As a person that has grown up in organized religion, I can honestly say that today’s church has fallen way off course. What we call church today many times seems more like a large corporation.
We seem to be more focused on our programs, building bigger buildings, having a bigger and better worship band, getting on radio or TV and being a step ahead of the church down the street.
Our churches today are so divided by denominations that it makes me think of Heinz 57 Varieties…..and that’s just the Baptist! It seems like there is a church building every mile or two from each other, yet our world seems to get worse and worse.
We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, yet we divide ourselves and fight and argue amongst ourselves. I’m sure it makes God want to turn us over his knee and spank us all.
It amazes me how upset and defensive people can get when you mention that going to church is not a requirement. They seem to forget that the church is not a building and is not a place we go to, but the Church is the body of believers. Usually the first verse that is quoted when we talk about not going to church is Hebrews 10:25 – not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
No where does this verse say that we have to assemble in a building on a certain day at a certain time. No where does it say we have to have a pastor to teach us, or a worship band to lead us in praise and worship.
I feel that sometimes we Christians want to be entertained and told what to believe, then go home feeling satisfied that we have fulfilled our duty until next Sunday. We have become lazy and don’t want to spend the time with God, reading His words, letting the Holy Spirit teach us. As 1 John 2:23 states – as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you (the Holy Spirit), and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
Jesus said where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them. That can be in a restaurant, in a home, in a park etc. To many people put more emphasis on where we meet and not enough emphasis on spending time with the one we love. Why is it we feel the need to go to a building anyway, God said we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. God told us that He is always with us, so why is it people say they are going to the house of God to meet with Him. We are the house of God, and He is always with us.
Going to an organized religious building is not wrong, but let’s start calling it what it is. The Church are those of us who are saved through faith in Christ. The building that people go to on Sunday morning is a place where the members of the Church get together. We do hear the word of God in most places, and we are together with other believers, but how much true fellowship happens during an organized service.
How many times do people get more involved with the things about Christ, the services, the meetings, the up-keep of a building and the money to keep the bills paid, that we lose sight of our first love. Jesus is the head, He is to have the preeminence. We need to put our focus on Christ, loving Him with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, and loving others as ourselves. Stop the arguing over different interpretations and denominational doctrines, and start loving others no matter what. It is then that the world will know we are His disciples and see a difference in the way we live as Christians.
Found your blog through a comment you left on Modern Reject, and I had to come check you out. You are expressing the same types of things I’ve been thinking over the past 4 or so years, and it’s really refreshing to hear. I’ve felt like I’ve been traveling against the flow for a long time in this respect, and I’ll definitely be checking you out regularly!
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Thank you for your kind comments. I appreciate it. I know it feels good to find others who are having the same thoughts and feelings, so feel free to visit the site anytime.
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Great blog brother! I have been making t-shirts for 20 years now that read
DON’T GO TO CHURCH on the front and BE THE CHURCH! on the back.
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Hi Mike! I’ll comment here instead of on Graceground, where I’ve commented on your posts in the past.
We rue many, but not all, of the years we spent “going to church” and helping to build and maintain the institution. I suppose it is part of the journey, like wading through a swamp, to get us to a better place.
Now we choose to “be the church” and live our lives as Jesus’ followers with people. That looks like many things, including, but not limited to, our Sunday mornings, when we spend time with the homeless, on the street in the inner city picking up trash and talking to people, and with friends at the swap meet (looking for socks, underwear and jeans for homeless friends).
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Amen my brother. I have started attending again lately, a local service, and yet I try to ask the Lord each occasion what He would have me do. I will never “join” another group again, in the sense of signing a card or a roster, or being associated with any group in an identifying way (I am a _______ fill in the blank). I am a disciple of the Lord Jesus. That’s all there is and that is all that needs to be said in my view. The truth is it is very hard to get this thing called church right in this day. If, for example, you start meeting in your living room, and the Spirit moves the waters, so to speak, and then you run out of room, what do you do?
You really don’t need to plan or organize 2 or 3 brothers getting together to share His life in a spontaneous and unstructured way, but when you start getting more, it becomes necessary. But then on what basis do you organize and who does the organizing? Once you need a facility, who pays for it? Do you need to be insured? Who administers this thing that is growing? It is like a small business that quickly needs to manage its expansion, hire people, attain an accountant and lawyer, etc.
I think this is where the church gets it wrong. It begs and borrows from the world. Yet, to be fair, I am not sure what options there are in this modern, complex world. It is one of those things that only the Holy Spirit can govern, shape, protect, define, etc. Once man gets his hands all over it, then I don’t care how sincere your intentions are – it will become corrupted eventually. Mammon and money-changers will find there way into the sanctuary.
What then does a genuine, spirit-breathed expression of the Body of Christ look like in today’s world? Well, again, I don’t truly know. Its a good thing therefore that He said He would build His church. Not me.
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