When Did the church Stop Being the Church?
I've been thinking about Bill's statement from a few weeks ago:
I want to thank you for the affirmation on this thread but I'm still asking for guidance in the hows. I think they have eternal consequences for me and for everyone who seeks to do what Jesus would do.
When did we, as a church, stop doing what the Church is commanded to do?
I was talking with someone the other night who asked "when's the last time you had a conversation in the church about what to do when you pass someone with a 'homeless' sign?" His point was that we often miss the practicality of the Gospel.
When do we talk about how to live missionally?
- We share our adoption story and people look at us blankly. When the did church stop following the Church's mandate to care for orphans?
- Bill asks about caring for a mother and children in his home and I, along with many others, have no practical advice to give. When did the church stop talking about how to care for widows (although this woman is not a widow, the family dynamics sound similar)?
- My friend asked a basic question about caring for the poor and out of work. When did the church stop following the instruction to the Church to care for the least of these?
I am thinking, Bill, about what practical advice I can offer. But, I am at a huge disadvantage because I grew up in a church that failed to be the Church, as far as living out the commands of scripture related to these items.
This is not an excuse and it definitely doesn't make your situation any better. But in order to avoid this problem occurring time and time again, we must admit that the church is often not the Church.
posted by Brent C Sleasman at 9:30 AM
1 Comments:
Brent,
Ironically, after much despair and in deep anguish, still lacking in any words of wisdom from any other believer, we decided last night to, in effect, throw the now eight months pregnant woman, her two young children and her shack up honey out into the cold.
I'll be telling them that difficult truth within the hour.
I'm more than a little angry that I am an MLI grad who knows no more about putting the command, "Love your neighbor as yourself" into action than I ever have and that no one has a word of wisdom to speak into this situation other than the poignant question you are asking.
I would never hope that anyone else would be the kind of person I am in the Lord. My calling is rare. Few people in any age have this sort of calling among the people of God. I don't expect anyone else to see things the way I see them. It doesn't bother me that people rarely think about things in the way I think. But, here's what I think:
We dabble.
We play around with things that, when used effectively, are powerful weapons in spiritual warfare but when used haphazzardly may bring death to people who toy with them.
We talk the talk of, for instance, mission, but in the end, it's little more than talk.
According to Jesus, we will all stand before Him as individuals on the day the He will say to "Many" who call Him, "Lord, Lord," "Away from me you evildoers." He will judge us all individually based on what how each of us responded to the hungry and thirsty and homeless and clothesless and sick and imprisoned among the least of His brothers and sisters...
He defines true religion as 'looking after orphans and widows in their distress...'
...and still, it seems to me, we dabble.
God have mercy on us!
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