Just thinkin....hope this note doesn't come off harsh...just thoughts...I love the church and fellow Christians and I don't consider myself better....just thinkin.
When were you saved?
-This seems a problematic question....and it reflects many issues with the system. Is every person in a category of saved and not-saved to such a degree that a person is made to have one “testimony” (singular) and some sort of evidence for their salvation? Or is there some sort of continuum, a process-faith that's full of many, momentary encounters with God and with the truth of the gospel?
-This whole idea causes so much panic. Teenagers go to camp year after year and “re-commit” their lives year after year after being questioned rigorously about their moment of salvation, causing them to dig deep within themselves and put their “salvation experience” to the litmus test. There is almost this implicit idea that if you were saved you’d know it completely without doubt or question and if you don’t know it, then maybe you’re not saved, maybe that moment didn’t happen like you thought it did. Maybe you need to 'really' be saved.
Division and Judgment
-This notion of being saved causes a divide in the way we view people. People are no longer just people, they are Christians and non. Even within the Body this arises to the effect that some people truly are saved and others, well, we’re not really sure and we have to “pray for Tim.” Outside of the Body is even worse. We categorize people and squeeze them into a spot. It affects the way we speak, the way we act, the places we go with this person and the amount of ourselves we share with this person.
-People are terribly afraid of “talking about God” with their lost friends. They can’t bring themselves to speak about the one thing that is supposed to mean the most to them. Is this because they are terrible Christians and don’t really love Jesus or is it possibly due to this divide that we, as the church, place upon people. Sure, we love everyone. I’m not challenging that. But, is the way in which we express that love, the most loving. Shouldn’t we instead be willing to treat everyone the equal. Equally created, equally struggling and questioning, equally trying to live the best life possible, equally not knowing fully the deep complexities of God. Whether its Pastor Dave or our atheist friend Jim and all the Christians and others caught in between. What if Jim is really searching for God and wonders why, if God's so important, no one talks about his importance, not even the church (to his face)? Or, what if our buddy Steve that we sit next to in church has heard enough of the religious jabber and is about ready to free-fall and leave the faith, but we continue to preach and talk to him as if nothing else mattered? So, we don't talk to Jim about God because we don't want to offend him or rehearse the same "you're a sinner and Jesus died" speech that he's heard a thousand times as an American. And whether in church or at the grocery store or at a card game, we talk nothing but Jesus stuff with Steve and treat him as though he ought to understand and be excited about engaging in dialogue about his savior every moment...when really he's disenchanted and wants to be treated like a real person instead of a "Christian". What if we instead just treated people as people no matter where they are in realtion to Christianity and spoke of God as the God of everything, every circumstance and every reality? God can talk sports and doctrine, he's just that cool.
-At least we accept people and don’t try to convert them. Sure, at least our relevant, accepting church is no longer accused of the exclusivity and fire-and-brimstone interactions; we don’t shove our beliefs down our friends’ throats. Are we then better than our predecessors or perhaps we struggle in a different way? Perhaps our struggle is extremely similar. They put people in categories and persecuted them, we put them in those same categories and then decide which ones are more deserving of what part of us. We talk naked chicks with Jim because he’s an atheist and it shows that we’re not a Christian zealot and then we talk doctrine with Pastor Dave because that’s what he likes to talk about, but we’d never share our interest in Hockey with him because he’s in the religious category. Are we really any more loving? Are we truly loving either of those two?
-What about our big churches these days? Have we finally evolved to the point where we understand the market and know how to advertise? Have we finally found our target audience and can now start selling Top 20 CD’s till the cows come home? Is there a problem here? What if I, you, millions don’t fit this “target audience”? What if I’m not reached by pop rock, cool toys, quick meditations on life, and a room full of Izods and flip flops? Am I screwed out of this kingdom deal? I feel like this is the message that our 'corporate' church is projecting loud and proud. Then pastors ask, why is there no diversity? Why can’t we reach the unlovable? Why is it only re-converted Christians and soccer moms coming to the baptisms?
Alter calls
- What is the “gospel”? Is it the 5 minute shpeel that starts with an unexpected baby and ends with a bloody tree and an empty tomb? Isn’t the gospel supposed to be the whole of the Christian faith? Isn’t it unquantifiable, expansive and mysterious? Does the gospel encompass every truth claim ever or is it simply a slice of the pie? Does it have to start with baby Jesus being vomited on by donkeys or can it start in a bar, when we were wasted and watching strippers and God awakened us for the first time, the first of many times?
- What is it about the gospel that attracts so many 3 line prayers about wanting to hold Jesus’ hand and tickle his belly? Why is it always followed by this infamous “alter call”? Did Jesus, Peter, and Paul do these (maybe)? Why do we feel it so necessary to reel people in after sharing this divinely-mandated truth? Are we afraid that somehow theyre going to run away and it will be all our fault? Are we scared or faithful? Do we trust the sovereignty of God or our ability to talk about it? Does God call people or do we? Is an alter call a necessary part of a healthy church, a Godly pastor? Or, is it something we've created and devlops all sorts of relgiosity from....something that has become an entity of tradition that has to stay because...instead of something virbrant with purpose and authenticity? Is it really this emotionally charged moment where a person is walked through a general and impersonal prayer from a distant stage that creates a regenerated, saved spirit within a person or is a series of lived out prayer and experiences that a person goes through alone with God and corporately with close friends and eventaully a church body that grows salvation within a person? I'm not questioning the idea of momentary salvation as much as the idea of the alter call and what positive purpose it holds in our church. Can a pastor never speak an alter call or a sinner's prayer and still invite people to know God through speaking the truth of the gospel each and every sermon? Should salvation be treated as an event or a lifestyle? (or both)
A solution, a story, real life
- Maybe we need to stop this concept dead in its tracks. Maybe all people everywhere need to be loved with the open arms of Christ, such that we shed all barriers and do life with each and every person in ours. Maybe we, as the church, need to step up to bat and live the gospel instead of making it a program, a speaker, a checklist, a fairy tale. I think we’re all on a journey. There is no end target. Maybe God wants to meet us here, now, today and let tomorrow and yesterday worry about themselves. Maybe God wants to meet the church, here, now, today. Maybe it’s not our job to program and plan, but rather to seek and wait, to rest. Maybe we need to shed preconceptions and boundaries and truly walk in faith, loving faith. Maybe we don’t have to follow paradigms that work and traditions that hold, but rather live in the moment and allow God to live with us. Maybe we shouldn’t be afraid of doubt and questions, of not having everything crystallized into a 10 point vision and mission statement with all the tacked-on do’s and don’ts. Maybe our only responsibility as the church visible is to listen, wait, and watch as God works through us. Maybe we should question and be hesitant to accept a short answer. Maybe God’s vision and mission is a story. Maybe the gospel is all of existence through God’s eyes. Maybe the gospel is different to every person. Maybe it’s a new and vibrant answer every day. Maybe the gospel is a process…salvation might be a process. Maybe we need change.
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