Article reproduced from Community News magazine
Someone once told me, jokingly, that he went to church. He then went on to point out a local pub
across the road.
I said, “Yeh, I go there too.” I elaborated, “Well both provide great services!”
I suspect for some, believing in God and becoming a
Christian probably means developing a dour lifestyle, which equates to “no fun”. Yet, I don’t read that in my version of the
Bible. Far from it. In fact, I see life
goes from black and white to colour; it becomes so much richer and deeper in
experience.
But the church, regrettably, but understandably, is seen as
an institution, much like a school or a municipal establishment. For others, it’s simply another leisure
activity or weekend hobby.
I believe, like sociologists, there is a large chunk of our
community that wants to belong to something meaningful. We feel we’re better
being in a group than alone. We somehow feel safe, comforted, supported and at
ease with the world.
Business marketing guru Seth Godin has written a book called
Tribes. He makes the point that tribes get things done. Tribes change the world. Tribes turn the tide.
Take Twitter, the micro-blogging site. You’ll see in the top right-hand corner two
distinct categories: Following and Followers. It’s no accident it sounds like the language
of a tribe.
Yet the tribe called the church often comes under fiercest
criticism. To be honest, at a national level it sometimes deserves it.
At a local level, I meet people who want nothing to do with
the church because of “all those religious hypocrites.” However, often behind
the comment is some deep seated pain.
Maybe a husband has cheated on his wife for years, but still
happily toddles off to church every Sunday morning. Wouldn’t that shape your
view of Church or God? It would for me.
But one thing we have to admit is that an institution in
itself can’t hurt anybody. Institutions
are simply structures made up of people like you and me, and people do people
stuff!
So when I hear that someone has a beef with the Church I ask
what their name is. It is always about someone, never about ‘the system’. Something has usually happened. It is the pain
talking, sometimes shouting.
The truth is, we will never be free from our pain unless we
have the courage to deal with it. That can mean a little more pain before it
happens. Only then can we begin the
process of being set free.
Now please hear me, I am not saying our church is perfect or
has the ‘people stuff’ wonderfully cracked, but we aim to always be real with
God and with each other; to treat people well and show kindness to strangers.
We are not interested in our own position.
The Bible says we are created to be relational beings because
God himself is relational: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It says we are “made in
his image”.
It also says that “God is love”.
Whenever someone asks me to prove there is a God I have to
say, “Well scientifically I can’t prove God, but neither can you disprove him.
However, I believe that Love provides us with the greatest evidence that he
does. Love makes us human. It separates us from the animal kingdom.
Life without love dehumanises us. The Nazi concentration
camps show us that in harrowing detail. When
love is absent we have the potential of becoming “animals”.
Most amazingly, Jesus shared in our pain by allowing himself
to become the victim of jealous, angry institutionalised people. If anyone was
justified in bearing a grudge it was Jesus, yet he didn’t, he was all Love. The
act of forgiveness is an incredibly powerful healing experience.
At Stour Valley Vineyard Church we get a few glimpses of
that wonderful grace. What’s more, we invite you to come and experience it for
yourself. God bless you.
ASD
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