Oh wait - I'm getting ahead of myself. Just hold that thought.
Whenever I hear someone say how much they love Jesus but hate the church - it makes me want to rip my hair out for a couple of reasons.
One is because the church may actually have done some things to cause someone to believe that way.
And two, that so many other believers might slap them on the back for saying it.
When God rescues us, He does so on a personal level as individuals, but He saves us into a community of believers. That's the church.
There is no Lone Ranger Christianity. That phrase is oxymoronic - or if you prefer, (I do), simply moronic.
You do not have a call on your life, sir / ma'am, to 'go it alone.'
You can't follow Him on your own.
The problem is, even the church is full of 'stinkers.' (There it is.) In fact, I think I'm probably a stinker some days.
What? You aren't?
Please.
'Even the church is full of stinkers.'
This walk with Christ via His church is hard work some days - painful - with heartache - discipline. But when done right it also includes an over-full plate of joy, fulfillment, friendship, purpose, excitement and a sense of family.
It is within the 'commune of Christ' that you experience the bumps and bruises of relational sandpaper as well as the victories of growth, change and maturity.
Since Christ is the Head of His Church, to thumb your nose at the church is to thumb your nose at Christ.
This is the imperfect beauty of being part of the body - the family - of God.
And be blessed.
5 comments:
Ummm, it is no great shock to you that I am a stinker. I have my good times, but, then again...
When you talk about the Body of Christ, it reminds me that I always thought of my 'church family.' And the relationships that form there. That is a big part of the reason that I still keep in touch on the blog. You are like family to me. Also, it is great when I come to church after being away for a while and I see familiar faces...and they remember me! lol I see folks from JC often at work, too. It's just nice.
I really was happy that I was there Sunday. It is a really good place to be. I have missed being there. And it's nice to feel welcome in spite of me being MIA. I'm hopeful that I can work out my schedule to be there much more. No matter my faults, being involved in church always makes my life better.
I do agree with you, being a Christ-follower is hard work. Most of the time, I just do what I feel like....discipline is not my strong suit.
Anyway, I still care for my 'church family.' I can't say that I dislike or have been hurt beyond just getting over it. I don't hate church. For good or bad, bumps in relationships are a part of life. If you tread water the whole time, then I don't think you are relating much at all.
It's really wonderful to see you folks out and about. Hopefully, I'll see more of you to come.
Pastor Jonathan,
I love this song...very cool! And I think it is deep with the lyrics. Thanks for sharing!
PK, you recently posted about rainbows. Well, tonight I watched the movie, Noah. I have heard a lot of flack from Christians about this movie. But, I just wanted to see it for myself. There are many parts that seemed 'cinematic', but others were riveting.
Spoiler Alert: I have to ask you two questions:
1. Was there such a thing as light beings that went against God's wishes and were turned into rock creatures? When I first saw it, it seemed more like a Transformer movie. I began to think I wouldn't like it at all, but I persevered since I paid for it. It got better.
2. Noah really was supposed to kill his granddaughter(s)? This is one of those areas that I just cannot understand God's justice. Is it true? At some point I will read Noah's story in the Bible, but I was really surprised about the details of events.
Honestly, it leaves me wondering about God and His purposes. Why does He mete out His justice on innocent children? (ie: Abraham and Isaac). I have a hard time imagining Jesus making those decisions. Why is God, the Father, so punishing and Jesus is filled with grace?
Oh well. Big questions and you may not be able to answer them. It leaves me thinking that I deserve His judgment far more than an innocent baby...
Don't know of anything in the Bible where beings turn into rock creatures. It's the movies.
The second question is also really easy - there is no mention of Noah's granddaughters in the Bible AT ALL. The NEW YORKER MAGAZINE has called this movie 'the least Biblical movie that's ever been made.
Read the Bible, not movies, at least for your information about God and Jesus.
The final observation you make is tougher, of course, and the source of some mystery.
At the very heart of this question lies a fundamental misunderstanding of what both the Old and New Testaments reveal about the nature of God. The Bible is God’s progressive revelation of Himself to us through historical events and through His relationship with people throughout history. However, when one reads both the Old and the New Testaments, it becomes evident that God is not different from one testament to another and that God’s wrath and His love are revealed in both testaments.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see God dealing with Israel the same way a loving father deals with a child. When they willfully sinned against Him and began to worship idols, God would punish them. Yet, each time He would deliver them once they had repented of their idolatry. This is much the same way God deals with believers in the New Testament. Hebrews 12:6 tells us that “the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
God is no different in the Old Testament than He is in the New Testament. God by His very nature is unchanging. While we might see one aspect of His nature revealed in certain passages of Scripture more than other aspects, God Himself does not change.
Wow...no mention of Noah's granddaughters and in the movie He was going to kill them to fulfill God's plan. That's terrible! Non-believers will see the movie and leave asking the same questions I have. I have you to bounce things off of, but they, most likely, will not. It makes God seem vengeful. There are enough secular individuals who see Him that way already.
The rock creatures were 'The Watchers.' Not sure if that was true...I take it it is not.
PK, this doesn't have anything to do with the movie, but I thought I would share it. Last night I truly felt that God was with me in my car. My gas gauge doesn't work anymore and I just don't exactly know if I have enough gas to get where I am going. Well, I was driving to work to get my check and my car seemed to be very low on fuel. It was nighttime and I was praying to God to help me get there. Well, in the next minute, I felt this surge in my car from the back and the road seemed smoother than it was before. I made it with no problems, but I swear it was like traveling with Him blowing me from behind. Maybe that sounds strange, but I bet among Christians it does not. Don't know why He loves me, but He always seems to be there when I truly need Him. He blesses me so much.
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