As promised, I am going to elaborate further on the idea: "What if it is really intended to be that simple?" I must give a bit of background from an earlier post:
"I see God as I refer to it from a Christian perspective, that Christ is the only way to God. But I don't see this as exclusive, but inclusive. Let me give you an example:If there is one word that I would describe God by that word is LOVE. Not a romantic or sexy love, but an unconditional accepting everyone wherever they are, but loving them too much to let them stay that way LOVE.
I believe that God is LOVE ( 1 John 4) and that God, LOVE, is the one TRUTH that has the opportunity to be a part of everyone, everything, and every situation.
Perhaps, when Christians exemplify this LOVE, they are actually sharing God. My friend, Jeff and I were talk earlier today, and we were talking about this idea, and he brought up baptism and said that maybe it has nothing to do with the water at all, but that "to baptize" is really just to surround someone with God; and if God is LOVE, then when Jesus calls the church to "...go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) Perhaps what he was really saying was, leave your comfort area, and make followers of Christ (Luke 9:23), surrounding them with LOVE, which is the ultimate TRUTH, a.k.a: God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit Jeff and I looked at each other and both at the same time said: " What if it really is intended to be that simple?"
I have been struggling with this thought for a long time, way before I was full time on a church staff. I think that "Christians" have gotten to a point where we think we have all the tricks figured out; we have all the formulas down; and you can too...
We have a certain way you have to understand scripture
We have a certain way you have to pray
We have a certain way to lay hands on people
We have certain church words that are never explained (I may elaborate on this one too ;-) )
We have certain songs or ways of playing songs
We have certain ways that the church service must be done
We even have certain clothing as seen as acceptable to wear at certain church functions!
It seems to me that there is this kind of different society that church folk live in and if you did not grow up in it then you will never really fit in or even understand it, and if you did grow up in it you see everyone else as weird or second class.
It seems to me that through all of this we have made following Jesus very very difficult, and not in the way Jesus intended.
Jesus was sent because God loves the world (John 3:16) The things Jesus was recorded doing in the Gospels made a relationship with God available to everyone because in that time the religious leaders were the only ones who were able have that relationship. (kinda sounds like church now) Jesus came to break that and allow each person to have a relationship with God, not just as an individual but as a collective, a church.
When we have certain things expected from you before you even become part of the group, then we are missing the point.
Jesus LOVED and LOVES everyone right where they are right now, without them changing anything first. It is through this LOVE that we are all changed from the inside out.
What if this is how the church reacted to "non church" people. What if we LOVED them, however they looked, acted, talked, did for a job, or even smelled; and then pointed them to a relationship with God to allow God to work on them? What if we, as a church collective, went from making people try to change and then letting them into church, and let them come, knowing God will do what needs to be done.
What if all we are called to do is go out, meet new and different people, LOVE them as God has LOVED us, and introduce them to God? What if this is it? What if it is that simple?
What if we lived out the verse 1 John 4:19: "We love because God first loved us."
And we taught people how to "fix our attention on God. We will be changed from the inside out." (Romans 12:1-2 MSG)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
That Simple?....
Posted by Chris at 2:31 PM
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2 comments:
Great thoughts! Wow, how you challenge me daily! Thank you for sharing your ponderings.
Oh yes, and don't forget there is a spell check button, my dear one!
Love love!
I really think that it should be that simple. That if at the end of the day, you are at peace within God's love...then that is the defining factor in whether you are "christian" or not. But the church struggles with placing parimeters on Christianity. To really be Christian you must be A, B, and C and then you can call yourself a Christfollower or experience God's love. I just don't buy that. I feel like you experience Christ- and then sometimes A, B, and C falls into place.
I don't think that following Christ for me is going to look like following Christ looks like for you. Because we are following on different paths. But that doesn't change the fact that we are both following LOVE.
And the fact that when we experience God's love- then we can LOVE other people like that. But we rarely do that. Jesus loved first and then judged never. We judged first and then sometimes love if people clean up their act... Its so completely opposite of who and what Jesus was.
Don't get me wrong- Jesus called sins like HE saw them- but also with a sense of love.
We call sins like we see them to make ourselves feel better.
I think we are all just a little confused about what LOVE really looks like.
But I'm glad you are asking the hard questions, friend.
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