A House Divided

44And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
Acts 2: 44 - 47 KJV

I have seen more than a few articles recently of those who have become disapointed with the church they were attending.  One church, teaching the word of God I'm assuming, recently expelled a pastor for the crime of performing a homosexual wedding.  More and more, people have grown weary of the institutional church as we've come to know it.  If there were ever a house divided, this is it.  I'm not really too interested in any "quick fix" to this issue, because I don't believe that there is one.  What I am intersted in is how we as christians have gotten to this point.  How is it that we have gotten to this point where the fire and brimstone of old covenant theology are the rule of the day?  Where did we come up with this idea that it is far better to punish people than to show the love of God unto others?  Now, I really didn't think of this topic all that much until recently.  My own experiences opended my eyes to the hardcore beliefs of some christians.  Now, I will confess that I don't attend church and haven't for some time.  So, on the basis of that I might just be considered by some in the church as one who cannot be saved.  I get it.  I don't fall into some of your belief systems, so your natural reaction is to place as much distance between myself and the church as possible.  Thank you.  Because I'll tell you, if guilt, shame and condemnation are what you have to offer me, I'll pass.  I've already seen that movie.  I can remember a day when the church was seen as a sanctuary for those who were persecuted.  When former Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega was on the run from U.S. troops where did he go?  Those who remember your history will know that he eventually ended up in a catholic church in Panama.  Here he holed up until he surrendered.  My point is, Noriega sought out the church because he knew that he would be safe there.  I wonder if he would feel that same way today.  Many hardcore christians have turned the church of today into a club of select members.  Sure, Gods welcoming hands are still evident, if you fall in line with what the congregation believes. 

“I don't need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It's not my purpose to punish it; it's my joy to cure it.”
~ William P. Young, The Shack ~

When I was growing up in the christian church, I NEVER heard the topic of someone being removed from any church I knew.  To me, church was a safe haven, a sanctuary where God the Father held close all those who sought Him.  If someone had backslid in their life, the congregation came around that person in prayer and support, not condemnation.  I recall a small Minnesota church we used to attend where a hindu couple was married.  The church never once tried to sway the couple to convert before performing the ceremony.  I'm left to wonder, would the modern institutional church club treat people this way?  Like I said, I've been out of the loop for some time so I'm not in that circle.  I'm just a wayward christian who fellowships with a few christian friends on sunday mornings instead of going to church.  You might be of like mind to expell a person such as myself from your church, have at it.  If that's your attitude I wouldn't have considered your church in the first place, bro.  I'm of the mind that my heavenly Father is less concerned with where I seek Him and more with when I seek Him.  Oh, and I also believe that I don't need to go too far in my search for Christ Jesus.  I believe that Jesus is in me {Galations 2:20}.  I believe that Christ died for my sins and that I, Scott, am now dead to those sins I once indulged in {Romans 6:6-11}.  That right there leads me astray from most christians of today.  I've been told that I'm a sinner saved by grace, will always have a sin nature and that I need to be good so that I can "be like" Jesus when He returns.  Of course, all of this this is backed up with cherry picked scriptures to fit the church narrative.  Is it any wonder so many once devout christians are leaving the church?  I didn't start the trend, I just recognized in my own heart that what they were feeding me wasn't the voice of my heavenly Father who loves me.  My Fathers voice is not one of condemnation but one of deep love for all of His children, even those whom we may not see as "christian."  When we place ourselves in the position of determining who is worthy of our Lords love, we cease to exhibit His love.

23“For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; Life Lessons 28for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’
Acts 17: 23 - 28 NAS

~Scott~