Church Sure Ain't What It USED to Be - Part 2

Of course churches in Paul's day weren't anything like churches today.  Based on the information I've found, it doesn't look like the early churches even had buildings.

The church in Rome didn't have a building?  Why not?

Not because church leaders understood from the very beginning that there could be no building without first forming FINANCE and BUILDING COMMITTEES, but because the early Christians were often targets of political and religious persecution.  

Having a big new building where the faithful dutifully assembled at 11 AM every Sunday morning would've made the job of arresting the entire congregation and hauling them off to jail an easier task than deciding what color to paint the church bathrooms.

So the early churches most likely met in peoples' homes, and their services included singing hymns, reciting scripture and creeds, praying, and praising God.

--  --  --

The more I thought about it, the more I  wondered whether the first Christians set their finest robes aside on Saturday nights, and dressed up for church.  I kinda doubted it.

Not just because Peter and Paul warned against it, or because dressed-up people tended to be in palaces, but also because sneaking around all dressed-up on Sunday mornings between 10AM-12PM would've tipped off the Persecution Police.

So when did steeples, stained glass windows and dressing-up become rock solid trademarks of "church"?

Church Sure Ain't What It USED to Be - Part 1

When I was a kid, I figured the churches Paul wrote letters to were a lot like the church I knew.

Which meant they had red brick walls, stained glass windows,  big white columns at the front door and a shining steeple with a bell up top ... with signs near the sidewalk announcing something like, First Church of Rome or maybe Corinthian Baptist Church.

Oh, I understood enough to know the church at Ephesus probably didn't have an organ, but surely they had a choir, choir robes and a Minister of Music.  And after hearing the Sunday School report, he'd motion everyone to stand up from their pews and turn their hymnal scrolls open to sing #72 ... "With the first as the last."

(Since nobody had cars back in those days, I wonder where the deacons went after the service to stand around and smoke?)

That was my picture of what church must've been like 2000 years ago, because pews, steeples, stained glass windows and dressing-up make the building we know into a church.

Sounds silly and naive now, doesn't it?

But then I started wondering, what were the early churches really like?

The body is not a corpse

There's a scene in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness that describes a warship lying off a remote coast in 19th century Africa, firing its cannons (at regular intervals) at the shore.

The men on board aren't aiming at anything; they're terminally sick, hallucinating and delirious with fever.

You gotta wonder why the captain, or an officer or any other leader, hadn't re-ordered their priorities before the situation became critical.

So what was leadership paying attention to instead?

-- -- --

When it became obvious the ship's crew was no longer effective- or even functioning coherently- why didn't someone step up and take charge?

Even if it meant thinking outside the ship, challenging man-made rituals and routines, and asking "Are we doing anything worthwhile out here, or are we just following ourselves in circles and making each other sick?"

-- -- --

The men in Conrad's story, allegedly based on true events, were like zombies ... robot-ing their way through the last days of their lives, adhering to strict traditions like "duty, " "regulation" and "conduct of high standing," even though their "approbation to their county" meant they were sick, dying, and sailing around in circles.

Literally, no one was willing to endanger their position and status by rocking the boat.

-- -- --

At the instant before the last man left on board lit the last fuse, fired the last canon (without a clear target, except perhaps his own helplessness) and collapsed for the last time to die at his station, did he understand what happened and why they had failed?

Could he have explained that blind subordination to man-made regulations, self-serving goals and lofty ambition had trapped them in place, blinded their vision and made their commission inert and ineffective?

Could the last man standing watch at the helm have admitted that stubborn self-absorption ... and not an enemy ... had poisoned their purpose, and left their will vulnerable to defeat?

But what am I supposed to do when ...

What's the biggest impact my faith in Christ is having on my life?  The truth is, being a believer makes working, and interacting, with other people seem so hard.  And I don't even wanna start talking about how faith affects dating ... and the possibility of ever getting married.

I mean, outside of church, nobody believes or trusts religion any more.  Hardly anybody ever talks about God,  and people who don't believe seem to automatically feel entitled to provoke or make fun of me.  Like I'm the one who's doing something wrong.

So what am I supposed to do?

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

- 1 Peter 5:7-10

Diamonds on the Inside

If you're inclined to bristle because I quote lyrics here from a secular song, please don't.

The application, compared to the potential for misinterpretation, still seems worthwhile.

When you have everything

You have everything to lose.

Make sure the fortune that you seek

Is the fortune that you need

What you say and do not mean
Follows you close behind

Like the soldier long standing under fire

Any change comes as a relief

Let the givers name remain unspoken
She is just a generous thief

She had diamonds on the inside

She wore diamonds in the inside.

Ben Harper

"Diamonds on the Inside"

Me and My Church don't always see eye to eye

No, wait a minute-   ooops.

I don't have a church.

The church belongs to Christ ... the problem must be with me, and the I, and the I.

I'd rather be right than righteous

Why do believers have so many different labels to identify their "religion" and insulate themselves from other believers?

Some groups of followers seem to spend more time arguing about being "right" on every issue, from which text is the "right" translation, to which political candidate is the "right" choice for president and whether it's "right" to play guitars in church, than they do preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Is that what Christ commanded?  

Is his sacrifice honored by cliques, quarreling and score-settling?  Is The Prince of Peace glorified by name-calling, diviseness or factionalism in his church?

so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

- Romans 12:5

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

- Ephesians 4:2-6

Asking for miracles

We're so used to asking God to give us what we want, sometimes we wonder what's wrong with his hearing:

"Here's what I want, it's not that hard, and I know you can hear me.  I can't make you do anything, so let your will be done."

But what happens if God answers,

Here's what I want, it's not that hard, and I know you can hear me.  I can't make you do anything, so let your will be done.

When evil means "I'm bigger than you"

One definition of evil might be, "An eagerness to inflict, or to cause, physical pain to another person; most often to create or to affirm dominant Superior/Inferior roles; to 'teach a  lesson' and thus gain the satisfaction of involuntary control or authority; to perpetuate violence against another as a right; to cause or to seek humiliation, especially as a means of sadistic self-affirmation; to use fear or violence as a means of expression or communication in the pursuit of,  or to further, a self-glorifying agenda; usually explained as a birthright or entitlement."

The definition's not perfect, but it does fit pretty close when it comes to describing the mind-set of torturers, terrorists and tyrants.

--   --   --

But it also describes the frenetic compulsion of adults who feel "Responsible Parenting" first and foremost means grabbing a belt whenever they feel like it, and spanking the asphalt outta their kids.

Oh sure, getting spanked hurt back when they were kids, but "spanking done did me good!"  

When a little person gets angry or frustrated about not having his way, he still needs that lesson, the infliction of pain, to get re-focused and be reminded who's in charge.

I mean that, what I'm saying is, the little person is the parent who entitles himself to start spanking.

 

"He'll hurt you with his wheels"

Carl von Clausewitz was a 19th century Prussian military officer and the author of the definitive treatise about conflict titled "On War."

Some of Clausewitz's principle ideas included:

- understanding the distinction between "absolute" or "ideal war," and "real war"

- the importance of "moral forces" (more than simply "morale"), as opposed to quantifiable physical elements

-expecting, and adjusting for, unpredictable chance ... i.e. "the fog of war"

-"the culminating point of the attack" ... the turning point at which attack becomes defense

-"the culminating point of victory" ... loosely paraphrased, when the attacker wins, but still isn't sure who'll wake up tomorrow blacker and bluer

Clausewitz taught that War is comprised of four elements: Danger, Physical Effort, Uncertainty, and Chance.

--   --   --

So why am I mentioning him here?  Because ...

The enemy expects total victory, and we cannot make the mistake of believing he's engaged in anything less than all-out war.

We can never refuse to take the offensive because, after consulting with the Church Steering Committee, re-reading the minutes, voting and carrying the motion, we're convinced there's no way we can win.

We can never approach any task half-heartedly, half-prepared, armed with half-measures, and then expect God to take up our slack.

We serve the one living God, the King of Kings, and reject the burdens, limitations and self-righteousness of man-made rules, rituals and traditions.

Christ came to earth and died on the cross to give us victory through him ... not to prepare us to lose or to give up, to fail and point fingers, to form quorums and re-write God's plan or to huddle-up and reminisce about the wayeth we used to doeth things at mine olde church .

Much less to give us the option of "being too busy," "not having enough time" or "not being entirely onboard" ... and making excuses for disobedience.

Bible verses oft omitted from Sunday School

When his [Christ's] family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
- Mark 3:21


So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?
- 2 Corinthians 12:15


Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
- Colossians 3:12

Of course, this HAD to happen

I used to blame ADD for mistakes like this, but no more.


Starting today I accept the evidence for what it proves ... old age.


Look closely ... and notice the label.