I had an epiphany of sorts last weekend as I went to church.
We were finishing out a series on, for lack of a better word, social issues the Church should be involved in. Some of them are real (look up the statistics on Modern Day Slavery. It is stunning). Some of them are what I would term "social causes" of the current decade.
At the end of the message, there was this prayer of repentance where the church was to pray for everything they had done to mess up society - oh, and any other sins that we were guilty of as well.
At that moment, I realized that I have little in common with Modern Christianity.
Modern Christianity - at least to me - has become a shallow reflection of the culture at large, all of the social issues of the day "with God thrown in". At best the teachings of Orthodox Christianity - repentance of sin (all sin, not just the ones we feel strongly about), the uniqueness of Christ, personal holiness, the inerrancy and truth of Scripture - are something that are brought out if it somehow backs the narrative. Classical theology is neither understood nor taught and the history of the church apparently extends only to our lifetimes at best, and really only to when the Church "realigned" its focus.
At best, I will only ever be a guilty party in Modern Christianity. The cause of all social ills and the root of every evil part of the culture and system. My role - my only role - is neither servanthood nor leadership nor even membership but rather an endless monotone of chanting of "It is my fault. It is my fault."
I have not fully decided what to do about this - we are a bit invested in the Church we attend at the moment - but I know what changes it is prompting in my own life.
Within the Church, I am simply becoming a servant. I have some ways that I volunteer that allow me to serve and keep me from really having to interact with people. And I will continue to do those. But I am moving on from any sense that beyond this, I have anything meaningful to contribute (I believe I do. Just not anything they can hear). I can be a ready pair of hands.
Without the Church, it puts the greater burden on me to delve more deeply into my relationship with God. Pray more. Study theology and the historical church more. Find those fathers of the Faith that I admire and be like them.
Why? Because at some point, the grand edifice of Modern Christianity will come tumbling down (We may be closer than we think. I read an article this week that stated those with no religious affiliation outnumber US Catholics, 27% to 20 %). And when it comes tumbling down, there will be a great many people that simply leave the Church (after all, as some wag put it, why would I waste a Sunday morning getting something I can just watch online?). But there will also be some that are hungry for real Christianity, not the socially driven drivel they have been given. People hungry for real truth, not the fickle truth of a society that will quickly move on to even more demands.
And when that day comes, the rest of us will have to be ready.
Can you keep us posted? I may be wrong, but it sounds like your church may be getting pozzed. And if it is... you may need to get out.
ReplyDeleteOur church avoids modern social issues like the plague. They steadfastly refuse to be drawn into them, and will not allow them into their activities or any discussion of faith. They are about being close to their Maker and each other and that's it. I sometimes WISH they'd weigh in, so I could check my moral and ethical compass as I struggle with some of the things I see going on. I've tried to discuss such things with them and they say that there is no such things as church doctrine - there is only God's doctrine and that's it. Sounds like I am on my own and will have to sort it out myself. Maybe I should be thankful for that?
Hold fast, TB.
I agree with you. Christianity is in trouble if that is what we have to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere, and I can't find the link now, of a church whose parishioners were told not to worry because their church was going to be hosting Muslim services also.
I pray. I read my Bible. I watch certain sermons on TV and try to expand my Christian friendships where I can. And I believe God tells me that is okay.
God bless.
read '
ReplyDeletethe oRTHODOX cHURCH' BY KALLISTOS WARE
but do not expect to find what you are looking for in any average congregation
it is so difficult and people are so blind
we just pray for each other and for 'civil; authorities'.
remember peter sinking when he took his eyes off Jesus?
hard to do but keep the eyes on Himself and not on those who claim to be His
Glen, I certainly will. I find myself torn between the fact that I genuinely like these people and the fact that their Christianity is quite social justice based.
ReplyDeleteThey walk a fine line - I will give them that. They have stood fast on key moral issues. But it seems that those are few and far between and the justice thing is almost non-stop.
I am not sure. Let us say it is reasonable to assume this is not the church I will retire in.
Linda, ultimately that is about all any of us can do, trust God.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that smaller churches are ultimately the wave of the future, at least the future of the church. It is we who have become caught up on "big" churches. The New Testament knows little of that.
One thing I find missing in modern Christianity is taking Bible reading and Bible study seriously. It's amazing how much modern Christians don't know.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Leigh - If often feels like Bible study is an after thought or not even mentioned at all.
ReplyDeleteFolks have started calling it Churchianity, since there is no Christ in it. Unless God has called you to stand and fight, just quietly find another church, maybe another denomination. There are still Christians in the world.
ReplyDeleteOC, certainly true enough, and we have changed churches more than once for issues such as this. At some point, I suspect we will be moving on again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!