If you missed parts A-D, see the post below this one - Disillusioned?
I'm thinking a lot about church and realistic expectations of the community we are. So after a couple of great comments and more thinking since my last post on this, here's some more.
I have been thinking about what we said last time, and wondering how that differs from my workplace, or any other organization that is together for a common interest or goal? Of course there are horrible workplaces and org.'s and for those it would be easy to say of course we are different. But if you work in a place where people are respected and everyone is professional about things...where is the difference? This is what bothers me the most about the phrase "They'll know we are christians by our love". (Sorry for putting that tune in your head!!)
That phrase makes me think there must be a noticable difference, or where is our witness? Usually I respond to this concern in me with resolve to do more loving things for others. Or to find a program that might facilitate that better among us. I don't know if others think this way, or if it's just me...
But what on earth does that phrase mean? Or what should it mean? Does it mean that we are amazingly good at meeting each other's needs? I think that I kind of think it does, but I also know that we are not. So that bothers me. But when I try to think this whole thing through, I start to question that meaning.
In my experience church can be a very difficult place to be, because it can seem like the expectations are very high. Admittedly, that is partly because my expectations of myself are high, and so when I add anything to that, they become very high. I also know that there are many of you who expect alot of yourselves also, so I am not the only one.
In some ways my workplace is simpler. Not because anyone is perfect, but because when you are not, people just look at you like "what is your problem" and then they decide whether or not they like you, and that is that. They do or they don't. At church, it feels far more complicated. People don't just decide whether or not they like you, they decide how 'mature in your faith' you are, or whether or not you are a good christian. sigh. I'm talking about the whole church here, not just ours.
Anyway, all that to say this: If we are supposed to be known by our love, which is the love of Jesus, shouldn't we be the easiest, safest, most accepting place to be? (Don't get me wrong, I have also experienced that in church at times too, truly.)
I want to try something here, so back to biblegateway...I'll be right back...and now for a little editing:
Church is patient, church is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Church is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Church does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
How's that work for you? Hmmmm....
Remember the already and the not yet of the Kingdom of God...thanks Tina...
This makes more sense to me than trying to DO things in order to be a witness by loving. (The doing should be a natural out-growth of the being.)
GTG, supper is on the table! thanks for reading...please join in if you like! What think ye?
Shelley
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ok ... it's late and i just laughed out loud to myself ... or rather to what you posted about how people gauge personality, personal likes or dislikes in one another ... and (God forbid) our shortcomings. and i love your paragraph beginning with "church is patient" ... beautiful.
ReplyDeletebtw: my reference was 'the already and not yet of Love', not of the kingdom. Love came first. Love birthed the kingdom. so i believe ... you know ... chicken ... then egg ;) just the way my mind works. it helps me to keep things in perspective.
per your work example ... someone once said that their observation/experience of church was that christians often take license to speak and act in ways that they would NEVER even consider behaving workplace; and that it would serve us well to keep that in mind in each other's presence. i think the difference people could see in us as a church (broad term church) is that we treat each other like treasures. not in an iconic way ... but in a loving friendly way. it's great that we can be broken in front of others ... but not in a way that is continually at each other's expense. that would be way too much like Jesus ;)
ok ... nap time ... t
When I saw how many people stood up when Scott asked who was disillusioned it made me really sad at first, I sometimes find myself thinking that we all have to be pressing in and believing God and full of hope all the time, but really no one is like that and I think God wants us to step back and take a look at things and ask Him the hard questions too. I believe that the church should be different from the world but we can't get there ourselves. No amount of spiritual gymnastics will change us, only God can do that and only when we let Him. But I am driven by my belief that He will do it if we make ourselves available to His touch and stay in there with HIm. It's the hardest thing in the world to do because we all worship at our own altar. Yet I believe that we can.
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