something to meditate on
29 10 2007“According to the early Christians, the church doesn’t exist in order to provide a place where people can pursue their private spiritual agendas and develop their own spiritual potential. Nor does it exist in order to provide a safe haven in which people can hide from the wicked world and ensure that they themselves arrive safely at an otherworldly destination. Private spiritual growth and ultimate salvation come rather as the byproducts of the main, central, overarching purpose for which God has called and is calling us. The purpose is clearly stated in various places in the New Testament: that through the church God will announce to the wider world that he is indeed its wise, loving, and just creator: that through Jesus he has defeated the powers that corrupt and enslave it; and that by his Spirit he is at work to heal and renew it.”
-N.T. Wright
Interesting….. you know, that reminds me of some of the things that are brought up in “More Jesus, Less Religion” by Jack Felton by Stephen Arterburn. Some people have an unhealthly faith where the goal is to get as many brownie points with God and/or the church as they can and to get to heaven with a perfect past. In the book, it describes the troll that living that way has taken on poeple. It also describes what a health faith looks like (open, loving, and willing to admit that you’ve screwed up over and over).
I’m glad to say that I’ve always grown up in a church that was based on healthy faith (even if it wasn’t in the past, I wasn’t paying enough attention to notice). But I have seen churches that seem way too focused on three things: 1) getting to heaven; 2) telling people how badly they’ve screwed up and need God; 3) keeping ’sinners’ out while talking about how those darned ’sinners’ just won’t repent. Obviously, those aren’t entirely in line with what God wants for church, and they don’t work too well.
Now, refering back to what you posted, “…through the church God will announce to the wider world that he is indeed its wise, loving, and just creator: that through Jesus he has defeated the powers that corrupt and enslave it; and that by his Spirit he is at work to heal and renew it.” How true! Like I said before, I grew up in a healthy church (PCC). Having that advantage, I got to experience a lot of God’s love through church. But it wasn’t the building or the snacks afterward, it was the people. And even now, when so many people I know (and myself) are suffering, we all know that God is at work repairing our lives and preping us for what’s next in our lives. And the best part is, we all don’t know what going to happen, and we love it! THAT’S faith!