in large part, it is surely due to the poor image of the church that's projected by christians and 'christians' today.
many see christians as hypocritical.
many see the church as an unnecessary hurdle to a personal relationship with God.
"If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand."
the church is becoming increasingly divided amongst itself.
but who is standing against whom?
on that, we needn't worry.
we ought simply to do the will of God.
"Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
the issues stem from the unwillingness to look inside, to admit our sins, all of our sins.
in our hyperindividual relationships with God through Christ Jesus we are trending away from the need to look at our sins, individual and corporate, and to have others help us see those sins.
because, of course, we must identify our sins and bring those sins to God as we seek repentance.
imagine God's reaction if/when one goes to God asking for forgiveness, saying, 'God, forgive me for whatever bad things i've done. i don't know what i did, but i'm sure i did something, so can i have a clean slate now?'
we are continuously and increasingly isolating ourselves.
we spend more times on smartphones and tablets.
we spend more time with netflix.
we spend more money donating with a click of a button.
the ancient desert fathers of the church who lived as hermits and even monastics of today who live in communities don't do so in isolation.
they play a specific role as a member or members of the church, the body of Christ.
in challenging times, these days where challenges from all angles, angles that are political and financial and institutional (the church itself faces internal as well as external challenges) and spiritual, we first ought to look within ourselves before taking action.
we must look within the church.
to understand and possibly to redefine what the church is.
to inventory our resources, our leadership.
to regroup and restrategize and revitalize and regrow.
we are the living body of christ.
we are living muscles. and they need to be exercised and trained.
"But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered."
the issues stem from the unwillingness to look inside, to admit our sins, all of our sins.
in our hyperindividual relationships with God through Christ Jesus we are trending away from the need to look at our sins, individual and corporate, and to have others help us see those sins.
because, of course, we must identify our sins and bring those sins to God as we seek repentance.
imagine God's reaction if/when one goes to God asking for forgiveness, saying, 'God, forgive me for whatever bad things i've done. i don't know what i did, but i'm sure i did something, so can i have a clean slate now?'
we are continuously and increasingly isolating ourselves.
we spend more times on smartphones and tablets.
we spend more time with netflix.
we spend more money donating with a click of a button.
the ancient desert fathers of the church who lived as hermits and even monastics of today who live in communities don't do so in isolation.
they play a specific role as a member or members of the church, the body of Christ.
in challenging times, these days where challenges from all angles, angles that are political and financial and institutional (the church itself faces internal as well as external challenges) and spiritual, we first ought to look within ourselves before taking action.
we must look within the church.
to understand and possibly to redefine what the church is.
to inventory our resources, our leadership.
to regroup and restrategize and revitalize and regrow.
we are the living body of christ.
we are living muscles. and they need to be exercised and trained.
"But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered."
we got to get strong.
we got to get tough and act tough in tough times.when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
people have been following Christ Jesus for 2,000 years.
people have been following God since long before that.
the church will not die today. or tomorrow. or the day after that.
but, it's no excuse for any of us to sit idly by and not live out the lives and the love we are called to live.
how deep is that call within you?
how loud are those groans?
is that call to love louder than the shouts of the world of greed, of selfishness and self-centrism, of hyperindividualism and isolation, of egoism, of violence and anger and rage and hate?
if we are members of the body of christ, we must live as individual members working together with other members to move the body of christ!
we must go to church, a community, a body of believers.
we must pray with a body of believers. let's hold hands while we do it and physically, tangibly, be one body.
we must move the body out of the church into the world.
we must show the world we are the living body of christ.
we must exhibit to others that love of Christ.
we must live in and live out the love of God.
people have been following Christ Jesus for 2,000 years.
people have been following God since long before that.
the church will not die today. or tomorrow. or the day after that.
but, it's no excuse for any of us to sit idly by and not live out the lives and the love we are called to live.
how deep is that call within you?
how loud are those groans?
is that call to love louder than the shouts of the world of greed, of selfishness and self-centrism, of hyperindividualism and isolation, of egoism, of violence and anger and rage and hate?
if we are members of the body of christ, we must live as individual members working together with other members to move the body of christ!
we must go to church, a community, a body of believers.
we must pray with a body of believers. let's hold hands while we do it and physically, tangibly, be one body.
we must move the body out of the church into the world.
we must show the world we are the living body of christ.
we must exhibit to others that love of Christ.
we must live in and live out the love of God.
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