JUST BE THE CHURCH

Or perhaps something more profound must be said to any of us who may be critical of church as it is being experienced today. Maybe we need to detach ourselves from the chorus of naysayers and lampooners. Maybe we need to reread the gospels and fall in love again with the church that Jesus loved enough to die for her. Okay, so the church with all that property, all that square footage, that fat revenue has not seen seekers come to faith in five years. And true enough, some high profile church leaders and even local pastors have embarrassed themselves and humiliated the church through one scandal or another. And yes, you’re right, the communication of good news gets buried sometimes under the mountains of self-reproach being pumped from pulpits. Then why not be a change agent. Don’t buck a system. Just be the church, you. I’m talking to you, and of course to me. You can let your own faith be so winsome that people will come to faith in Christ. You can identify in practical ways with poor and disenfranchised people. You can love. Strangers, neighbours, friends can be exposed to the love of God simply by you being you, a helper, a listener. You can have church in your apartment suite, your home, at Starbucks, and it is legitimate and genuine. In the process, church will be renewed, reformed.

ROAST THE CHURCH

It bothers me. I have friends who are avid and unquestioning church supporters. They are uncomfortable with conversation that is critical of church. I also have friends who express cynicism about church, skepticism with which I do not altogether disagree. So I’ll tell you what I am thinking. People are disappointed with church. The church should want to hear about that, yet because it is a closed subject in church, articles, books, and blogs poke at the church, deride the church. There have always been jokes about religion. This is different. This is a preoccupation, even a movement. Knock the church. Roast the church. That’s partially explained by the failure of church leaders and members to listen and to discuss the reasons why a growing percentage of Christians are dissatisfied. So the disappointed withdraw and possibly become this vocal resistance to which I refer. The crazy thing is, both positions argue from the conviction that the church belongs to Jesus, and he loves the church. One side queries, “how can you dare to be cynical about Christ’s bride?” The other side charges, “the way you are doing church, is losing credibility, confidence and relevance.”