Defining church
There's nothing I avoid more than running into people who I used to go to church with. Most times they are still in the church and they ask the infamous question:
"So what are you doing these days?"
Translation: Where are you going to church?
Are you going to church?
Prove to me that you are still a Christian.
"I'm good-I'm doing good-" I usually say.
"MMHMMM" They usually say. Can't they see it in my eyes? Isn't it evident in my voice? Look at my glowing skin...
MMHMMM translation: Whatever you say...
They don't say it aloud, but I can see it in their eyes. I can hear it in their voice. They don't believe me. No matter what I say, how happy I am they don't see it. All they can see is what they've been programmed to see:
saved or lost.
blessed or cursed.
In their mind there is only one formula for happy. Happy to the christian means serving God.
Translation: serving the church.
Happiness also means that when you ask me how I am, I should have a 20 minutes' worth of accomplishments to tell you about how God is working in my life. I'm working here, married there, owning this, volunteering there...
Translation: Give me physical proof that God is working in your life. Prove your life is better after leaving the church.
They stand there with flyby judgmentalism waiting for you to say the majic words.
"Blessed"
"Thank God"
"I'm at peace"
"grateful"
I usually don't pass the test.
But the question is, what IS church?
Is it this utopia of people meeting together at people's houses like it says in the book of Acts?
Is it meeting with people at a building on Sundays and Wednesdays?
Is it an empire, a hierarchal institution?
...Or is it something organic, where the bonds just happen?
I often wonder how 2 people can be christians but not like each other. Does one have anything to do with the other?
I guess it depends on how you define the word christian.
But that's another topic.
Back to church-
When I was growing up, church meant a building with a steeple and stained glass windows.
When I "got saved" at 18 I was taught that church meant the " the kingdom [of God]" and was an elite group of people who were "sold out" for God. It was its own culture with its own laws and its own rules.
But is that the church?
Here's my take: Jesus made it clear that the kingdom of heaven is within you. That means each christian IS the church. It can't be a place because even Jesus said that he would destroy the temple and raise it in three days. In context, the temple was the Jewish temple. And Jesus never physically tore down the temple. His body was torn down instead. The resurrection was about changing the place where "church" was. The temple was where God dwelled, a holy place.
But after Jesus it was all different.
The church as I grew up knowing it was an "anti-christ movement". Church had reverted back to a place, a brick-and-mortar building. This place was holy, where God was. If you wanted to worship God, you went to this place. If you wanted to get right with God, you needed to be at this place. What Jesus knocked down in order to be intimate with us we dismissed and built right back up again.
No thanks, God. We don't want to be that tight with you...
So, on those Sundays when I wanted to sleep in late and eat a home-cooked breakfast were times when I felt guilty. Many times I would be sick and I just couldn't push myself to go. This guilt came from the idea that if I didn't go to church I was "missing God".
And with this brick-and-mortar church came all the responsibilities-
bills
fellowship
community service
sunday school
Now I had to pay in order to keep "church" going. At least 10 percent of my income-or any money I had.
I had to be "friends" with my fellow "church" members, now my brothers and sisters in christ.
I needed to finacially contribute to "church" programs, to help the "church" spread God's love and message to the community.
When once upon a time it was about me showing up to meet God, now it was about me showing up for choir practice...or ushering..or to teach the kiddie bible class.
When I slowly began backing out of the "church" the "church" abandoned me and I was right back to where I was supposed to be in the first place - alone.
Jesus died and rose again, meaning he already knocked down the temple.
I was "church"!!
At the same time, there is no doubt in my mind that relationships with other people hold equal importance to relationship with God. Jesus did say, "Whatever you do unto the least of these you do unto me."
Me being "church" -us being "church"- changes the game completely, doesn't it? In a sense, you tithe to yourself, fellowship with yourself, and give to others from yourself. When you want to hear from God, you listen to your own heart. You already have the answers. You don't have to return to a place week after week in order to grow.
Some people think that is selfish. Or they think it is blasphemous. Maybe what they don't know is God - or what the crucifixtion was really about. They believe in the God of the old testament. I believe in the God of the new one...
This new testament God suddenly dwelled within us. There was no more seperation from God based on sin.
And that one statement is monumental.
What Jesus brought was a new theology. Many christians harp on the statement "I did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it." as the basis for their belief that the old testament was still to be adhered to. I see it as two theologies-old testament and new testament....which I want to write more about later.
"So what are you doing these days?"
Translation: Where are you going to church?
Are you going to church?
Prove to me that you are still a Christian.
"I'm good-I'm doing good-" I usually say.
"MMHMMM" They usually say. Can't they see it in my eyes? Isn't it evident in my voice? Look at my glowing skin...
MMHMMM translation: Whatever you say...
They don't say it aloud, but I can see it in their eyes. I can hear it in their voice. They don't believe me. No matter what I say, how happy I am they don't see it. All they can see is what they've been programmed to see:
saved or lost.
blessed or cursed.
In their mind there is only one formula for happy. Happy to the christian means serving God.
Translation: serving the church.
Happiness also means that when you ask me how I am, I should have a 20 minutes' worth of accomplishments to tell you about how God is working in my life. I'm working here, married there, owning this, volunteering there...
Translation: Give me physical proof that God is working in your life. Prove your life is better after leaving the church.
They stand there with flyby judgmentalism waiting for you to say the majic words.
"Blessed"
"Thank God"
"I'm at peace"
"grateful"
I usually don't pass the test.
But the question is, what IS church?
Is it this utopia of people meeting together at people's houses like it says in the book of Acts?
Is it meeting with people at a building on Sundays and Wednesdays?
Is it an empire, a hierarchal institution?
...Or is it something organic, where the bonds just happen?
I often wonder how 2 people can be christians but not like each other. Does one have anything to do with the other?
I guess it depends on how you define the word christian.
But that's another topic.
Back to church-
When I was growing up, church meant a building with a steeple and stained glass windows.
When I "got saved" at 18 I was taught that church meant the " the kingdom [of God]" and was an elite group of people who were "sold out" for God. It was its own culture with its own laws and its own rules.
But is that the church?
Here's my take: Jesus made it clear that the kingdom of heaven is within you. That means each christian IS the church. It can't be a place because even Jesus said that he would destroy the temple and raise it in three days. In context, the temple was the Jewish temple. And Jesus never physically tore down the temple. His body was torn down instead. The resurrection was about changing the place where "church" was. The temple was where God dwelled, a holy place.
But after Jesus it was all different.
The church as I grew up knowing it was an "anti-christ movement". Church had reverted back to a place, a brick-and-mortar building. This place was holy, where God was. If you wanted to worship God, you went to this place. If you wanted to get right with God, you needed to be at this place. What Jesus knocked down in order to be intimate with us we dismissed and built right back up again.
No thanks, God. We don't want to be that tight with you...
So, on those Sundays when I wanted to sleep in late and eat a home-cooked breakfast were times when I felt guilty. Many times I would be sick and I just couldn't push myself to go. This guilt came from the idea that if I didn't go to church I was "missing God".
And with this brick-and-mortar church came all the responsibilities-
bills
fellowship
community service
sunday school
Now I had to pay in order to keep "church" going. At least 10 percent of my income-or any money I had.
I had to be "friends" with my fellow "church" members, now my brothers and sisters in christ.
I needed to finacially contribute to "church" programs, to help the "church" spread God's love and message to the community.
When once upon a time it was about me showing up to meet God, now it was about me showing up for choir practice...or ushering..or to teach the kiddie bible class.
When I slowly began backing out of the "church" the "church" abandoned me and I was right back to where I was supposed to be in the first place - alone.
Jesus died and rose again, meaning he already knocked down the temple.
I was "church"!!
At the same time, there is no doubt in my mind that relationships with other people hold equal importance to relationship with God. Jesus did say, "Whatever you do unto the least of these you do unto me."
Me being "church" -us being "church"- changes the game completely, doesn't it? In a sense, you tithe to yourself, fellowship with yourself, and give to others from yourself. When you want to hear from God, you listen to your own heart. You already have the answers. You don't have to return to a place week after week in order to grow.
Some people think that is selfish. Or they think it is blasphemous. Maybe what they don't know is God - or what the crucifixtion was really about. They believe in the God of the old testament. I believe in the God of the new one...
This new testament God suddenly dwelled within us. There was no more seperation from God based on sin.
And that one statement is monumental.
What Jesus brought was a new theology. Many christians harp on the statement "I did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it." as the basis for their belief that the old testament was still to be adhered to. I see it as two theologies-old testament and new testament....which I want to write more about later.
Comments
Post a Comment