I Like Life

I’m a life-aholic. I’m hooked on it! I can’t get enough of it, and I’ll do almost anything to make sure that I get my fix. A small battle with cancer a few years ago deepened my obsession, but I’ve always been addicted. I’m not talking about just breathing; I’m talking about living … living everyday … taking the good with the bad knowing that it all adds up to something terrific.

My love for life has often proven problematic for me. Being in the church and enjoying life doesn't always go together. Self-denial is usually seen as a greater virtue than enjoyment. Like the diet advice: if it tastes good you can’t have it, churches have preached the doctrine of denial for centuries. If something is fun and feels good, then it is probably an activity you shouldn’t be involved in.

Of course, this is an oversimplification. Many in church will immediately protest that they are allowed to enjoy their lives. However, whether they realize it or not, they are only speaking of “sanctioned” enjoyment. Anything outside of the “approved” list of “allowable” enjoyment is suspect at best and a pathway to hell at worst!

The church has taken everything and asked this question: will this particular event, activity, feeling, or desire lead me into other things that are suspect or clearly evil? If they answer yes, then that puts it off limits for every good church person. This kind of thinking led to the sarcastic joke: The reason Baptists don’t believe in adultery is they are afraid a dance will break out.

Much of life is off limits for church people because they are constantly asking themselves that question. Inevitably this leads them to a self-righteousness based on avoidance. Ask them about spirituality and they will give you a laundry list of things they don’t do. They operate from a line of reasoning that goes something like this: “I am right with God because I don’t do …. Therefore you are not right with God because you do …. Which means, I am better than you are.” They may never say this aloud, but you’ll know it after just a few miserable minutes of being around them!

Living in fear of participating in something that might lead me into evil is a gross waste of time. Truthfully, everything – good, bad, or indifferent – has the capacity to lead me somewhere that may not be good for me. If I live my life according to this question, I’ll never live at all! I’ll hide away in some sanctuary and surround myself with others who have stopped experiencing life. We will proclaim our superiority and condemn everyone on the outside. We’ll be safe, secure, self-righteous, smug, and very serious.

The doctrine of self-denial is largely based on a lousy interpretation of Jesus’ words when he said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me" (Luke 9:23). Jesus wasn’t saying to deny yourself of all personal pleasure. He was saying don’t live your life for yourself. And, as anyone knows who seeks to enjoy life, the only way that’s possible is to live your life outside yourself. Any kind of self-focus takes delight out of life … especially the self-focus of self-righteousness! It is only when we get out of ourselves that life begins to have meaning … and enjoyment! That’s what Jesus meant.

Righteousness by avoidance seems very spiritual, but it is actually anti-Christian. Would anyone ever describe Jesus in terms of what he didn’t do? The word avoidance would never be applied to him. In fact, if anyone ever loved life, it was him. The first recorded event of Jesus’ adult life was his attendance at a party where he turned water into the best wine the participants ever tasted! He drank so much he was accused of being a drunkard. He partied so often he was accused of being a sinner. He hung around individuals that proper people avoid at all costs. His love for life was included in a promise he gave to his followers:

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. (John 10:10, NLT)

The Bible describes God this way …

God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. (1 Timothy 6:17, NLT)

Life wasn’t meant to be lived by avoidance. Instead of experiencing life with faith and enthusiasm, we alienate others and force them into categories of judgment. When we do we end up missing out on our humanity and on much of God’s goodness.

Forget what the official church says … go out and live a little.

To Be or Not To Be

While many leave the organized church from sheer boredom, a vast number leave because they are simply worn out. They are tired—physically, emotionally, spiritually. They have sacrificed time they didn’t have in order to be a cog in the wheel of the endless activity that has come to characterize the modern church. After several years of “working for the Lord” their spiritual lives are emptier than ever and they slowly, inevitably pull away from their duties. Ultimately they leave altogether, exhausted. They feel guilty at first, but soon the fatigue subsides and they begin to feel better than ever, quite certain that they’ve made the right decision.

At least these people have found some relief. Thousands have remained within the confines of organized religion resigned to the notion that this is the way it is supposed to be, a lifeless, numbing existence as a living martyr in sacrificial service to God. They are convinced that although it isn’t the way it is supposed to be, it is the only way.

But is it? When a person becomes a believer in Jesus does that automatically sentence them to a lifelong incarceration in the church?

No, being a follower of Jesus and regularly attending an organized church do not necessarily go together. Jesus didn’t tell people to go to church, he invited them to be the church … and the difference is as wide as the world.

Going to church will suck the life right out of you. Being the church will invigorate you.

Going to church is filled with mindless, hamster-like activity to ensure the wheels keep turning. Being the church is living your life with the awareness of a purpose, the purpose of making a difference for good and for God in the lives of people.

Going to church will guilt you into serving God through proper ecclesiastical channels. Being the church will liberate you to love God and serve people wherever and whenever you can.

Going to church teaches you to be an expert in political maneuvering. Being the church allows you to relax because you aren’t building or protecting your own mini-kingdom.

If these things are true, then why does the Bible tell us to go to church? Well, it doesn’t … not if you are talking about the kind of organization today that has “church” at the end of its name.

The word church simply means assembly. Other than the few instances where the Bible uses the word church to mean every believer throughout the ages, the word only always means believers gathered. Whether it’s talking about a few of them sharing the Lord’s Supper together, or a multitude gathering as small groups in several homes across a city, it always means believers gathered. What it isn’t talking about is a 501c3 corporation with a budget and a building. The believers of the Bible would never say, “I’m going to church.” What kind of sense would that make? They were the church.

What characterized these gatherings? I believe Acts 2:42-47 provides a clear snapshot …

42They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's Supper and in prayer. 43A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. 45They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. 46They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity-- 47all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved. (New Living Translation)

They were authentically human and convinced that their faith in Christ made a difference. They were committed to loving God and other people. They respected one another and helped each other. They cared deeply for each other. They were joyful and generous and their winsomeness drew people like metal shavings to a magnet. They were being the church.

I’ve counted at least five churches this morning here in Panera’s, although I doubt that any of them would call themselves such, and they may even be offended by the suggestion. But here they are, believers gathered around the table, drinking coffee and eating pastries, some laughing, some serious, some with their Bibles, others with the paper … they are sharing life … being the church. They’ll soon separate and go to offices and shops and schools, but they will still be the church and they will be doing the work of the church – as long as they love God and serve people. They don’t need to be part of the corporate church. If only they could understand that, they wouldn’t burn out, die of boredom, or become hopelessly legalistic.

Ya'll Come

If it isn’t plain to you that the church today isn’t the Church that the Bible talks about, let me give you a telling example.

The organized church is invitational. In other words, they exist to get people in the doors. The programs, personnel, and promotions are prioritized to maximize their attractiveness and get people to “give them a try” by showing up to something. Everything hinges on people coming to the building. Invitations are extended like commercials for a retail chain and success is defined by how many people show up.

This number is critical. The “experts” can—based on attendance—predict with some certainty how many will come back, how many will become regular attendees, and more importantly how many will become contributors to the cause. It’s all very scientific.

What’s wrong with the invitational church model? It is very American, very consumer driven, and very self-centered. While churches talk about “reaching” people, the fact remains that very few people are actually “reached” by the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Most new attendees are church consumers looking for the latest “style” as they change from one congregation to the other. But this is of only passing concern to the established church … it doesn’t matter who comes through the doors as long as they do; they must have people in order to survive. There are bills to pay, positions to fill, and don’t forget the self-importance generated by being part of a “growing” church.

Instead of the invitational model of church, the true Church was founded on a missional model. This model means that every believer is on a mission. Repeatedly, New Testament believers are encouraged to live their lives in such a way that they make a difference. The missional Church doesn’t say to the world, “Ya’ll Come.” They aren’t interested in getting someone into a building. What the missional Church is interested in is getting someone interested in the mission of Jesus. What was his mission? He came to save, to rescue, and to reclaim humanity. He sought to alleviate suffering wherever it was found. He went about doing good, no strings attached. Jesus spent his time outside the confines of the formal church and instead mixed with people—disturbed, neurotic, confused, ashamed, hurting, longing, and hopeful people.

The invitational church says, “Come to church.” The missional Church says, “We are the Church and we’ve come to you.”

churchianity vs. Christianity

If you have been involved in the leadership of a local church you know one thing for certain … it doesn’t produce. Whatever is happening in the local church is not producing followers of Jesus Christ. The church may be producing people who can parrot popular biblical jargon, who can quote appropriate biblical verses, who can defend carefully defined theological traditions and who can make authoritative pronouncements on selective moral issues, but what isn’t produced are individuals who are authentically human and genuinely Christlike.

The church in almost every form available in the western world simply doesn’t work. This isn’t a statement of pragmatism, but of realism. Ask any leader in any church why the church exists and you will get an amazing array of answers. No matter, the answers they give and the results they achieve are miles apart. Of course, the leaders you talk to will say that their church is different. At their place lives really are changed, church does have an impact on the individuals who attend there, they are not irrelevant. The truth, however, is drastically different. There are literally volumes of information based on studies of church goers of every variety all with the same conclusion: church has no measurable impact on the lives of those who attend (http://www.barna.org/).

Did Jesus make a mistake in instituting the church? Or is the church as we know it so far from what Jesus intended that its irrelevance is inevitable? While the Bible teaches that Jesus instituted the Church (capitol “C”) and plans for it to be a force throughout history, the institutional church (small “c”) is a man-made creation that may have served a useful purpose historically, but presently is of no consequence.

The Church (capitol “C”) began as small groups of people gathered in homes, committed to being Christ-followers (not knowledge-gatherers), participating in every facet of their culture permeating it with the salt and light of Christ. It was led by people who were visibly gifted, not in an authoritarian way, but through consensus and spiritual discernment. They met regularly to teach and be taught, to share meals together, spend time together and pray together. They pooled their resources so that there would be no physical needs among them. They took care of the poor and the widows and orphans. They collected funds to buy food for famine ravaged areas of their world. In short, they lived their lives to help people … all people … in the name of Christ.

How did that evolve (devolve?) into what we have today as the modern church? Today's church is typified by two models …

• First, the multi-million dollar enterprises whose bureaucracy rivals the Federal government and infrastructures mimicking a Fortune 500 company. Their sole purpose for existence– actual, but not stated – is to keep the machine going.
• Second, thier smaller cousins … congregations who are self-centered and self-absorbed, inwardly focused, legalistic, judgmental, and quite certain that everyone is going to hell but them.

If these are the only two options we are presented with when we talk about church, is it any wonder that people are leaving it en-mass? Can it be any more irrelevant?

And yet, what could be more relevant than people determined to make a difference in the world one life at a time … loving people instead of ignoring them, helping them instead of judging them, serving them instead of using them. In short, living our lives like Jesus taught, giving ourselves away with no strings attached … no ulterior motives … no agendas. How significant and purposeful is it to be someone who has entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ, and because of that they are committed to living their lives as authentic human beings in relationship with other human beings … whether they ever gather in a church or not?

It’s the difference between churchianity (small “c”) and Christianity (capitol “C”).

Spiritually Lonely

I’m talking to a friend of mine at Panera Bread, a bakery café that has become my office. Panera’s has great coffee and pastries, and free wifi. But the best part of Panera’s is that the young ladies who work here give me free coffee! So, I arrive at 6:00 AM when they open and sit with my laptop, reading emails and writing, and frequently spend about fifteen minutes in conversation with my friend, Dennis.

Dennis is a former pastor, a committed Christian, and serves as the administrator of a local Christian school. An intellectual to the core, he always challenges my thinking and informs me of the latest, best books to add to my library.

Today, Dennis is contemplative … more so than usual. He sits down and says, “I am spiritually and intellectually lonely.” Once again, through circumstances we won’t go into here, he has come to the conclusion that the Christian church is irrelevant to his spiritual pilgrimage; irrelevant and ultimately detrimental. This is a profoundly difficult conclusion to draw for someone who has given their life to the institution.

My spirit resonates with Dennis’. I, too, am “spiritually and intellectually lonely.” And I wonder how many more of us are out there?

George Barna in Revolution notes that some 20 million people have left the church … and that number is growing.

Why? Why are they leaving and why do they have such a dim view of the established church? Well, I’ve been part of that system for more than twenty years and I can tell you what most in the church will conclude: These people are out of God’s will and living in rebellion; they are backsliders, and as soon as they rededicate themselves to Christ they will again see the importance and vitality of a local church.

Not so, counters Barna. These people are committed Christ-followers. They want to facilitate their spirituality, not neglect it. They have left the church looking for more of God, not less. Their experience in the church has left them “intellectually and spiritually lonely” and they have set out to find what in their hearts they know to be a reality … a vital faith.

Maybe you feel the same way my friend Dennis and I do … or maybe you’ve begun to wonder about your faith. As I see it, you have two choices: get busier with your church activity so that you don’t have time for contemplation and reflection, so busy that you don’t notice the growing emptiness in your soul. If you choose this option, get ready for those quiet moments just before you fall asleep at night when your restless spirit gets your attention and reminds you just how “spiritually and intellectually lonely” you are.

Or, you could decide to acknowledge your longings, affirm your questions, release your presuppositions and embark on a journey of discovery. What have you got to lose?