A "Radical" Life: the Church

There are a lot of Christians these days who are burnt out on Church. There is a movement of believers who are so sick of the apathy and luke-warmness and "show" of Church that they are completely abandoning it. They think, "all the churches are screwed up, so I'm done. I still believe and all, but I just can't do the church game any more."

And some of the concern is legit. To be honest, I get pretty fed up with Christians too (here comes my time to rant...beware!) There are days where I just get really tired of it all. Tired of the Christians with a severe lack of enthusiasm for the One they conveniently call "Lord," but don't really let Him lead their lives. I get tired of feeling like there are very few people who are actually living what they read in Scripture...if they're reading Scripture at all.

For a lot of people, Church and faith have ceased to really be about God and have really become more about "ME." We are consumers. We want everything on our terms and done our way. And if one Church isn't living up to our expectations, we'll pack up our things and move to the next one that we think will provide all our needs. Because heaven forbid we attend a church that doesn't think exactly what we think or have all the right programs, music styles and humor/serious quotient.

And even for the people that stay in one place, it still seems like there's such a lack of authenticity. Of genuine love for our Creator. It's as if people go to church, week after week, even serving with a smile on their face and a genuine love to be there. But outside of church, nothing about their lives stand out. They're not doing anything for God that really takes any faith. And they aren't going out and making disciples. I mean, isn't it rare to find people who are consistently and eagerly sharing the good news about Christ with people? Heck, I'M not very good at it...and that frustrates me.

And yet, like it or not, the Church is everything. It's the Body of Christ, collectively, not just some random building. It's the method He's chosen to spread the incredible, life-altering news about the grace and freedom He offers through the cross. It's meant to be our support system, to build each other up in our faith. This is the same Church that Jesus founded through Peter saying, "on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matt 16:18)...which means you're stuck with it! This is the same Church that Jesus was so passionate about that He made a whip and turned tables on end to drive people out who were making a profit out of it. "His disciples remembered that it is written: 'Zeal for your house will consume me.'" (Jn 2:17). Jesus Himself loved the church so deeply that He acted in outright rage when He saw it being abused.

This is the same church that Jesus loved SO much that died for her (Eph 5).

So yeah...we're definitely a group of screwed up people. But we're a group of screwed up people who are designed to do life together. Mistakes and all. No church does everything right or meets all the needs (and most definitely, no church meets all the preferences!) But please...for Christ's sake...don't give up on the Church. Maybe we should spend our efforts earnestly PRAYING for our Church and SUPPORTING it instead of picking it apart. We'd be much stronger if we'd stop tearing each other down.

I want to live BOLDLY and adventurously for Christ and be willing to die for His Church. I desperately want to be used by God to further His Kingdom. I want for everything about my life to point to HIM. I want to read His Word with passion and to apply it to my life no matter how crazy it may look or how hard it is. I long to hear God to say in the end, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

It's not easy...especially with so much negativity and apathy in the Church. But I for one believe it's still worth fighting for.