I've seen these bumper stickers and t-shirts for several years now. I really don't know much about them except that I assume they are some modern band. They say in bold white (usually on a black background) "Bad Religion"... something that I suspect the owners of the t-shirts and the bumper stickers see as a rebellion against authority and the stupidity of their church experience. (I wonder sometimes if wearer's of these shirts have ever even been exposed to "church".)
Maybe for most of them... it is just the name of a band they like, not some statement about the "church" of our day. But I think for most it must be a little of both. What that band must stand for.
I know that years ago I would react to this bands name wrongly. I looked at it like an attack on something these people had mis-understood. But now, I think maybe, they were seeing some things more clearly than I was.
You see, most of what is called "religion" these days is nothing more than man-made garbage in my opinion. Meetings... rituals... cloistered little communities that think their spiritual gifts are meant to be use on Sundays (and Wednesdays) inside the walls of a "sacred building". Balony! We are supposed to live our "religion" in the world!
look how religion is descibed in the Bible and tell me how this fits the rigorous and demanding calls to serve programs and men on platforms on Sunday Morning!...
1 Timothy 5:4
But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
James 1:26
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
If we have to use the word "religion" at all... it should describe what these verses are talking about, not the building of some mini-empire for some well-meaning but misguided organization built by human hands!
Personally I think there is more relationship to "religion" than any kind of institution can provide. -- Ever!
Next time I see a kid wearing a "bad religion" shirt, I think I will ask him what he things religion is... or what is so bad about it... and I will probably agree with him if he defines it in the common terms of "religion" in America today! Maybe it will surprise him that a Christian would agree that all of that is "Bad Religion". Maybe God will use me to interest someone in a relationship to God... and learn the real meaning of "religion".
I hope so.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Intentional relationships rather than convenient ones
Last weekend my family and I drove up to visit some friends whom we have not spent time with for a long time. They moved to a city about 2-3 hours away from us 4 or 5 years ago and to our fault this is the first time we have gone to visit them in their new town.
Because they had left the area, they stopped attending the local "church" we attended at the time with them. While they were there, we had developed a close relationship with them and got together with them at times other than the "church services".
Since they left town we have only occasionally kept in touch with email and a few phone calls... that is about it. But visiting them this weekend was fun because it felt like we were able to pick up where we left off with our relationship. We had an intentional relationship with them. We got together with them to get to know them better and we did it on purpose, not just because of convenience or obligation.
Others at our old religious organization (church) that we used to know only because we saw them every week "at church"... we have not heard from them. I don't think we would have the same kind of relationship if we saw them again.
Our friends had noticed the same disconnect when they moved. They tried to stay in touch with people who they had done things with at the "old church" and found that it was no longer convenient for these people to keep the relationship going.
Now, I know we have not gotten together for a long time, and it is because of obligations and a lack of "convenience" too... but because we had established an intentional relationship with them before, there was a closer connection that we could re-establish with intentional effort.
During our conversation with them about this I mentioned that I didn't want to deal with "convenient" relationships anymore... I wanted to pursue more intentional ones because those are the only ones that mean anything.
I think this is where the institutional church has trouble successfully nurturing "relational Christianity" because by nature they are an organization and a program... they are gathering and a meeting more than anything else (or at least that is how most people define or describe a 'church') So people react in kind and establish convenient relationships more than intentional ones. Convenient relationships are also very easy ones to wear as masks and never let people into their lives.
It is much like a recent article I read talking about how orphans raised by the state institutions have so many problems and are lacking in the ability to relate to others as well as people who grew up in a healthy family based in love.
Love and true Christian community is founded in Christ's love, and Christ's love is intentional... not merely convenient.
Because they had left the area, they stopped attending the local "church" we attended at the time with them. While they were there, we had developed a close relationship with them and got together with them at times other than the "church services".
Since they left town we have only occasionally kept in touch with email and a few phone calls... that is about it. But visiting them this weekend was fun because it felt like we were able to pick up where we left off with our relationship. We had an intentional relationship with them. We got together with them to get to know them better and we did it on purpose, not just because of convenience or obligation.
Others at our old religious organization (church) that we used to know only because we saw them every week "at church"... we have not heard from them. I don't think we would have the same kind of relationship if we saw them again.
Our friends had noticed the same disconnect when they moved. They tried to stay in touch with people who they had done things with at the "old church" and found that it was no longer convenient for these people to keep the relationship going.
Now, I know we have not gotten together for a long time, and it is because of obligations and a lack of "convenience" too... but because we had established an intentional relationship with them before, there was a closer connection that we could re-establish with intentional effort.
During our conversation with them about this I mentioned that I didn't want to deal with "convenient" relationships anymore... I wanted to pursue more intentional ones because those are the only ones that mean anything.
I think this is where the institutional church has trouble successfully nurturing "relational Christianity" because by nature they are an organization and a program... they are gathering and a meeting more than anything else (or at least that is how most people define or describe a 'church') So people react in kind and establish convenient relationships more than intentional ones. Convenient relationships are also very easy ones to wear as masks and never let people into their lives.
It is much like a recent article I read talking about how orphans raised by the state institutions have so many problems and are lacking in the ability to relate to others as well as people who grew up in a healthy family based in love.
Love and true Christian community is founded in Christ's love, and Christ's love is intentional... not merely convenient.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Do You like an Old Testament Flavored New Testament?
I find little to no justification for a weekly "service" as defined today by whatever denomination (or non-denomination) you can find. It seems to me that so many have chosen to play out a New Testament flavored version of the Old Testament temple rituals. We have come up with our own rules and our own religious culture and imposed it upon ourview of New Testament. It distorts and colors the way we understand our life as the Church in Christ.
The church is not a place it is really my relationship with God and with others. Church really has nothing to do with the ceremony and procedures of organizations. We ARE the church. I really have to come to the conclusion that the church was never meant to be an organization. Not in the sense that most think of a "church" today.
Today we have "worship and praise" which is mostly just a concert. with people being "led" in worship by a special man-made priesthood which has musical abilities. When in fact worship has precious little to do with singing. (singing can be a part of worship... but it is not worship) Worship as defined in scripture is a life of service to God and showing love to others... a continual prayer to Him... and we sure don't need a "worship leader" to lead us in it.
Having a single man -- a "pastor" -- lead a group and being under his "authority" is not really something I can see clearly in scripture. at best we should simply be a part of group led by multiple elders... but I don't think it has to even resemble an organizational chart. We are all priests, we don't need a figurehead shepherd. We already have a Chief Shepherd -- a "Head Pastor" if you translate that phrase. We are to be sheep of HIS pasture, not someone just calling themselves a head pastor.
I am not saying that we should not be gathering with other believers regularly. I am saying I find no definition of a "Church Service" in scripture that looks anything like what we see today (or as the defined way to gather with believers), nor today's definition of "pastor", nor "worship", nor justification to collect "tithes" by which to support an organization. Instead I see people freely giving to help those in need.
I feel like the Book of Hebrews really lays it out -- that we should stop looking to the old procedures and letting ourselves be strangled by our 'religious culture' and comfort zones. The rituals were shadows of the freedom there is in Christ, That is, entering the REAL holy of holies boldly rather than letting a priest go into a man made replica of it.
If Jesus had intended we set up more religious rituals and structure I think he would have told us about it. All this religious stuff... for what it is ... it is fine (if it helps some) but I feel it does the same thing in many cases that the Jewish rituals did to the early Christians. It was an old way of life that they clung to for their own security. It kept them from progressing to Christ (or in Christ).
How much time, energy and money do we waste on the gyrations of "doing church" when we should be spending our time energy and money to BE the church?
I think that maybe the church as Jesus envisions it, was much more like the description he gave Nicodemus in John 3:8, rather than the tangible program based and ritual rich organizations we see scattered around the world today. We should be and act more like the wind, and less like a business corporation or a religious tradition.
The church is not a place it is really my relationship with God and with others. Church really has nothing to do with the ceremony and procedures of organizations. We ARE the church. I really have to come to the conclusion that the church was never meant to be an organization. Not in the sense that most think of a "church" today.
Today we have "worship and praise" which is mostly just a concert. with people being "led" in worship by a special man-made priesthood which has musical abilities. When in fact worship has precious little to do with singing. (singing can be a part of worship... but it is not worship) Worship as defined in scripture is a life of service to God and showing love to others... a continual prayer to Him... and we sure don't need a "worship leader" to lead us in it.
Having a single man -- a "pastor" -- lead a group and being under his "authority" is not really something I can see clearly in scripture. at best we should simply be a part of group led by multiple elders... but I don't think it has to even resemble an organizational chart. We are all priests, we don't need a figurehead shepherd. We already have a Chief Shepherd -- a "Head Pastor" if you translate that phrase. We are to be sheep of HIS pasture, not someone just calling themselves a head pastor.
I am not saying that we should not be gathering with other believers regularly. I am saying I find no definition of a "Church Service" in scripture that looks anything like what we see today (or as the defined way to gather with believers), nor today's definition of "pastor", nor "worship", nor justification to collect "tithes" by which to support an organization. Instead I see people freely giving to help those in need.
I feel like the Book of Hebrews really lays it out -- that we should stop looking to the old procedures and letting ourselves be strangled by our 'religious culture' and comfort zones. The rituals were shadows of the freedom there is in Christ, That is, entering the REAL holy of holies boldly rather than letting a priest go into a man made replica of it.
If Jesus had intended we set up more religious rituals and structure I think he would have told us about it. All this religious stuff... for what it is ... it is fine (if it helps some) but I feel it does the same thing in many cases that the Jewish rituals did to the early Christians. It was an old way of life that they clung to for their own security. It kept them from progressing to Christ (or in Christ).
How much time, energy and money do we waste on the gyrations of "doing church" when we should be spending our time energy and money to BE the church?
I think that maybe the church as Jesus envisions it, was much more like the description he gave Nicodemus in John 3:8, rather than the tangible program based and ritual rich organizations we see scattered around the world today. We should be and act more like the wind, and less like a business corporation or a religious tradition.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Goal Setting, Long Range Planning and the Wrong Focus
I visited a 'Christian Book Store' this weekend and found on the 'top sellers' bookshelf more than one book about how to plan out your life and your church ministry and set your goals, how to make it all purposeful and in Gods will, how to over come your difficulties and all that sort of stuff. I kind of shook my head and chuckled a bit (trying not to make it too obvious to anyone there that I found the best sellers topics sadly humorous).
It was a sad kind of chuckle -- kind of under my breath.
It amazes me that the 'Christian' market for books often mimics the secular 'self help' and 'success' books of the world. Seems that everyone has one focus: get your life right. They think that if you can just get the right goals and the right values and the right formula... sadly, I think the 'Christian' reader seeking these things is missing the point. They are hungry for something that they see on the covers of books, both Christian and secular -- How to live a successful life. And the current Christian religious culture feeds that need. They provide all these great ideas about setting your goals on your principles and (rightly so) your principles should be focused on God.
I do not deny that our principles... our world view guiding principles should be derived from the Bible and God Himself... I just don't know if the next step that these books take is needed.
From my experience in the religious organizations many call "churches", the next "logical' step after setting your principles on God's Word is to set a goal by those principles (either a ministry goal or a personal goal) and then determine steps toward that Goal. This formula seems present at the personal and the institutional levels of religious organizations.
I however want to present another possible path. Goals are great... and founding them on God's wisdom and standards is even better... but I think our BIGGEST goal (and quite possibly our only real goal) should be to seek and know God better!
You might think that is a pretty nebulous and immeasurable goal... maybe it is too simplistic or too 'churchy' sounding. maybe you think it is just not enough. But I think maybe that the reason we get so frustrated trying to do things for God is because we are so busy trying to do something that we think God wants us to do (and we expect Him to bless it) that we miss out on the thing He wants most of us -- He wants his children to be close to Him and LISTEN to him.
If you set a 'ministry' goal of any kind out there and then plan and do things to try to 'build that ministry' and achieve some level of 'success' that is measurable (many 'churches' usually measure that by the three B's... Building, Budget and Butts in the pews) and see God as standing along side that path to the goal or walking with you in it... (as if God thought your plan was better than His). then you have set your focus on this plan, this goal... and not on God.
I know, you figure that God gave you that goal and vision... but I really don't know if God works that way. Seems to me that all the stories in the Bible tell of a different method. IF (Big 'IF') God even tells us His long range plan it is usually not the most detailed picture. and there is rarely a step by step plan to get to that goal. He simply tells us 'the next step' and often the next step does not make a lot of sense.
Jesus told Nicodemus (recorded in John 3) that the people who are Born Again will be like the wind... you will see the effects of their presence and power but you will not know where they are going or where they came from.
I really think that if we simply set knowing Jesus as our long range goal... and listen to him... He will keep giving us the next step in the plan. But the Human 'problem' with doing this is we often never see or understand how a simple daily act of obeying his gentle call to write a note, or say hello to someone, or pray for someone... we often do not see how that really fits the bigger strategic plan of God. We might never meet people or know how our simple act of faith transformed them or planted a seed in them.
I think that might be why setting goals ourselves (even if they are based on Godly Principles) is simply a form of self gratification. Especially if it is measurable... now you can indulge in quantifying how your goal setting and efforts 'for the kingdom' are making a big difference... as if you think God will be impressed.
But just being like the wind... being directed here and there because you are tuned in and seeking God, and he is telling you to do this or that... things that you do not know how they will be effective... that is TOUGH! That is sometimes unrewarding in an achievement sort of way. If we think of it in this way we miss the real reward. HE is our great reward! We should derive our reward by simply laying down all our plans and getting to listen to God's every whisper and prompting -- because when we do that we are relating to God! We are living WITH HIM not just 'for Him'.
I never watched an episode of "Joan of Arcadia" before today. But today a friend showed it to the small group of Christians whom I gather with. In this episode Joan does something to be helpful (which God asks her to do) and gets 'set up' as the one who did something wrong. She ends up having to serve time in a community service project and keeps questioning God about what good she is doing and why she is there. the answer she gets is simply "accept the sacrifice". she never sees the people she touched and the good she did. She in fact tells God she thinks she did no good there. But we see multiple relationships and people touched, all because she was willing to do what God asked her to do.. .a simple thing... pick up some trash - an egg carton) on the ground that someone might slip on... (which puts the eggs in her hands and gets her accused of egging the school principles car) this one thing puts her in the place to bring other people together and achieve God's goals.
She acted like the wind... she did not know why it happened. She did not get the gratification of seeing the results. She just obeyed God and did a few simple things.
If we make Jesus our 'goal', and listen to him, we may never know all the people we touch and how our simple obedience served God's purpose... but that didn't matter anyway. We got the biggest prize. We got to walk with and listen to God!
It was a sad kind of chuckle -- kind of under my breath.
It amazes me that the 'Christian' market for books often mimics the secular 'self help' and 'success' books of the world. Seems that everyone has one focus: get your life right. They think that if you can just get the right goals and the right values and the right formula... sadly, I think the 'Christian' reader seeking these things is missing the point. They are hungry for something that they see on the covers of books, both Christian and secular -- How to live a successful life. And the current Christian religious culture feeds that need. They provide all these great ideas about setting your goals on your principles and (rightly so) your principles should be focused on God.
I do not deny that our principles... our world view guiding principles should be derived from the Bible and God Himself... I just don't know if the next step that these books take is needed.
From my experience in the religious organizations many call "churches", the next "logical' step after setting your principles on God's Word is to set a goal by those principles (either a ministry goal or a personal goal) and then determine steps toward that Goal. This formula seems present at the personal and the institutional levels of religious organizations.
I however want to present another possible path. Goals are great... and founding them on God's wisdom and standards is even better... but I think our BIGGEST goal (and quite possibly our only real goal) should be to seek and know God better!
You might think that is a pretty nebulous and immeasurable goal... maybe it is too simplistic or too 'churchy' sounding. maybe you think it is just not enough. But I think maybe that the reason we get so frustrated trying to do things for God is because we are so busy trying to do something that we think God wants us to do (and we expect Him to bless it) that we miss out on the thing He wants most of us -- He wants his children to be close to Him and LISTEN to him.
If you set a 'ministry' goal of any kind out there and then plan and do things to try to 'build that ministry' and achieve some level of 'success' that is measurable (many 'churches' usually measure that by the three B's... Building, Budget and Butts in the pews) and see God as standing along side that path to the goal or walking with you in it... (as if God thought your plan was better than His). then you have set your focus on this plan, this goal... and not on God.
I know, you figure that God gave you that goal and vision... but I really don't know if God works that way. Seems to me that all the stories in the Bible tell of a different method. IF (Big 'IF') God even tells us His long range plan it is usually not the most detailed picture. and there is rarely a step by step plan to get to that goal. He simply tells us 'the next step' and often the next step does not make a lot of sense.
Jesus told Nicodemus (recorded in John 3) that the people who are Born Again will be like the wind... you will see the effects of their presence and power but you will not know where they are going or where they came from.
I really think that if we simply set knowing Jesus as our long range goal... and listen to him... He will keep giving us the next step in the plan. But the Human 'problem' with doing this is we often never see or understand how a simple daily act of obeying his gentle call to write a note, or say hello to someone, or pray for someone... we often do not see how that really fits the bigger strategic plan of God. We might never meet people or know how our simple act of faith transformed them or planted a seed in them.
I think that might be why setting goals ourselves (even if they are based on Godly Principles) is simply a form of self gratification. Especially if it is measurable... now you can indulge in quantifying how your goal setting and efforts 'for the kingdom' are making a big difference... as if you think God will be impressed.
But just being like the wind... being directed here and there because you are tuned in and seeking God, and he is telling you to do this or that... things that you do not know how they will be effective... that is TOUGH! That is sometimes unrewarding in an achievement sort of way. If we think of it in this way we miss the real reward. HE is our great reward! We should derive our reward by simply laying down all our plans and getting to listen to God's every whisper and prompting -- because when we do that we are relating to God! We are living WITH HIM not just 'for Him'.
I never watched an episode of "Joan of Arcadia" before today. But today a friend showed it to the small group of Christians whom I gather with. In this episode Joan does something to be helpful (which God asks her to do) and gets 'set up' as the one who did something wrong. She ends up having to serve time in a community service project and keeps questioning God about what good she is doing and why she is there. the answer she gets is simply "accept the sacrifice". she never sees the people she touched and the good she did. She in fact tells God she thinks she did no good there. But we see multiple relationships and people touched, all because she was willing to do what God asked her to do.. .a simple thing... pick up some trash - an egg carton) on the ground that someone might slip on... (which puts the eggs in her hands and gets her accused of egging the school principles car) this one thing puts her in the place to bring other people together and achieve God's goals.
She acted like the wind... she did not know why it happened. She did not get the gratification of seeing the results. She just obeyed God and did a few simple things.
If we make Jesus our 'goal', and listen to him, we may never know all the people we touch and how our simple obedience served God's purpose... but that didn't matter anyway. We got the biggest prize. We got to walk with and listen to God!
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Disconnect: meanings from practice
Did you know that there are words used by Christians, which seem to have a "yeah, I know" meaning, as well as a "Well You know..." meaning?
Take, for example, the word "Church" as the most common of these kinds of words. If someone is using this word to describe their local religious organization, or a building in the city, and you remind them that the "church" is really the people, the Christians... not the building or the organization, you will usually get the response, "Yeah, I know"... they will agree. They "Know" that. But they will continue to use the word "church" in the other way saying, "Well, You know what I mean."
I guess some could say I am being picky about that. Maybe they are right, but when you start to realize how many other words there are like this, maybe you start wondering like me... "Just who stole the meanings of all these words and replaced them with religious cultural meanings!?"
Let me make a short list:
"Worship" is one of those words. Many people today will talk of a "worship service", or a "worship leader" or even "we start church with about 20 minutes of worship". Try to fit the meaning defined by Paul in Romans 12:1 into those statements--
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. "
So... when was it that worship become music or something that could be done in 20 minutes on Sunday?
Then of course there is the word "Service" itself, used in the "Well, you know" sense to describe the meeting on Sunday. Last I checked, service was something we are all called to do. (I have always wondered why a meeting was called a service anyway... what or who is being served? or who is serving? Does it mean the "pastor" is serving the people? or does it mean that this is all we have to do to be of service to God... I don't know what it means.)
"Fellowship" has come to mean shaking hands with someone.
"Head Pastor" (literally defined could be rendered "Chief Shepherd" -- a Title that I think belongs only to Christ) seems to be the name given to the primary leader of a "church"... although the office of "Elder" seems to be the leadership position spoken of in Scripture... (whereas Pastor is a gifting, not an office).
I could go on, but you get the picture.
Beyond all of the creative re-definitions that I see in all these terms, what frightens me more is that if you confront someone on how they are defining these things they still respond by saying, "Yeah, I know..." and will totally agree that these words mean something more or even totally different than how they are using them, but they will continue to use these words in their familiar way and continue to read the Bible with those tainted glasses.
If you keep thinking of a "church" as an organization or a building, or a "pastor" as the head man, or "Worship" as a time of singing and shouting to God... you will inevitably color and distort the plain truth of the scripture you read.
Take the "Well, you know " definition and try to forget it for a moment...
Read the Bible with the definitions that the Bible gives to these words. You might be surprised at how many tainted meanings there are out there in Christianize – land !
Take, for example, the word "Church" as the most common of these kinds of words. If someone is using this word to describe their local religious organization, or a building in the city, and you remind them that the "church" is really the people, the Christians... not the building or the organization, you will usually get the response, "Yeah, I know"... they will agree. They "Know" that. But they will continue to use the word "church" in the other way saying, "Well, You know what I mean."
I guess some could say I am being picky about that. Maybe they are right, but when you start to realize how many other words there are like this, maybe you start wondering like me... "Just who stole the meanings of all these words and replaced them with religious cultural meanings!?"
Let me make a short list:
"Worship" is one of those words. Many people today will talk of a "worship service", or a "worship leader" or even "we start church with about 20 minutes of worship". Try to fit the meaning defined by Paul in Romans 12:1 into those statements--
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. "
So... when was it that worship become music or something that could be done in 20 minutes on Sunday?
Then of course there is the word "Service" itself, used in the "Well, you know" sense to describe the meeting on Sunday. Last I checked, service was something we are all called to do. (I have always wondered why a meeting was called a service anyway... what or who is being served? or who is serving? Does it mean the "pastor" is serving the people? or does it mean that this is all we have to do to be of service to God... I don't know what it means.)
"Fellowship" has come to mean shaking hands with someone.
"Head Pastor" (literally defined could be rendered "Chief Shepherd" -- a Title that I think belongs only to Christ) seems to be the name given to the primary leader of a "church"... although the office of "Elder" seems to be the leadership position spoken of in Scripture... (whereas Pastor is a gifting, not an office).
I could go on, but you get the picture.
Beyond all of the creative re-definitions that I see in all these terms, what frightens me more is that if you confront someone on how they are defining these things they still respond by saying, "Yeah, I know..." and will totally agree that these words mean something more or even totally different than how they are using them, but they will continue to use these words in their familiar way and continue to read the Bible with those tainted glasses.
If you keep thinking of a "church" as an organization or a building, or a "pastor" as the head man, or "Worship" as a time of singing and shouting to God... you will inevitably color and distort the plain truth of the scripture you read.
Take the "Well, you know " definition and try to forget it for a moment...
Read the Bible with the definitions that the Bible gives to these words. You might be surprised at how many tainted meanings there are out there in Christianize – land !
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Am I a Lone Ranger?
I admit it...
I used to be one of those people who called people outside of a local church organization a 'lone ranger Christian'. I used to consider them as a branch separated from the body that will wither and die. (little did I notice that the vine they were connected to was the Lord... Not the 'church'). Funny thing is now, I guess the Father's sense of humor comes out...
I used to call others lone rangers... Now, I is one!
or am I?
Although I now believe that the organization can never (or at least rarely) ever sprout an organism (as in the life of Christ... the church as it should be) and I have not been attending a religious institutional service or program based group for almost a year, I am still torn by a few thoughts.
I agree that much of what it means to live as a Christian is to let God love you as you are, serve His purpose out of love not obligation or to get His love, and to pursue Him with all my heart... these are personal things. Me and God. There is also the element of being a 'part of the body'... letting others with differing gifts fill the places that you are not gifted in. One is a hand, one is an Eye... This can happen in the natural (or supernatural?) connections we make with other believers as we meet with them either on a scheduled or non scheduled gathering in a home or park or a coffee shop. My family and I have been doing this and also gathering regularly with a loose knit group of believers who have also left their former religious institutional life.
Yet, the passages in the New Testament about leaders, elders, ruling elders, the authority of elders... these things spoken of in the Bible still haunt me and make me wonder if there is something more structural to the church locally than this very nebulous individualized way of being the church.
I keep finding it hard to reconcile this new freedom I have found from the mechanical religiosity and the obvious call to leaders and authority in even the localized gatherings of the church. Maybe it is just my history, conditioning and religious background (baggage?) that makes me think there must be something more structural about it all... but I am still trying to find the Father's heart on that. I know that those things we sometimes think of as 'offices of the church' are in reality (when you really study it) gifts to the church... spiritual gifts... but it does seem that 'elders' are appointed and given an 'office' or an authority... maybe not the kind we usually think of... but something.
Any thoughts?
Do you ever wonder if there should be something more 'organizational' about the church in spite of the way that most religious organizations tend turn into institutions of man and his pride?
Still working that one out.
I used to be one of those people who called people outside of a local church organization a 'lone ranger Christian'. I used to consider them as a branch separated from the body that will wither and die. (little did I notice that the vine they were connected to was the Lord... Not the 'church'). Funny thing is now, I guess the Father's sense of humor comes out...
I used to call others lone rangers... Now, I is one!
or am I?
Although I now believe that the organization can never (or at least rarely) ever sprout an organism (as in the life of Christ... the church as it should be) and I have not been attending a religious institutional service or program based group for almost a year, I am still torn by a few thoughts.
I agree that much of what it means to live as a Christian is to let God love you as you are, serve His purpose out of love not obligation or to get His love, and to pursue Him with all my heart... these are personal things. Me and God. There is also the element of being a 'part of the body'... letting others with differing gifts fill the places that you are not gifted in. One is a hand, one is an Eye... This can happen in the natural (or supernatural?) connections we make with other believers as we meet with them either on a scheduled or non scheduled gathering in a home or park or a coffee shop. My family and I have been doing this and also gathering regularly with a loose knit group of believers who have also left their former religious institutional life.
Yet, the passages in the New Testament about leaders, elders, ruling elders, the authority of elders... these things spoken of in the Bible still haunt me and make me wonder if there is something more structural to the church locally than this very nebulous individualized way of being the church.
I keep finding it hard to reconcile this new freedom I have found from the mechanical religiosity and the obvious call to leaders and authority in even the localized gatherings of the church. Maybe it is just my history, conditioning and religious background (baggage?) that makes me think there must be something more structural about it all... but I am still trying to find the Father's heart on that. I know that those things we sometimes think of as 'offices of the church' are in reality (when you really study it) gifts to the church... spiritual gifts... but it does seem that 'elders' are appointed and given an 'office' or an authority... maybe not the kind we usually think of... but something.
Any thoughts?
Do you ever wonder if there should be something more 'organizational' about the church in spite of the way that most religious organizations tend turn into institutions of man and his pride?
Still working that one out.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Open or Closed Doors?
Anyone who has walked with the Lord for any length of time knows that things are not always easy and comfortable. There are seasons in our lives where it seems everything has gone wrong. We try to comfort ourselves as much as we can in the fact that Job, Abraham, David, Paul, even Jesus experienced difficult times, and yet this was the Lords will for them to go through this time and come out with a tested and purified faith. However, in my own life and in the lives of other believers who I have know, often I hear the phrase, "I thought this is the way the Lord wanted me to go, but now it seems difficult / road blocked / uncomfortable / closed door..."
Now I admit, when it is myself in these situations I come to the same conclusion initially. I see these difficult times and see it as a path I don't want to go down... and I say, "looks like the Lord closed this door". When in fact, how is it I can jump to such a conclusion when I know that all those others in the Bible who went through tough times and it was the Lord who called them to go through it.
This notion of open and closed doors... I think it is a misused concept.
To be sure, the Lord will direct us. And the few verses where this idea of closed doors is spoken of (and a whole theology and misunderstanding has been drawn from) do not say anything about the fact that some doors the Lord opens and asks us to walk through will not be comfortable or inviting doors.
take a look at the passage that most directly states this concept of the Lord opening a door...
Colossians 4:3
"And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains."
Note that Paul is not asking them to pray that God will make the way open by making it easy. Notice that he even says he is in chains as a result of proclaiming the mystery of Christ. We might like to read it that he is asking them to pray for an easier way, but he really says no such thing.
There are a multitude of other passages and people in the Bible which might be used as examples where the hallway of doors before them seems to demonstrate the concept that God will 'clear the way' by opening paths to us and closing other paths. But if you really take the time to examine them, the open doors given to these people are not always comfortable or easy ones.
Sometimes God opens a door and it is a dark passage and looks creepy. We take a look at it and think this must really be a closed door because it is so foreboding. We look around and see another door lit by a quaint porch light with the sound of laughter and joy behind it. The door is actually closed, but we go to it and knock because it seems so much easier and more inviting. "This must be the way the Lord wishes us to go. not down that dark tunnel."
All the while we ignore the fact that the OPEN door is frightening and the CLOSED one is inviting.
When Paul was told by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem but was later 'warned' by the prophet Agabus (Acts 21) that he would be bound and taken captive if he went... I don't think Agabus' message was a warning to Paul that he should not go to Jerusalem (He had just been told by the Spirit to go), but it was rather to prepare Paul for what he would now have to go through. The Lord was asking Paul to walk through a door that would lead to his imprisonment and eventually his death. But on the way, Paul would get a chance to speak to many people about Jesus, and would have the opportunity to fulfill what Paul wished for: "...that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains."
Walking out my Christianity in the place I am now... in a small group of believers who often don't see things as I do, in a setting that is not as comfortable and controlled as a typical religious organization (which most people call a "church"), I find I am called to walk through doors that I want to fool myself into believing are closed... but are in fact open. The Spirit has not changed His mind about the path I am traveling (which He set me on) he is just reminding me and preparing me (like he did for Paul through Agabus) for what lies down the path of this open door.
Now I admit, when it is myself in these situations I come to the same conclusion initially. I see these difficult times and see it as a path I don't want to go down... and I say, "looks like the Lord closed this door". When in fact, how is it I can jump to such a conclusion when I know that all those others in the Bible who went through tough times and it was the Lord who called them to go through it.
This notion of open and closed doors... I think it is a misused concept.
To be sure, the Lord will direct us. And the few verses where this idea of closed doors is spoken of (and a whole theology and misunderstanding has been drawn from) do not say anything about the fact that some doors the Lord opens and asks us to walk through will not be comfortable or inviting doors.
take a look at the passage that most directly states this concept of the Lord opening a door...
Colossians 4:3
"And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains."
Note that Paul is not asking them to pray that God will make the way open by making it easy. Notice that he even says he is in chains as a result of proclaiming the mystery of Christ. We might like to read it that he is asking them to pray for an easier way, but he really says no such thing.
There are a multitude of other passages and people in the Bible which might be used as examples where the hallway of doors before them seems to demonstrate the concept that God will 'clear the way' by opening paths to us and closing other paths. But if you really take the time to examine them, the open doors given to these people are not always comfortable or easy ones.
Sometimes God opens a door and it is a dark passage and looks creepy. We take a look at it and think this must really be a closed door because it is so foreboding. We look around and see another door lit by a quaint porch light with the sound of laughter and joy behind it. The door is actually closed, but we go to it and knock because it seems so much easier and more inviting. "This must be the way the Lord wishes us to go. not down that dark tunnel."
All the while we ignore the fact that the OPEN door is frightening and the CLOSED one is inviting.
When Paul was told by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem but was later 'warned' by the prophet Agabus (Acts 21) that he would be bound and taken captive if he went... I don't think Agabus' message was a warning to Paul that he should not go to Jerusalem (He had just been told by the Spirit to go), but it was rather to prepare Paul for what he would now have to go through. The Lord was asking Paul to walk through a door that would lead to his imprisonment and eventually his death. But on the way, Paul would get a chance to speak to many people about Jesus, and would have the opportunity to fulfill what Paul wished for: "...that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains."
Walking out my Christianity in the place I am now... in a small group of believers who often don't see things as I do, in a setting that is not as comfortable and controlled as a typical religious organization (which most people call a "church"), I find I am called to walk through doors that I want to fool myself into believing are closed... but are in fact open. The Spirit has not changed His mind about the path I am traveling (which He set me on) he is just reminding me and preparing me (like he did for Paul through Agabus) for what lies down the path of this open door.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Open Letter to Christianity Today
Dear Editor,
I read a recent blog entry ( http://weblogs.oxegen.us/lifestream/archive/2005/01/21/6161.aspx ) that reflected my thoughts about your recent article "The Church—Why Bother" by Tim Stafford ( http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/001/26.42.html).
I wanted you to know that I am one of those believers Wayne Jacobsen mentioned in this blog article who have discovered an incredible life among the church of Jesus Christ outside the walls of the institution that Mr. Stafford championed in his article.
I am a 39 year old believer from Garden Grove, California who has been a believer for 30 years. I grew up in the institutional church. In the past I have served as a Sunday school teacher, a small group leader, a deacon, a pastor/elder and have lead a monthly jail ministry. But I found that the structured mechanical services and programs of the institutional church were not able to allow the life of Jesus to grow and move as it should in my life or the lives of others around me.
My family and I left the attendance of a structured religious organization in order to find a deeper relationship with the Lord and other believers, not to get away from these elements of the Christian life. It was not a lack of desire for the Lord that drove me from the religious organizational church, it was a desire to know Him better and live out His Life. Tim Stafford's assumption that the institutions of the religious organizations he terms 'the church' are the only and best way for a Christian to grow, is simply not true. I have found connections to the true Church outside the walls of the organizations and meetings of man and see now why Jesus described us as a "wind" to Nicodemus ( John 3 ). We are a living breathing church that is not constrained by a model or definition. We demonstrate the power and movement of the Spirit of God without a label that can be placed on us.
Since leaving the schedule of our local church we have found more and deeper relationships than we ever had in the religious Christian organizational church we had been a part of for the previous 10 years. We have come to understand more things about the teachings of scripture (which used to be constrained to a definition built on our assumptions about what the 'church' was). Granted, it does come down to one's desire to pursue God personally. Simply not attending 'services' and not seeking to pursue God personally will never get one there... But I have found connections to numerous of people who were starving to death spiritually in the institutional church. They left the meetings and the structure behind to seek new live among the church that exists outside of these structures. They left to grow in their Christian walk. Not to abandon it.
I do not condemn or disparage those who still find their connection to God in the intuitional style church structures... As a child I grew up in such a place, but I have found that being a part of such an organization does not make one better connected to the Body of Christ any more than being in a garage makes one a car. And I don't see where Jesus told us to build the garage anyway.
I read a recent blog entry ( http://weblogs.oxegen.us/lifestream/archive/2005/01/21/6161.aspx ) that reflected my thoughts about your recent article "The Church—Why Bother" by Tim Stafford ( http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/001/26.42.html).
I wanted you to know that I am one of those believers Wayne Jacobsen mentioned in this blog article who have discovered an incredible life among the church of Jesus Christ outside the walls of the institution that Mr. Stafford championed in his article.
I am a 39 year old believer from Garden Grove, California who has been a believer for 30 years. I grew up in the institutional church. In the past I have served as a Sunday school teacher, a small group leader, a deacon, a pastor/elder and have lead a monthly jail ministry. But I found that the structured mechanical services and programs of the institutional church were not able to allow the life of Jesus to grow and move as it should in my life or the lives of others around me.
My family and I left the attendance of a structured religious organization in order to find a deeper relationship with the Lord and other believers, not to get away from these elements of the Christian life. It was not a lack of desire for the Lord that drove me from the religious organizational church, it was a desire to know Him better and live out His Life. Tim Stafford's assumption that the institutions of the religious organizations he terms 'the church' are the only and best way for a Christian to grow, is simply not true. I have found connections to the true Church outside the walls of the organizations and meetings of man and see now why Jesus described us as a "wind" to Nicodemus ( John 3 ). We are a living breathing church that is not constrained by a model or definition. We demonstrate the power and movement of the Spirit of God without a label that can be placed on us.
Since leaving the schedule of our local church we have found more and deeper relationships than we ever had in the religious Christian organizational church we had been a part of for the previous 10 years. We have come to understand more things about the teachings of scripture (which used to be constrained to a definition built on our assumptions about what the 'church' was). Granted, it does come down to one's desire to pursue God personally. Simply not attending 'services' and not seeking to pursue God personally will never get one there... But I have found connections to numerous of people who were starving to death spiritually in the institutional church. They left the meetings and the structure behind to seek new live among the church that exists outside of these structures. They left to grow in their Christian walk. Not to abandon it.
I do not condemn or disparage those who still find their connection to God in the intuitional style church structures... As a child I grew up in such a place, but I have found that being a part of such an organization does not make one better connected to the Body of Christ any more than being in a garage makes one a car. And I don't see where Jesus told us to build the garage anyway.
Monday, January 17, 2005
If you have to be there... it's a cult
Sometime last year my family and other family were sitting around in their living room discussing the "rules" imposed on people who "go to church" -- rules we had all experienced.
One issue that came up was the idea of attendance and calling people who had not 'been to church' in weeks. My wife was relating a conversation she had with another person in our former religious institution (some call it a church). This other person had told my wife how they hated dealing with the pressure of having to show up every week, lest they be cornered later and asked where they were the previous week. They were talking about being able to take a weekend and go do something with their family and not feel obligated to attend. At this point my wife responded to them with this simple statement... (it has since become something of a slogan around our circle of friends) "if you have to be there, it's a cult!"
When she said this, we all got a laugh... simply because it is so true! We have been duped into thinking that we are obeying the Bible's command to "not forsake the assembly of the saints" because we show up every week. I really don't see how coming to a big building, sitting in a pew and listening quietly to a preacher is what the writer of Hebrews had in mind when he wrote that.
There is something kind of funny about this concept of regular church attendance. We are considered to be a "more mature" Christian if we "attend church" once a week... or even a few times a week! and if we don't come every week, well, maybe that means we are just not very 'committed'. Whatever. Seems that living the life outside of the "meetings" is more of an indicator of maturity... hmmm.
Sadly, those who (maybe) out of pure motives (or not) will call or question another believer about his absence the past Sunday often just add to the guilt trip. Their motives may well be of good intentions... and it is good to contact people you have not seen in a while to encourage them... but asking them why they did not attend is missing the point. Sitting in a service on Sunday is not your calling as a Christian. That is the point.
The question is not "Where were you last week? We missed you in church." It should be something more like, "Hey, we have not had time to talk lately, how about we get together sometime to talk and pray?"
Last Sunday we were in the car on the way to the gathering of believers we meet with in one family's home. We knew that this Sunday one couple that had a history and a relationship with this group would be there to say farewell. However, our family did not really know or have any relationship with this family. We had only briefly met them before they had stopped coming to the group regularly. As we were driving I started thinking about it... And my wife and I talked about it... We were thinking that since this was mostly a 'personal farewell sort of thing' it didn't seem relevant or necessary for us to come.
I guess it felt like we were 'going to church' to simply attend a meeting... do our duty... ( we figured the people who had personal history with them would be the ones who would mean more to them and we would just kind of 'be there' as unknown warm bodies to them.)
So, instead... we went to a local park with our family and later went over to another couple's house to help them assemble some things for their baby who is scheduled to be born soon.
The refreshing thing was we had no guilt trip that we "missed church"... and the people who called us thought it was a great idea that we had made the choice we did that Sunday!
church is not a place, or a time, or a meeting or a 'service'...
WE ARE the church... WE ARE to be more than just a Sunday meeting. I think this "it's not a just Sunday thing" could be a big part of what I am feeling about how we should BE the church rather than ATTEND church.
Years ago I wrote up a little study pamphlet about "being the church". I can distinctly recall specifically wording it to say we should "BE the church rather than ATTEND it." One of the "Elders" at the church organization I was a part of at the time told me I should re-phrase it to say, "Be the church AS WELL AS Attend it." I struggled with his comment because my whole point was that ATTENDING anything does not make one the church. But he was afraid people would take that to mean they didn't have to attend church... and well, looking back on it... maybe that is what God was trying to tell me. I was still in the mindset of attending church too. But I knew there was more than attending. I didn't totally understand that what I had written was actually correct in it's extreme position... we don't have to "attend church" because we CAN'T "attend church". Church is not attended. We are church and should live like it daily.
So... I stick to my wife's statement... "if you have to be there, it's a cult!"
One issue that came up was the idea of attendance and calling people who had not 'been to church' in weeks. My wife was relating a conversation she had with another person in our former religious institution (some call it a church). This other person had told my wife how they hated dealing with the pressure of having to show up every week, lest they be cornered later and asked where they were the previous week. They were talking about being able to take a weekend and go do something with their family and not feel obligated to attend. At this point my wife responded to them with this simple statement... (it has since become something of a slogan around our circle of friends) "if you have to be there, it's a cult!"
When she said this, we all got a laugh... simply because it is so true! We have been duped into thinking that we are obeying the Bible's command to "not forsake the assembly of the saints" because we show up every week. I really don't see how coming to a big building, sitting in a pew and listening quietly to a preacher is what the writer of Hebrews had in mind when he wrote that.
There is something kind of funny about this concept of regular church attendance. We are considered to be a "more mature" Christian if we "attend church" once a week... or even a few times a week! and if we don't come every week, well, maybe that means we are just not very 'committed'. Whatever. Seems that living the life outside of the "meetings" is more of an indicator of maturity... hmmm.
Sadly, those who (maybe) out of pure motives (or not) will call or question another believer about his absence the past Sunday often just add to the guilt trip. Their motives may well be of good intentions... and it is good to contact people you have not seen in a while to encourage them... but asking them why they did not attend is missing the point. Sitting in a service on Sunday is not your calling as a Christian. That is the point.
The question is not "Where were you last week? We missed you in church." It should be something more like, "Hey, we have not had time to talk lately, how about we get together sometime to talk and pray?"
Last Sunday we were in the car on the way to the gathering of believers we meet with in one family's home. We knew that this Sunday one couple that had a history and a relationship with this group would be there to say farewell. However, our family did not really know or have any relationship with this family. We had only briefly met them before they had stopped coming to the group regularly. As we were driving I started thinking about it... And my wife and I talked about it... We were thinking that since this was mostly a 'personal farewell sort of thing' it didn't seem relevant or necessary for us to come.
I guess it felt like we were 'going to church' to simply attend a meeting... do our duty... ( we figured the people who had personal history with them would be the ones who would mean more to them and we would just kind of 'be there' as unknown warm bodies to them.)
So, instead... we went to a local park with our family and later went over to another couple's house to help them assemble some things for their baby who is scheduled to be born soon.
The refreshing thing was we had no guilt trip that we "missed church"... and the people who called us thought it was a great idea that we had made the choice we did that Sunday!
church is not a place, or a time, or a meeting or a 'service'...
WE ARE the church... WE ARE to be more than just a Sunday meeting. I think this "it's not a just Sunday thing" could be a big part of what I am feeling about how we should BE the church rather than ATTEND church.
Years ago I wrote up a little study pamphlet about "being the church". I can distinctly recall specifically wording it to say we should "BE the church rather than ATTEND it." One of the "Elders" at the church organization I was a part of at the time told me I should re-phrase it to say, "Be the church AS WELL AS Attend it." I struggled with his comment because my whole point was that ATTENDING anything does not make one the church. But he was afraid people would take that to mean they didn't have to attend church... and well, looking back on it... maybe that is what God was trying to tell me. I was still in the mindset of attending church too. But I knew there was more than attending. I didn't totally understand that what I had written was actually correct in it's extreme position... we don't have to "attend church" because we CAN'T "attend church". Church is not attended. We are church and should live like it daily.
So... I stick to my wife's statement... "if you have to be there, it's a cult!"
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