The Institution
I do believe that when the body of Christ is compared more to a corporation/institution than to Christ, we (I) have done a poor job in our culture, and the time has come for drastic and necessary changes. Its no secret that this style, form, wineskin, whatever you want to call it that we experience Sunday morning is rendering REAL fellowship lifeless. Its not about us and what we want to do. Its about Him, and his decrees since the beginning (death-12-ff).
This institution of course has guardians, and it always has. Its those people who want to keep the status quo, and stay comfortable. People who do not want to rock the boat, and aren't interested in the new thing God is doing. People who are too easily satisfied. Brian Mclaren once wrote, that the "church" today is similar to the huge cathedrals you'd find in Europe. The are majestic, outwardly beautiful, and successful in many ways, and yet they collapsed under their own weight, because of one monk who turned the world upside down, because he dared to look at what the gospel really meant, I think is name was Martin something.
The Church today doesn't execute people like back then, instead it seems almost bent on keeping us just the way we are. Which is in a lot of ways worse. Were stagnant, were alive but in a coma (American church). They haven't told us and affirmed what power we have through Christ, that every believer is a priest. They haven't told us how crucial we are to the body. The corporation has given us just glimpses of community, enough to keep us hungry.
The institution keeps us as comfortable as possible. We have believed the lie that the Christian life is lived on Sundays and Wednesday night bible study. Its rose in the desert to find a "church" whose main focus is going to the sick, feeding the hungry, fathering the fatherless, etc. Luther himself said that we'd rather sit "among the rose's and lilies, to be around the holy people, the devout people". (Because bad company corrupts good character you know.) He went on to call us "blasphemers of Christ" if we sat in that field.
There are no challenges of devotion. Devotion is for the missionaries and pastors and worship leaders. We put those MEN on pedestals, and consider everyone else a lesser role, since the institution no longer stresses the priesthood of ALL believers. Maybe some of the problem lies that most church's aren't structured right. With apostles, prophets, and evangelists at the core. Maybe the problem is we having administrators running the show. Maybe the problem is pastors are expected to do it all. No doubt all groups of believers have problems, or course. So does that mean we should accept it?
We (I) must return to being the community I (we) are called to be in his word; fathers to the fatherless, defenders of the widow, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and to bind up broken hearts. This is true religion. I don't see how those things are accomplished in this institution we have now. Were overfed, undermotivated, and okay with all of it. Maybe we should fast? (Isaiah 58).
This institution of course has guardians, and it always has. Its those people who want to keep the status quo, and stay comfortable. People who do not want to rock the boat, and aren't interested in the new thing God is doing. People who are too easily satisfied. Brian Mclaren once wrote, that the "church" today is similar to the huge cathedrals you'd find in Europe. The are majestic, outwardly beautiful, and successful in many ways, and yet they collapsed under their own weight, because of one monk who turned the world upside down, because he dared to look at what the gospel really meant, I think is name was Martin something.
The Church today doesn't execute people like back then, instead it seems almost bent on keeping us just the way we are. Which is in a lot of ways worse. Were stagnant, were alive but in a coma (American church). They haven't told us and affirmed what power we have through Christ, that every believer is a priest. They haven't told us how crucial we are to the body. The corporation has given us just glimpses of community, enough to keep us hungry.
The institution keeps us as comfortable as possible. We have believed the lie that the Christian life is lived on Sundays and Wednesday night bible study. Its rose in the desert to find a "church" whose main focus is going to the sick, feeding the hungry, fathering the fatherless, etc. Luther himself said that we'd rather sit "among the rose's and lilies, to be around the holy people, the devout people". (Because bad company corrupts good character you know.) He went on to call us "blasphemers of Christ" if we sat in that field.
There are no challenges of devotion. Devotion is for the missionaries and pastors and worship leaders. We put those MEN on pedestals, and consider everyone else a lesser role, since the institution no longer stresses the priesthood of ALL believers. Maybe some of the problem lies that most church's aren't structured right. With apostles, prophets, and evangelists at the core. Maybe the problem is we having administrators running the show. Maybe the problem is pastors are expected to do it all. No doubt all groups of believers have problems, or course. So does that mean we should accept it?
We (I) must return to being the community I (we) are called to be in his word; fathers to the fatherless, defenders of the widow, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and to bind up broken hearts. This is true religion. I don't see how those things are accomplished in this institution we have now. Were overfed, undermotivated, and okay with all of it. Maybe we should fast? (Isaiah 58).
posted by K at 11:01 AM
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