INDEPENDENT CHRISTIANS CAN'T BE FOUND IN SCRIPTURE

People have umpteen reasons for stopping church attendance and giving up on church. Some reasons are rational and logical and others are plainly juvenile. At the moment I speak to and about persons who have become disenchanted with church. For some it's a kind of phase that happens when one is a teen, or young adult or middle-aged, anytime I suppose. Disenchantment is not necessarily associated with anger, reprisal, malice or spite. It is sometimes draped in sadness, disappointment, confusion. It is birthed from observations and discussions and readings and reflections. It is pollinated with unfulfilled expectations, unrealized hopes, frustrated faith. For these people, God is authentic. They want to know him. His word is scripture. They believe it. God's Spirit is animated. They want to experience him. Love among believing friends is enduring. They are loved and they return love. Desire to witness God at work is a compelling incentive. The search begins. Where can it lead?

If personal study is not on the agenda of the now disassociated disenchanted person, the trip will go theologically south. That study must prioritize concentration on scripture. Christianity however is not merely an intellectual pursuit, but rather, it is relevant to all of life. Much of life is engaged with other people. The Bible itself makes the case that 'Christian community' is as valid a demonstration of the reasonableness and truthfulness of Christian beliefs as is the intellectual apologetic.Wagner Hills Ministries in Langley, BC is an example of a healing community for men and women who wish to make an assault on personal addictions. The community consists of residency, work, study and devotions, journaling. 

L'Abri was and is a different kind of community founded by Francis and Edith Schaeffer in Huémoz-sur-Ollon, Switzerland, on June 5, 1955. They opened their alpine home as a ministry to curious travellers and as a forum to discuss philosophical and religious beliefs. People who came are called students and a student's day is divided into "study time" and "work time. Then we come to today's churches that aspire to be communities something like that, and it is reasonable to expect that believers will learn as well as work/serve. Often, however, because of the size of churches or a failure to adequately assimilate all attendees, we turn the church into a spectator event. There are not enough service opportunities available for everyone, or people do not volunteer and are never asked to help. People may sit for years only to be learners of theory without the more practical shoulder rubbing in the community where Christian faith is demonstrated.

The disassociated disenchanted person must think seriously about finding a group of others where Christianity can be fully demonstrated in the context of personal relationships. Complete independence is not something any student will read in scripture and long term, it will inhibit development.