Why I Love the Church

Let me begin by telling the reader that I love the church. I say that often because I am a critic of the church and my criticism could give the impression that I don’t like the church. I love it but know it could be better. One of the most often repeated comments about the church of our culture is something to the effect of, “I like Jesus but I don’t like his church.” A more honest rendition of this sentiment would be, “I like Jesus and his church; I just don’t like the people who populate it.”

Supposedly Mahatma Gandhi put it like this: "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." That is a great quote to address the hypocrisy of those of us who populate the church. Unfortunately I feel Gandhi didn’t know what he was talking about. I think that because, if he had known and understood the Jesus that is so clearly shown through Scripture, he wouldn’t just like him. He would fall at his feet and proclaim Jesus Lord of his life. Gandhi, like many people, knew something about Jesus but failed to really know and understand who Jesus really is. The theoretical, held at arm’s length, historical character Jesus is easy to like. His teachings are brilliant. His message is engaging. But when Jesus held up close and personal, when Jesus is known, he must be loved, worshiped, followed and obeyed. Liking Jesus is just appallingly inadequate.

Any group, made up of real people, is going to be problematic. People are people and human nature is human nature. Thus, the church WILL pretty consistently fail to be what it is called to be. But that should never stop the church from continuing to seek to be what it is called to be – The Body of Christ – the physical representation of Christ to this generation. The problem with the church has been and always will be the people. Just as Scripture says, human beings are flawed, fallen and sinful. To expect us to be otherwise is ludicrous. And I believe to reject the church because the people of the church do things you don’t like or approve of is disingenuous.

I fully realize that some of the people of the church, and sometimes entire churches, can be narrow-minded and judgmental. That is one of the most obvious criticisms those outside of the church have of the church. But, some of the most critical, judgmental, and narrow-minded people I have encountered have no interest in Christ and no affiliation with the church. That is not an excuse for the poor behavior of Christians. It is just an observation that glass houses and stones are involved in this discussion.

I love the church for several reasons. Allow me to share some of those with the reader.

• The church was Jesus’ idea. I’m a little uncomfortable criticizing and second guessing Jesus.
• The church allows people like me in.
• The church will allow people like you in.
• The church is God’s method of spreading the Good News of His love and mercy and forgiveness.
• The church is the place where I can fail – fall flat on my face – and they will love me anyway. They will pick me up, brush me off and get me going in the right direction again. Not all churches will do this, but mine will.
• The church is where I can ask my dumb questions and they will help me find answers.
• The church provides the place, the tools and the atmosphere where I can most effectively grow spiritually.
• The church provides me multiple opportunities to do mission work and impact my community in positive ways.
• Finally - Jesus called the church his Bride. I’m thinking he loves the church. When was the last time you told a friend, “I like you but I can’t stand your wife?” Where I come from those are fighting words. I guess if the church is good enough for Jesus, it is good enough for me.

The church is far from perfect and always will be as long as people are involved. But the church is God’s idea and plan. Christianity (and Christians and the church) will always be easy to criticize and difficult to live and be. But it is what God has called us to be and do. So let’s just slog along, doing the best we can and continue to pray God has his way in our lives and in our churches.

“If you should find the perfect church: Without one fault or smear, For goodness sake, don't join that church; You'd spoil the atmosphere.”¹

¹ “The Perfect Church” by Mavis Williams

Copyright © 2014, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved

Let's Fight

Let me begin by stating the obvious: Christians are just people. I am amazed at how often people who do not claim to be Christian hold Christians to some standard of behavior that is unattainable and then are extremely judgmental toward Christians. As bad as some of them are at it, Christians do not hold the monopoly on being judgmental. It just seems that when applied to Christians, the judgmental tag sticks better than it does to others.

That being said, as a person who has been on this spiritual journey called Christianity for several decades, I feel qualified to say that we Christians do and say things that call for judgment, comment and even ridicule. It is with a great deal of regularity that I see and read of things Christian leaders have said and done and wonder what in the hell are they thinking? What often astounds me is that they choose to make statements and take high profile stands on issues that are really not all that important and sometimes none of their business. Really.

Over the centuries Christians have consistently chosen up sides and fought verbal, theological and sometimes physical battles over minutia. Take a look at this example. http://trilliansthoughts.tumblr.com/post/56379573415/two-churches-located-across-the-street-from-each-other. This battle of the bulletin boards is funny but it is also typical and sad.

Too often groups of Christians have seen other groups of Christians who disagreed with them over a point of theology as the enemy and attacked them with a great deal of energy. Fellow believers are not the enemy. And, by the way, non-believers are not the enemy either. Unfortunately Pogo the Possum was correct when he said, “We have met the enemy and they are us.” Over the centuries bickering among the ranks has done more damage to the cause of Christ than any group, movement, religion or philosophy. I must admit, I would shy away from joining any group that treats other members with such hate and disrespect. Charles Swindoll said, “Christians are the only people who shoot their wounded.” Years ago a good friend observed, “I don’t need to join a church to experience hostility and disrespect. I can just stay home and get that.”  

We Christians love to fight over theology. It seems very important to many religious groups to be right… about everything… all the time. My take on the whole deal is that as complex and mysterious as the things of God are, your chances and my chances of getting it all exactly right are minuscule. Instead of insisting that we have everything right, let’s just hope against the odds that we got something right. Instead of looking for things to disagree on and argue about, let’s expend our energies looking for things we can agree on and support each other in doing things that empower the cause of Christ.

Then there are politics. We love to argue “social issues” as if we knew what we were talking about – which we don’t. I find it interesting that, generally speaking, my theologically liberal friends are politically liberal and my conservative friends generally come down on the Republican side of issues. I find this almost laughable. How, I wonder, can anyone who is paying any attention believe that the BS and drivel that flows out of Washington has any connection with truth and is in any way designed to help and profit anyone but the politicians who are hawking their talking points in their never ending quest to be re-elected. I have a dear pastor friend who consistently shares Democratic talking points on Twitter as if they were the Gospel. I find it both irritating and sad. He is a very intelligent person that somehow believes all that hokum. I find it no more believable than the Republican malarkey. But we religious types, all across the political and theological spectrum, wrap our political agendas in spiritual terms and square off with each other as if we had the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. What we really have is lots of partial truths that have been carefully formulated and crafted and presented to us by people who really don’t have our best interests at heart.

But who cares if it is the truth or if it is helpful. Let’s fight.

Frankly, I have neither the time nor the inclination to fight over this stuff. I believe that we, people of faith, must spend our time and expend our energies keeping the main thing the main thing. And friends; Jesus is the main thing. If you will take a look at this scene from one of my all-time favorite movies, The Sixth Sense, you will understand where I am coming from. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsNjQhyvRnU.

Much like the little boy in this movie, I see dead people. People who do not know God. They are everywhere and they don’t know they are dead. They drive nice cars; have nice homes and good jobs. But they are dead to God and that breaks my heart and moves me to action. The main thing we need to focus on is helping people who don’t know God and have not experienced His amazing love, healing and forgiveness, to know God. Sounds like a full time job to me. And you will have to fight me to stop me.

Copyright © 2013, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved