, no matter how funny-looking we are. I think He has put up with a lot of augmentation surgery and probably way too much makeup. He's probably caught her with her nose in GQ, but I don't think she's wholly given in to seduction yet - metaphorically speaking, of course.
But then it's really hard for me to pursue the metaphor because it's really hard to define what you or I or anyone else means by "the church," and we have to keep explaining it!
I am with you all the way, however, in hoping and praying that as we mature in Him, we'll look more and more like Him ... just as faithful old couples often do!
Go have a salad or something, will you?
Hey Chris, love your series here. I have addressed a few concerns in my own life in regards to the coC and the directions its taken. I would really like to hear your input.
Maybe you won't get a lot of props for a post that hints that the church is evil...so let me be the first. Good post. I think that most cradle Christians need to get back to the unchurched mentality. Where I work, I'm teaching an 8-week series on Jesus' prayer that we would not be taken from the world, just protected. It's not being recieved all that warmly. If things keep going in this direction...it will probably drive me from the ministry.
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