Musings

Let’s imagine for a moment. You are in the car on your way to Sunday morning’s church service, when WHOOSH, you find yourself walking on a dusty cobblestone road. It’s an Alice-in-Wonderland experience as your eyes search for something familiar—anything to reassure yourself that you have not died and gone to another world that you did not expect. Oh, there’s Margaret and Herb, walking into a building, but it doesn’t look like the First Church of East Podunk, and they are dressed in what most resembles a toga. You realize that you have been mystically transported into the first century, the First Church of Jerusalem (not what it was really called).

The church is not a gothic edifice or even a large clapboard building with a steeple and cross on top. It seems more like somebody’s house, small mud brick and stone with no furnishings, no crosses, and instead of candles, an oil lamp is glowing here and there to prevent congregants from tripping in the dim light. Folks are gathered in groups, sitting on floor mats. No altar with a Bible propped open, no pulpit, no statues, and no baptismal font or pool are to be found, yet familiar faces welcome each new entrant.

You find out rather quickly that there is no nursery or children’s church, not even Sunday School; no men’ or women’s ministry groups; no youth group or mission society, or ushers wearing special badges. Furthermore, there are no miracle healing service, campmeetings, conferences, liturgies, or revival crusades. You can’t even find an offering basket. Anything else missing? Oh yes, clergy clothes, cross necklaces, rosaries, and prayer books have vanished. The worship team band or choir, not only never shows up, they have never been seen. Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and Christmas do not exist. Don’t bother to ask about Strawberry festivals, church bazaars, bake sales, or retreats. They have not even been the seed of a thought.

WHOOSH—You are back in your car cruising the church parking lot looking for a spot nearest the exit. That strategic location assures a quick getaway to beat the crowd to the local all-you-can-eat buffet. Disturbed by the time warp you have just traveled, you realize that the concept of church life over the centuries and millennia has evolved into something nearly unrecognizable.

These externals have the capacity and habit of captivating our attention to the exclusion what it means to be Christian. How often do we actually separate the add-ons from the core of what it means to do church, and better yet, to be the church? What did church look like in the late first century when the gospels and epistles were still being constructed through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit? For me, an even more nagging question is what drew people by the thousands to this new “religion” called Christianity when paganism offered razzle-dazzle rituals and safety from government persecutions. It had to be the heart’s cry that only God can satisfy.

I believe every human soul longs for truth and knows it when encountered. Since the first day of that eventful Pentecost described in Acts, the Holy Spirit draws humanity to Jesus and fills the human Spirit with Himself to those who receive. The reality of personal encounter and relationship with the one true God of all creation is the reason why martyrs stand in faith unto death, why believers who live in abject poverty express incredible joy when they gather to worship, why the “faith of our fathers” has endured in spite of heresies and scandals, and why we press on in this day with the gospel to every tribe and tongue. It is this truth of a personal God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—that binds us together as one body throughout the ages when we look different, speak different languages, and live different cultural lifestyles.

I’m not advocating a massive retrograde revolution to recover the primitive church accoutrements. They were the church of their time and circumstance just as we are now. Culture, advances, and needs, are different from place to place throughout time. The Church at large responds to it with reasonable success, even though sometimes without foresight and at times even without integrity. Church history certainly has shown that. However, in times when we have lost our way, with great mercy, grace, and love, the Holy Spirit has brought course corrections.

I do earnestly advocate an ongoing visitation of the core beliefs that separate Christianity from other religious or social service systems. What makes us the Church, the Bride of Christ? How are we to view ourselves and how are we to live in such a manner as to glorify Him and live out what He has called us to be. That may prompt us to make some hard adjustments, even strip off diversions and distractions, as we hunger after righteousness and focus on the Great Commission—to make disciples of all nations. Yes, make disciples, not just names on a membership roll or “decision card” to claim evangelistic success.

We have a biblical mandate to help one another grow in grace and truth as “iron sharpens iron.” We have the advantage and blessings of new covenant Scripture to guide our way and we have direct access to the resources of heaven through communion with our God. We are accepted in the beloved and can know the ultimate joy of experiencing the Presence of God, living for Him and in Him. Church, this is our finest hour. Let it be glorious as we run our race.