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Where is the (C)hurch?

Seems like a valid and perhaps a little too obvious of a question. Of course the (C)hurch is present. If that's true, then why do I feel so unsettled that this is not true of at least the American (C)hurch?

What is to follow comes from a long, festering burden that I believe the (C)hurch must hear. I define (C)hurch as followers of Jesus. (C)hurch is not a building but a universal body of humans who say their lives belong to Jesus and live everyday with Jesus as the navigator of their journeys. I believe God desires the (C)hurch to be people of influence, changing broken things, systems and most of all people through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Because of my line of work (seems a little unfair to call what I love to do "work") I hear a lot of stories. Most of these stories carry some sort of dissatisfaction with one or all of the following: job, spouse, family, kids, life purpose and ... no shocker here ... their dissatisfaction, hurt, frustration, or lack of involvement with either their local church institution or the greater (C)hurch as a whole.

Let me begin by saying I love God's (C)hurch. I am a member. He designed the (C)hurch as an avenue for lives, cities, and nations to be transformed under the authority of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, as head over the (C)hurch leads His body to be life changers and life givers. He used twelve to start a movement of His (C)hurch to change the entire world based on His example of showing how much He loved the world. The (C)hurch was designed to set free captives and move mountains.

So let me also say that I believe the (C)hurch is being transformed from the inside. I don't believe the condition of the American (C)hurch is healthy but I also don't believe it is hopeless. I fear there is a loud wake up call being issued to the (C)hurch and many of the members are not listening. (Ouch. Insert crying emoji.)

Judging from history, there were great moments that transformed cultures either for good or for their detriment. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize that 2020 is a time that will be written about in our history books but also be told to generations as a time the world stood still. Global pandemics do not go away silently. Stories will be told for milenia.

But where are the stories of the (C)hurch?

What will be the story of the (C)hurch?

Again, I am mostly referring to the American (C)hurch. Will we be trail blazers that came in and brought peace, brought reconciliation, brought clarity, brought unconditional love to the marginalized? Or will we be marked by huddling in our houses, watching sermons online and podcasts in our cars, posting endless mute posts on social media, worrying about the outcome of the next election, complaining about online schooling, masks, police, protestors, and caring for our small band of Christian friends while ignoring an opportunity to literally change the world?

Psalm 68:5: God is Father to the fatherless and protector of widows in His holy habitation. At His core, He is Father and Protector to the two segments of society that are the most vulnerable. So if, at His core, God is Father and Protector, shouldn't the (C)hurch be doing the work of the Father? How is the church being a father to the fatherless and a protector of widows literally and figuratively?

There are lots of people in the (C)hurch with biological fathers who are fatherless. Most of the stories I hear stem from a root issue of a father wound. Their Dad's were present, provided, were good citizens, many were members of churches, but many did not provide the basic characteristics of what a father should pass on to his children. Because of this lack, they are adults navigating life without a good compass. Fathers anchor you. What happens to those unanchored? Again, in my life's work, I see very good examples of those who have been washed ashore or fighting not to drown because of living anchorless lives.

What if the (C)hurch became a father to the fatherless? What would that look like? Glad you asked!

A father loves.

A good father loves his children unconditionally. A good father lets his kids know that they are loved and accepted and belong to a family in which he is the head. A good father waits for a child who has lost his way. A good father mourns over the loss of relationship with adult children.

What if the (C)hurch loved like a father? Could we dare love unconditionally not only other members of the (C)hurch but also the ones who are looking from the outside in? Could we dare to love those who don't look like members of a local church, those who don't believe the same things, accept the same things, condone the same things? Could we love humanity and not be afraid that their morals would be caught like a rabies by other members but rather the opposite would occur? That our, (C)hurch love, would be so unconditional that those who don't believe in God would be assaulted by the love of the Creator ... because we loved others so well. Could we be the ones to let humanity know they are loved and accepted and are welcomed into a family? Could we be like the father who waits for a child who has lost his way, waiting for them to come back? Could we be like a father who loves and desires our love to transform their heart. We’d be less interested in behavior modification but rather most interested in true heart restoration!

I'm sure that most fatherless children of all ages are waiting for that kind of a father. I'm sure God would use those within the body of the (C)hurch who caught a glimpse of this kind of father love toward those who don't know the Father in a radical way.

(C)hurch, let's love like our Father.

A father protects.

Fathers are protectors of the home. They protect those around them. They carry the burden and responsibility to protect their children. What if the (C)hurch became the primary beacon of protection for the unborn, foster care, the marginalized, the mentally poor, the financially poor, victims of abuse, and most every kind of situation in which we've allowed state and federal governments to dictate the kind of protection these segments of society receive.

A father disciplines.

Often the word "discipline" gets confused with punishment. Punishment is a result of negative reinforcement for an unwanted behavior. However, discipline is training or teaching a desired behaviour, outcome, or perspective.

You don't have to look far in the Bible to find examples of father's disciplining (teaching) children. In fact, the Bible says that God disciplines (teaches) those He loves. That makes total sense. If you love me, you want the best for me.

What if the (C)hurch became good fathers by teaching the members how to study the Bible for themselves. What if a biblical literacy revival came sweeping down the pews and aisles of local churches and the (C)hurch began to know and apply biblical principles for life transformation?

What would biblical literacy look like? The (C)hurch would not need to run to life group leaders, discussion groups, lead pastors or children's workers to get informed about what the Bible has to say about life issues. When biblical discrepancies trickle into sermons, podcasts, blogs and newsletters, each member of the (C)hurch would know and not be swayed into thinking feel good messages and positive thinking would no longer be a cure for what spiritually ails them.

If the (C)hurch became passionate about teaching it's members to read, study and apply the Bible, social reforms would shift, spiritual apathy would decrease, serving our communities would be the norm, houses of prayer would rise up in neighborhoods, replies to public forums would be based on Truth and not opinion, and in short we'd have a ghastly mess! A mess of spiritual awakening that would stem from God's people knowing God's word, applying His principles, and loving from a place of biblical foundation and not one-a-week spiritual injections that run dry by the next week's Sunday service.

A father is generous with his time.

What if the (C)hurch stopped. Stopped what? Stopping having so many committee meetings, systems to be jumped through to get an event on a calendar, programs, buildings, business models, media savvy gadgets, and just spent time giving away their time generously! I know, I know. We live in a busy, fast-paced society. You have to have a schedule to maintain good stewardship over your life and there aren't enough hours in a day to get the things done you need to accomplish.

Yet ... when I look at the life of Jesus as he lived on the planet, He made time for those in which He was sent to the planet: people.

What if the(C)hurch took time to get outside the church building and started interrupting people's hopeless lives with hope filled conversations, activities, initiatives, and prayer offerings that made our mission look more like Jesus' mission? What if the (C)hurch was so involved in communities that Sunday services were simply gatherings to celebrate what God had done through His people during the week and (C)hurch member worshipped alongside community member because the church member had aligned themselves with Jesus' mission to love people? What if (C)hurch didn't need bells and whistles of buildings and smoke machines and wooden walls as backdrops for Instagram photo opps but rather met in parking lots or community parks that welcomed everyone because we weren't bound by time schedules but decided time was the one commodity we could not afford to waste on a Sunday morning?

What if the (C)hurch helped members reach out to neighbors, supplied hotdogs for hungry children just because, brought breakfast to police, sat in a protest rally rooms to hear the hearts of the burdened without judging or took the time to have (C)hurch in their homes on a Tuesday night because their neighbor works a graveyard shift and his time is limited?

A father comforts.

What is the (C)hurch didn't care about why tears fell on a humans face but was just there to wipe them away? In the midst of a global pandemic, what if the (C)hurch said we don't need anymore building renovations or unattended services? Instead, we, the (C)hurch took our resources of money and people and distributed them among the hurting? What if communities didn't need to come to a church building but knew (C)hurch members who were putting words into action and praying in the Walmart parking lot for hours because that's where the hurting live?

A father leads.

This needs no further text. (C)hurch, let's imitate our Father and lead our communities.

The time is ripe for the American (C)hurch to BE the (C)hurch. If we look to fellow members in restricted countries, we could learn a lot. Most do not meet in trendy buildings, have flashy services, are able to enroll in classes on a high tech app, or battle decisions about which life group best fits them. Most meet huddled into small spaces feeling utterly compelled to gather and pray and worship the One who is all they need. Many have sacrificed much, even the loss of loved ones, to utter silent prayers and read from tattered pages of parts of a Bible and count it the greatest and most sacred act of worship.

The time is ripe for the American (C)hurch to BE the (C)hurch. Political, moral and societal changes are shifting the landscape. There will not be a return to normal in America. There must be an appeal of the (C)hurch to radically do things differently because lives are literally at stake. No longer can we be satisfied by hands raised in comfortable auditoriums fueled by the good feelings of being around those we love and who “get” us. It’s time to move. (C)hurch comes in like a wrecking ball and advocates for those who need it most. (C)hurch listens for where God’s heart is breaking and then brings in spiritual wound care to bring healing. (C)hurch brings high powered LED flashlights into the darkest of places to bring hope. (C)hurch makes a difference.

It would seem pointless and a little hypocritical of me to leave this post without offering an opportunity for the (C)hurch to respond. I’m calling for a prayer movement to begin. Every week, at a designated time, I'm asking for others to join me in praying for a great movement of the (C)hurch. And then, out of what God instructs, we obey.

I began by saying I love God's (C)hurch. I am a member. He designed the (C)hurch as an avenue for lives, cities, and nations to be transformed under the authority of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, as head over the (C)hurch leads His body to be life changers and life givers. He used twelve to start a movement of His (C)hurch to change the entire world based on His example of showing how much He loved the world. He can use us, now! Are you in? (C)hurch, do you dare to be present! It’s our time to thrive! (C)hurch, let’s move!

Church! Wake up!

How do you walk through a global pandemic?

I'm a simpleton, but to me the answer has to be: walk. You walk it out. The alternatives are to take a passive approach and do nothing or an aggressive approach and try to rush the process. In either case, you miss the process. Be it pandemic or grief or loss or pain it all has to be processed if we are to come out on the other side in health.

I find myself walking two lanes of feelings while watching the pandemic unfold. In one lane, I cheer and hoop and holler (my Oklahoma roots coming out!) at the way the Church is rising out of the fear and serving her communities. I marvel at the resurgence of prayer. I am overjoyed by the increase in family time that has been prescribed by stay-at-home orders. I am shocked to see so many humans outside. I am smiling at the way teachers are still pouring into students online. I am humbled by those putting on scrubs and working without proper medical supplies to help those infected. I am hushed in a way that forces me to be still and know.

And while these are positive and good and right things to be amazed and slowed down by, I am also carrying a burden. That's where I walk in another lane. I hurt for those who are not working and collecting necessary paychecks. I tear up knowing the elderly in my own life are scared and unseen by family members. I grieve with those who aren't celebrating weddings, graduations and birthdays. I summon courage for those who are unable to sit in hospitals with those who are sick and possibly dying. I am undone by the fear that I see in people's eyes. Yet, the biggest burden I carry is for the Church.

I am grieved by the modern Church and her priorities. Somehow, we've operated with good intentions but have made Church event driven and personality heavy. We've formed studies and groups and called them intentional while many people sit on the sidelines hurting and wondering why those who call themselves followers of Jesus don't notice them. We've made idols of buildings and smoke machines and trendy jeans while stealing attention from the One who calls us by His name. I hear 2 Chronicles 7:14 being used as an anthem but wonder if we are paying attention to the words:

If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Hmm.

Before I continue, let me say I love the Church. I am part of the Church. I'm not bashing the Church. I'm calling us up. It's time.

Before COVID-19, it was difficult to connect with many inside the Church. Busy"ness" is an idol for most who bear the name of Jesus. Most of our busy"ness" is good stuff. It's just too much. Meetings are meetings for meetings sake and prayer has been attached as an afterthought. We worship the Name. We hear the lessons well. We live in our insulated circles. We have good lives. So why the burden, Christina??

Because this is not what I believe God has called the Church to do. It wasn't what Paul told the Church. It wasn't what Jesus modeled. And I fear that as we navigate uncharted waters during the pandemic, the Church will trade one set of busy"ness" for another and call ourselves changed.

There are so many words from Paul that I could illustrate but since I brought up 2 Chronicles 7:14, let's just camp out there.

If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves ...

Humble, according to definition.org means:

"Marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful."

What would it look like for the Church to humble herself? Could I suggest it starts with taking ourselves, our leaders, our programs, our buildings, and yes, even our smoke machines off the throne and putting God back on center stage? Would it look like not moving an inch until we heard from God? Would it look like not acting on any strategy to reach our community until God provided the wisdom, strategy, people and product to move on it? Have we let this pandemic humble God's people?

... and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways.

How are we praying, seeking His face, and turning from our wicked ways? It has to come out of this place of humility. I pray differently when I am in a spirit of humility. I confess my own sin. I confess my own busy"ness". I confess my own pride. I confess my own prayerlessness, unbelief, and ineffective witness. I confess because I've allowed myself to become small in the power of the Cross. If you are like me, you might scratch your head and wonder what wickedness lies in your heart. Ask Him. For me, I've seen things that separate me from Him through the shows I binge watch on Netflix, the idle use of doing nothing, to the way I disregard opportunities to share His love in a simple way. We each have our own "wickedness". Let's just own it and confess it. And let's not be afraid to ask God to show us what those things are and where they lurk within us. He's a good and loving Father. He's not going to list our issues of wickedness, post them on Facebook and shame us into change. He's not like that. He will reveal only to heal that within us. That's the kindness of discipline.

And how do I seek God's face? I lay before it. I lay before Him and empty myself of all I am and all I think I am and I give Him room to weed out all the junk and weave back in all the truth. I seek His desire, His wisdom, His plan for me. I seek ... until I find. And when I find ... I act transformed.

And for heaven's sake, how do I turn from my wicked ways? I first have to acknowledge I have them ... and so does the Church. When I humble myself, pray, seek, then my heart is in the right posture to receive in love the wickedness of my own heart, actions, and thoughts. Wickedness can be examined through a lens from a loving Father who desires to prosper me and call me into the good works He's created for me to do ... not the things I've created for myself to do.

We know the rest of the verse ... but we have to examine, honestly, the first part.

Oh Church! God loves us so much that He has allowed a global pandemic to create space and time to allow the global Church to pray, seek, and turn! Let's not waste this time! Let's not replace an old habit for a new one and call it good. Let's truly hear from heaven. Lets humbly respond from a place of humility that leads to real change and real heart reform and not behavior modification.

The Church is Gods. Let's give it back to Him. Let's live by the words of His Word that tells us to renounce the shameful and secret things, to not walk in deceit or distort God's message but to openly display His truth (2 Corin 4). Let's not forget who we are! We are the light that shines in the darkness (2 Corin 4:6). We are extraordinary treasures in clay jars! We were meant for times like these. We were meant to be pure, refined, and impacting the world for Jesus. Let's humble ourself, pray, seek, and turn from wickedness because the world is counting on us! The world needs to see light while they experience darkness. Let's be the Church. Let's be a pure offering to God who sacrificed everything for us. Let's use this time to emerge as obedient children with a new vision for serving Him and not ourselves. It's time! Let's walk!

Come on, Church! Let's Wake Up!

What we believe affects how we behave. Now, more than ever, it's crucial for God's people to believe God's Word because the world around us is changing at lightning speed. We have the opportunity to inject the world with Hope, Faith and Love. But it must start with ourselves.

There is a children's song that I taught my girls when they were little. Be Careful Little Eyes What You See. I'm sure I am not alone. "Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See" taught good theology: be careful what you see, hear, say, and do. Be careful where you go. Be careful who or in whom you trust. And, for Pete's sake, be careful what you think.

Can a children's song drive adults to their knees in times like this? You bet! What we see on the news, what we hear others saying, what we say about our future, what we do when we go the grocery store, where we go when we are stressed, what we trust when we are scared, and especially what we think as we continue to ingest daily reports from the CDC matters.

In my city, things got real a week ago. School shut down, restaurants closed, gatherings were restricted to 10 or under, church went online, grocery stores resembled war zones ... a week ago all this became reality. Since then, let me tell you my honest reactions:

fear
despair about the future
sadness for those "losing" out on weddings that have to be cancelled
irritation about those not observing social distancing
joy over low gas prices ... then fear about what it will do to the economy
paranoia about my health
sleeping - a lot
wanting to eat - a lot
waiting to binge watch Netflix - a lot

But at the same time, I've desired to find out what God is thinking and doing. I have had the desire to really know where He is taking all of this, what He sees from His perspective, what He desires for this to do in the lives of the world population. The gravity of this being not an Oklahoma thing, or an United States thing but rather a global thing hit me. In the words of Max Lucado, I wanted to know what God is saying.

As I've read my Bible this week, it seems words have louder voices than normal. It seems that the black and white have taken up trumpets that resound deep in my Spirit - blasting truth that lodges into uncharted territory of my heart. I read as if for the first time and see as if for the first time. Has it taken a global pandemic to get my heart to really seek the One I say I have put my trust in?

Out of His kindness, I've been able to put distance between the facts and what I know to be absolute truth - His truth. I know I believe that my faith is not based on the stock market, gas prices, or amount of toilet paper on my grocery stores shelf. I have not been given a spirit of fear by God who loves me. Fear is not my portion. Fear is not my friend. Fear is not even a response that is meant for me to hold on to long-term. Fear is only a red flag that my Spirit needs some comfort and no amount of sleeping, hand washing, eating or binge watching is going to cure what ails me in the deep, deep places. God did not create me to have cheap, counterfeit experiences to sooth my soul. He's not a discount master builder. He is a luxury Creator sparing no expense to the intricacies of His creation. I was made for real things from a real source to illicit real change.

Out of His great love for me, He is always the answer. As a loving Father, protecting His child during a thunderstorm, He whispers His nearness while holding me in His arms. I can know what He thinks during a pandemic. All I have to do is open His Word and receive the wisdom provided by His Spirit to see with a new perspective and live a life I was meant to live - living on every breath spoken by a loving Father.

I do suspect this is a time for realignment of priorities. I do believe that God is showing us His love and desire for us to live above the world while also making a difference in the world. I do believe that I can confess things that have taken my attention off the distraction keeping me from really knowing God. I do believe this is an opportunity to be honest about the role of the church and a time to repent from ineffective living. Referring back to Max Lucado, God is speaking. Let's take the time to listen!

"Now, we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God's Spirit because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. For we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2: 12-15

Friends, we are made to be peculiar in times like these. We are made to stand out in the way we respond in times like this. We are made to not be shaken, not freak out, not hoard in times like these. We have the mind of a loving Father who gives instruction and direction in times like these. It should go against the world's way of handling crisis. We live by a different standard. We can activate faith and live according to promises we say we believe. We can be generous, be loving, be serving in times like these.

Friends, if I say I am a Baker, then I will bake. Seems simple enough. When people come to my bakery, I will provide baked goods that reflect my profession. Customers won't come to my bakery and expect soup or Barbecue or pottery. They will expect to find lovely baked goods.

Sweet ones, the world is in need of us, Christians, to live by the standards of Christ! The world is looking for people who live life in the middle of a crisis with peace and hope and love. Why, oh why, would we want to morph into the world's way of handling crisis when the benefit of others knowing Christ is so much greater!

Be careful, little eyes what you see - because when we see from God's perspective - we can change the world!

Christina

If ever the human race needs intervention the time is now. I purposely avoid watching and reading the news. It more resembles something out of a Kindergarten playroom - grown adults fighting over which toys should be avoided by certain members of the classroom - than grown-up people discussing real-life values. As I'm sure every generation from the time of Adam surmised and contemplated, I do wonder into what world I'm leaving my children.

I recently posted on Facebook what I thought to be a harmless post regarding race relations. The author wrote an educated prose on his feelings of equality, compromise and hope for the future. It was met with accusations of being Trump propaganda (to which Trump was never mentioned), bigotry, and unfair to black Americans. It was written by ... a black American. I was dumbfounded.

I'm not disturbed by demonstrations against the government. I'm not disturbed by judgments on Presidents. I'm not disturbed by heated debates on controversial topics. However, I am disturbed by the ones who are making them that call themselves Christians.

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 1 Peter 3:11

I get it. We want our voices to be heard. Heck, I'm writing a blog exposing my worldview. But what disturbs me the most is all the "crazy" that has become blasted on the media, Facebook, and Twitter. Those who would call themselves "Christian" are not keeping themselves away from worldly desires. Ok, let's make this simple. What are today's "worldly desires"?

the temptation to engage in the crazy and raise your voice higher than the guy next to you
the militant attitude that opposes your thinking
the language that praises what God has done for you one second and damns your neighbor for putting up a sign discrediting your opinion the next
the rants you post about the ills of your country while never doing a thing to change it
the inequality you claim does/does not exist without doing your part to better the lives of those around you

And perhaps the very fact that I'm ranting now makes my own point.

I have no answer. I do know that I can not engage the world with the tactics of the world. I'm speaking as a Christian. I'm not speaking as a church-goer. I'm not speaking as a Bible reader. I'm not speaking as a Republican. I'm not speaking as an American. I'm speaking as someone whose life has been radically changed by the person of Jesus Christ. I'm speaking as someone who has been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm speaking as someone who wants to live as light in the middle of the dark. Playing by the same rules isn't going to cut it. There's got to be a different way of dealing with the crazy to effect real change.

During WWII, Corrie Tin Boon voluntarily hid Jews in her home risking imprisonment and death. She didn't follow the rules set out by the Nazi government to turn in those bearing the Jewish Star of David. She showed grace and equality to humans she recognized to be made in the image of the God she followed. Her religion was not a separater. Her relationship with God was her motivator. The advice of her Mother could be seen in the values Corrie lived out:

“Happiness isn’t something that depends on our surroundings, Corrie. It’s something we make inside ourselves.”

In 1975, frustrated by the academic apathy of her Garfield Park school district in Chicago, Marva Delores Collins chose to make a difference. She fought back by establishing a college preparatory school and pouring her life DNA into school children who would upset a stagnant system. She didn't follow the rules of "the system" that accepted lower than average test scores and the inevitability of a cycle of poverty. She taught her kids that character counted, excellence is a habit and it's not about black and white but about being yourself.

I don't believe I am alone in my assessment of what we - Christians - have become. There are so few wearing the sign of the fish that are agents of positive change in an increasingly negative world stage. The best way to quiet a large crowd is by a whisper. I do believe there is power in one making a difference. I do believe we can affect change in respectful, non-doormat kinds of ways that will attract dialogue and not repel bystanders. Below, Francis Chan sums up what is in my heart.

“The light of the American church is flickering and nearly extinguished, having largely sold out to the kingdoms and values of this world. Shouldn’t there be a huge difference between the person who has the Spirit of God living inside of him or her and the person who does not?”

Where, O People of God, is our flicker?
Where, O People of God, are the ones willing to live as foreigners and fight with weapons different from the world?
Where, O People of God, are the ones that will combat the crazy?

Asking the same questions of myself,
Christina

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