~William Paul Young The Shack~
I noticed this weeks post from Wayne Jacobsen with more than a bit of interest. In this message, he referred to the christian institutional church system as "The machine." I can't say that I disagree with his assesment. I don't think that there are many people out there who have not been run over by that machine at one time or another. I have heard many complaints over time that the church is impersonal and distant. I would have to agree with this as I've faced it for myself. However, it is my opinion that the machine was never meant to bring genuine community and relationships. For the machine is a organization,a entity and a system. The church organization is designed more for control over its members than for relationships. Through traditions and generations old practices, the well oiled machine insists that its members follow its doctrine. Oh sure, the can talk night and day about the importance of relationship with Christ Jesus, but they always fall short by design. For from the pulpit each week we are bombarded with messages of being "More like" Jesus. Will we ever get there? I've often questioned Dennis as to why the church does not teach more about our relationship with Christ. The fact is, if the machine were to teach the truth of Jesus which we find in Galations 2:20, then they may just hemorrhage church members like a sieve. It's no secret that church congregations have been in steady decline for some time. One of the main reasons people have given for leaving, or falling away from the machine is their distaste for organized religion. Notice that they did not mention a distaste for relationships, only organized religion. relationships which are forged within church walls are not the by product of the institutional church, but rather of our need for community. Sadly, the machine doesn't follow suit.
24“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25“Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27“so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28“for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
Acts 17: 24 - 28 NKJV
I have to damit that whenever the church I was attending would statrt talking about community and relationship that my interest would be peaked. However, this was usually short lived as the machine once again settled into its centuries old practices and traditions. It is unlikely in this environment to foster relationship with Christ. For in a true relationship with Jesus, the traditions of the machine no longer apply. In its place we will find the love and freedom one would expect to find without constraints of the machine. For in Jesus there is no obligation to assemble, no obligation to give and above all...no organization to maintain. There is only Jesus and our relationship with Him. This is one on one, mano y mano fellowship with our heavenly Father. For in Jesus we find the image of the invisible God {Colossions 1:15}. We will not find Jesus in church buildings or traditions, but only as our own eyes are opened to who we truly are. For when we know the truth of Jesus which Paul relates in Galations 2:20, we realize that He is closer to us than we have ever known. Not within the walls of the church, but in us. It is no longer WE, but HE. How many churches would survive were all Gods children to know this truth? Not too many I'm afraid. I have no doubt that Christ Himself is not too big a fan of organized religion but of our relationship with Him.
13And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Colossions 2: 13 - 15 NKJV
~Scott~
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