In today's modern way of thinking, I have the slightest idea. All I can say is that I have experienced all forms of western church and very few have I found that are actually "Church," at least the one that Christ began. Lately, I have meet friends outside the security of believers that are more real and loving than the majority I have found within the walls of church. So what is the point, why do we strangle ourselves to keep this club together? Why do we brainstorm ideas so we can continue to grow? Why do we write books to teach others our way of doing it?
I believe the main reason for church, other than a desire to build upon what Christ started, is a sense of belonging. Seriously, I WANT TO BELONG!!! I want to be part of something bigger than myself, I want to be doing something that is going to influence others, I want to be part of what GOD is doing. Oh how we corporately long for the Church of Jesus Christ to honestly be, period.
There is something inside of every single one of us that has a intense desire to belong to something and to be loved by that something. Children for example, love. Automatically, they love to cuddle, hug, and be held. They love feeling that sense of security that is around them and knowing that no one will be able to come and hurt them in anyway. My little girl Riley comes in the middle of the night as I'm writing and wiggles her way onto my lap, there is no other place she would ever want to be at that moment. She feels comfortable, she feels secure, she feels a sense of belonging. And I too as a parent feel intense responsibility to secure my children with all I have.
Why do we attend Sunday church services that bore the heck out of us and why do we endure that pain and sorrow that the "church as a whole" causes so many believers? It doesn't matter if the pastor can preach or the singers can actually sing, does it. It doesn't matter if your church teaches verse by verse or topical's each service either. It doesn't even matter if you fall asleep and take a nap every time you go to hear the preacher preach.
What matters?
Is knowing that someone there is blessed to see you. Someone that says, "Hey brother, how's life, do you know that Jesus loves you today." And it doesn't even matter if their real or not. All you really want is to know someone acknowledge you and knows you by name.
Don't get me wrong. I do believe that believers that are mature in the faith and long for more than the everyday Sunday morning ritual desire much more than that. But as the majority of surface deep Christians, let's say 80% of North Americas church, need at least the bare minimum and they are happy and contently satisfied with that.
Seriously, if church was just as simple as the old sitcom "Cheers" where everyone knows your name, where you have your favorite seat, and you always see the same people. Every once in awhile there is a newbe that comes along, you give them a hard time but then, after the initial welcome, they become part of your crew. What a good time it would be to have such companionship.
Now this is the main point of the things I am writing. Christians suck. And I am one of them. I suck so bad that I have mis-represented Jesus in almost every way possible. Being part of the modern church I have made Him out to be a judgmental, arrogant, selfish god that doesn't care how you feel as long as you agree with what I believe. I have wondered why so many feel rejected by modern Christianity, then I just look back to the way I was as a believer and I get the answer.
We all want to be part of something that is bigger and better than our frail lives. We want to be part of something that is tangible and real, something that is authentic and genuine. A place that is tolerant to your opinions and personality, a place that connects with the person rather than the congregation.
I believe it is possible to find such a place here on earth. I believe that God is moving in the midst of His people and He is preparing a Church that will look like nothing that we have seen before and we will be amazed when we realize it. Then we will understand that the point of church is to belong to a body as members of Christ.
Are there times in your life when you feel a bit unchallenged as an individual? Are there areas in your life that need more challenge?
I believe that we can all answer those two questions with a definite, Yes. It's true, the majority of the time we are dealing with something a bit bigger than ourselves, something that brings extreme challenge and struggle. And that's when we press in and press on, right? But what about when everything is fairly mellow and relaxing, when life is doing great and things are happening. What then? Isn't that when we usually begin to compromise and let a little of that sin in because we have become stuck in a place of comfort?
Well, I personally have come through the most challenging and personal defining time in my life. In a period of about 9 months my life experences have produced on my head a few more gray hairs. While pressing in and pressing on I have had to re-define who I am as a person and as a Christian. Believe me it's all for the good. Most of the time I feel that God is insane because of the way He does things but then I am amazed by the outcome. However, because of this most challenging time I am now at a place of much more comfort and joy and yet I feel much less challenged.
Solomon would encourage us to, "eat, drink and enjoy your labor". And I believe that is a great place to be. It's almost like a place rest in the midst of chaos. I do think that God would have us enter in and out of those places throughout life. How else would we be able to destingish the valley's from the mountains top's.
In Romans 5:3-4 the writer would say, "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope." (NKJV)
I honestly believe that. With all that I am.
Are we really to glory in tribualations? To say, "Hey, thanks God for all the heartache in my life." Are we to praise Him in that place of struggle and dispare? I think so. Why? Maybe, because He is in control, maybe because He is the one that has produced all those tribulations and heartache for a reason. As hard as it is to see, I must say, it's got to be true.
So when those things pass and all is good and the world is all it should be, then what?
I would suggest that we begin to prepare for the next trial. Because it's going to happen, it's going to take place. All I can say is that we must take the more earnest heed of the thinks which we have heard, lest we drift away. Let us press on and press in to Christ as life continues to be a surprise. Let us remember what it is to be Christlike and in love with Jesus. I encourage you to continue in the faith, and that we must through many trials and tribulations enter the kingdom of God.
I have come to the conclusion that everyone follows someone or something. If it be a person, idea, dream, or goal, everyone follows after something. We all have passion and purpose of some sort, we all have desire and aim. We strive this way and that for something to satisfy and for something to cure our hunger for more.
So what is it. Christians today would say, "Jesus is the purpose of life" other believers would speak, "to do all that we can to honor God is our aim". Well, what about the other 5.5 billion people on the earth what do they say? What are their arguments for meaninglessness. They have aim, devotion, purpose, and goals. And I have seen unbelievers have much more passion to follow after earthly things than I have seen lovers of God strive after Godly things. Do we look only to the end of the week for the extent of our lives or do we press on for goals that out weight our monthly quota for purpose?
Should we sit back and just deal with the few people that we influence in life? Should we strive to build them up and give them advice on how to live? Maybe.
Should we lead and not follow? And If we lead, than who do we follow? Is it Christ? Or Our fellow man? Maybe a pastor or a thought or an idea?
Well, as for me today, I chose to follow. Who, my Creator. Why, He is my aim, my devotion, my purpose, my desire and my goal. Where is He going, I have no idea but I trust He is leading.
How do so many have purpose without having eternity in mind???
I am in the middle of a move towards the Tri-Cities area in Southeast Washington. I have rented a 24' Budget moving truck for the expedition and we could barely get everything packed in. If the truth be told, we have way too much crap, thanks to the wife. However, the road trip has landed us at the La Quinta Inn in Wilsonville, Or. where we are staying until 9am in the morning. From here we will embark to Pasco, Wa. where Shannon, the kids and I will begin to unload the 24' monster.
I wanted to write tonight because of a thing I was tripping out on while driving on Interstate 5 today. If you spend anytime driving on the freeway you know that Truckers have a secret code that they speak to one another by blinking their lights and stuff like that. Well, to my amazement, while driving this 24' diesel of a moving truck, these Truckers were treating me like one of them.
As I passed a slower moving truck and made my way a few lengths ahead of him, he blinked his lights at me. I wondered what he did that for. Was he being a nice guy and giving me a wink? Was he saying, "Man you're so much faster than me, I'm a slowpoke?" I couldn't really understand what was going on as it happened again and again, truck after truck blinking their lights at me. So I blinked them back. I figured that it was a courteous thing to do. I didn't know what else to do.
After I got to the hotel, I did a Google search on why truckers blink their lights. I come to find out, when a trucker passes a trucker they blink when you have passed and you now have enough room to get back over to the slow lane. Little did I know I stayed in the fast lane the majority of the time and I bet the truckers just shook their heads is annoyance as I flashed them back while in the other lane. But now that I know, I will be a bit more lingual with my trucker buddies
All of that made me think of why we are annoyed with other believers that are, in a way, on a different level of their journeys than we are. We think that if they don't get it they are just a bit more dumb and ignorant to the deep understandings that we have gained. We figure that if believers are legalistic, lenient, too liberal, too strict, uptight, overly tolerant, then they are not getting it.
We speak a language that is a secret code to those that are outside of our circles. Those that hear need to do a Google search on us. Jesus spoke in parables. He did what no other could do. He made conversation simple. He spoke truth and it broke the hearts of all that listened.
