I’ve been following a line of conversation over at Emerging Grace. What drew me in initially was her short profile claiming she was rethinking what the church, as a modern cultural institution, means to her. But she’s not rethinking her faith.
Today’s post at her spot is entitled Outcast. Boy. Does that ever sum up what’s going on in this household. We *gasp* left our church this spring, and have been dealing with the fallout since.
Grace writes about others in this place:
While dedicated to truth and the basics of the gospel, they are frustrated with established church structures. Many, like myself, didn’t even connect to the emerging conversation until they found themselves in the wilderness.
We aren’t rebellious.
We aren’t troublemakers.
We aren’t independent.
We aren’t crazy or weird.
And we aren’t church-hoppers!
Some have found community and connection with others to share their journey. Bob Hyatt has a pub church and Scott Williams has a club church. Many others have simple church, organic church, or house church.
It seems that the intention of church is not one specific Sunday morning gathering. Belonging to the church, the church as a whole as viewed by Christ, is a state of being, a confession of faith, a mindset of the Spirit. I think. But then, I’m no scholar, and many we used to “church” with feel fairly sure we’re performing blood rituals around our chiminea now. In a recent conversation with our previous pastor, my husband answered the expected question, “so, where are you guys in church?”, with “right here, in our home”. And received the half inhale, half whistle in through the teeth, throw in a touch of gaspy sigh, and the statement, “oooohhhh, I’m so sorry I asked”.
I’ve done a little digging, albeit sorely lacking in scope and depth, I’m sure. I’ve looked at the 4 gospels where Jesus visits the 11 disciples left after his death and ressurrection. I keep seeing something along the lines of “go into all the world”, and “preach the good news”, and “whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (now, I know there is controversy over what exactly that baptism should be, and I’m not going there). Isn’t this God’s church, the ones who call on him, and believe? Are we not all some part; a hand, a foot, an eye, whether or not we go to the building?
It seems all too often we get sucked into the mire of the Pharisees themselves. That our modern church has unwittingly, or not, taken the basic, and often not so basic tenants of the faith, and wrapped them all up and law, legalism and opinion, and tied it with a big red bow of superiority. We could go on til the rapture (depending on, of course, when and how you believe that will occur; pre, mid or post) debating hundreds, even thousands maybe, of details and points that would divide us. We’ve grown weary of that. Right now, we’re just clinging to our definition of the basics. The commandment Jesus put down as the most important, when those Pharisees sought to trip him up, not unlike many in the church today. He said, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and will all your soul, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).
I figure, if we’re floundering around working out the rest of it, like manyh of us really do, and we remember that one statement, we’ll do alright. And we’ll show our children His love is not all about racing to and from meetings, conferences, bible studies and socials, and dickering about what a tithe is, and if you have to be completely dunked, or merely sprinkled to get into Heaven, or if a tattoo is an abomination. Church is not about wearing us out, but building us up. But that’s just my opinion.
And so, like Grace, we’re taking a break. Finding ourselves on the edge of acceptable to many, but happier and more rested than we’ve been in a long time. And as she shares, we keep the issue in occasional conversation. We’re not giving up, just regrouping. And although I don’t claim to be acting out of a rebellious heart, I guess there’s some rebellion there. But not against God. Against what has become the cultural norm. Not so unlike Jesus Himself. So maybe we’re in some good company while we walk this out. But again, that’s just my opinion.
