Frustration
I won't tell you who, and I won't tell you where..........but not 5 minutes ago I got off the phone with a man whom I love very much that was telling me he had left the church of Christ he had been going to for 17 years. He had been a Shepherd there for 11 years before moving on to most recently serving on the ministry staff. This Godly man has spent his ENTIRE life in churches of Christ, and a product of one of "our" Christian schools. The phrase he said I will always remember is: "I just can't do it anymore". I knew what he meant, but he went on to explain that he just can't spend time focusing inward when there is a lost world out there that needs Christ. It seems my generation is at the vortex of this turmoil. For the most part, the folks in their 20's and early 30's seem to grasp very easily that their allegiance is not to this fellowship, but to the Lord. Therefore, they are leaving in droves. The generation older than me, for the most part, are satisified with staus quo. I know, I know.......there are exceptions to that, both in the younger group and the older ones. But for the most part, that leaves the 40's to 50's crowd caught in the tension of not wanting to bail, but also not wanting to remain status quo.
This guy went on to say that there are problems at the new fellowship he is a part of, because churches are made up of people. Where you have people, you have problems. But, he said it was so liberating to be a part of group of people who had moved on DECADES ago from the "crisis issues" many in our fellowship seem to be stuck on, and to be focused instead on impacting the world for Christ. God bless him and his wife as they continue their journey.
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I have already read one editorial aimed at Richland Hills condeming them for going to the Saturday night worship service they are offering. Seems like I remember being taught when I was little that one of the reasons we aren't a denomination is because we are autonomous. I've grown to learn that means we are autonomous in theory, not practice.
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"Identity crisis" is an expression being thrown around a lot. I can tell you the folks who AREN'T having a crisis.......the ones whose hope is built on nothing less than Jesus's blood and righteousness. They are quite confident their identity is in HIM. Wait.......why am I saying "they"................WE are quite confident our identity is in HIM!
I can't imagine having a more God glorifying identity.
14 Comments:
Frustration so fully defines it...yet leavivng does not remove all of the frustration...at least for me.
That last part reminds me of the Matt Redman song "Nothing But the Blood"....I love that song!
just can't do it anymore sums it up pretty well.
It's so sad that there are church casualties. People hurt by someone professing to be of Christ. It should never happen, but over and over and over again it does. Don't you think God is so saddened by it? But don't you think He rejoices every time one of His own starts to get the real Message?
Did you know there's a recovery web site for "victims" of the Church of Christ? I can't remember the url, but I looked at it once. It was very sad. Come on, church, body of Christ! Let's let Jesus heal the hurting instead of hanging them out to dry.
It is so sad, but I happen to believe that we are just experiencing the "birth pangs" of a new birth. Joy comes in the morning...just ask any mother. (I am in that "older" group you mentioned. (-:
Mom in the Stands, you go girl! You are DEAD on. We are kindred spirits.
Thanks for everybody's comments.
Lara, stop by more often! :)
DU
Some folks are called to go. Some folks are called to stay.
The ones who have to go should do so ... so their faith can grow and mature in an environment where they can do God's work in the way He has called them to.
The ones who have to stay should do so ... so they can mentor the ones who don't have a clear picture of what God's work should be, and help them grow and mature, and answer God's call.
There's no one right answer to the question of "to stay or to go."
Our loyalty to the Bridegroom must be like Ruth's: "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God."
MominStands, I don't know if I can explain anything about the way God calls us! But - just as Arthur C. Clarke said that any sufficiently advanced civilization is indistinguishable from magic - I believe that anyone who feels compelled to serve God in a way that she or he is obviously gifted, and has God's Holy Spirit dwelling within, is indistinguishable from someone who is directly called by God. For me, "called by God" covers a pretty wide range - from Paul being prevented to go where he wanted to go by the Spirit to David being picked out of a queue of brothers to serve as king ... and everything in between.
Whoa, that's a whole blog post in itself.
When you think "called to stay," think about Timothy in Ephesus. There was every kind of nonsense going on there, and somone needed to be there to help straighten things out. There were false teachers worming a living off of young widows instead of trying to help them get by; there were people making outrageous claims about angels and genealogies and apparently praying against each other ... well, you get the picture. It was far worse, in many ways, that what most churches have to deal with today.
But there are still a lot of churches where there is a misguided sense of what God's will is - being right about everything instead of doing good toward everyone, for instance - and need to be mentored by folks who are more mature.
It's a tough calling. It calls for sacrifice. It's not for those who are new to the faith. It'd be easier to go back to the milk diet, but mature Christians need to be chewing on the meat ... and helping others develop the teeth and the taste for it.
I say don't ever give up! A fun thing about God is He can give life to the dead and call into being things which do not exist....Rom. 4:17. Whether some stay or go, I am so encouraged His Spirit will work with all to bring about the most awesome and wondrous fruit.
My heart hurts for the frustrated. This week it was me for a minute or two. Yet, our God doesn't flinch and He keeps trying to get me to keep from doing the same.
David, you are a wonderful cheerleader. Your head is never the sand because your heart is in the clouds. Thank you for such faith-full influence toward me and so many!
Yep. I have heard some pretty amazing things about Richland Hills.
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
David, I've read and enjoyed your responses on several other blogs I read, but just now checked out your blog. I'll be back. I've come to appreciate you and your spirit very much. I hear that you are going to be at Pepperdine this year ... I hope to get a chance to meet you.
Greg England
Long Beach, CA
Greg, thanks for stopping by! I hope you will come back often. Just don't have your expectations very high! :)
God bless,
DU
WOW! There are more Christains out there that are having the same thoughts. Just this past couple of days I have went from feeling I'm on the right track to I just want to throw in the towel and be a
pew-warmer. But in my heart and soul,I know I would not be happy and I know that our awesome God put me here in this place to serve Him and his kingdom.
Thank you for sharing. Tami
Interesting stuff, I would like to add something but Keith has done too good of a job already.
I understand the discussion. It is healthy to have no matter the outcome.
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