So, I had already been planning on going back to church this past weekend. There's a friend of Bethany's that goes to a CoC and her mother invited us and told me about the congregation, and I liked what I heard. So going was already a non-issue. Having Grandma & Grandpa here just made it a little easier, since they were already going.
Over the weekend I had opened up to Grandpa a little bit about why I had stopped going, and explained that I'm finally getting my head around the fact that not every congregation is like Southside, and it was a few particular members that did what they did, not the entire church. I didn't tell him about his own role in why I quit going, because it just wasn't worth the debate. I made it clear, though, that it's my own issue that I have to work through, and just because he wants me to be redeemed, he can't do it for me and he can't force me. He didn't like that too much. ;)
Anyway, as they were leaving yesterday morning, he came to me and said, "I just want you to remember, people aren't perfect, but the CHURCH OF CHRIST IS PERFECT."
OK, I understand what he was trying to get at, but that's just the dumbest thing I've ever heard. It took everything I had to not say so, too.
No, people aren't perfect. But neither is the church. Because the church is a gathering of people, teaching their OWN interpretation of the Bible. Yes, the church teaches the closest to what I believe, and that's why I'm coming back to the church after 10 years away instead of to a community church or Baptist. But come on, really. I pointed out that the only true perfection is that of Christ, and God's ideals. But he kept going on and on about how every single thing that the church teaches is absolute perfection.
ERGH.
It's closed-minded judgemental bigotry like that that drives people away! It makes me so angry when members of the church condemn others for not believing exactly what they do. Rather than beating their chests, proclaiming the greatness of the church (and their own greatness since they're members of the church), why can't they just let their faith shine by their works?
The biggest reason I'm so drawn to this particular congregation that we went to on Sunday is because of their outreach programs. They've got a Mom's Day Out (YAY!), a food pantry, job assistance, not to mention the approximately 12 mission support programs. There were two small sermons on Sunday, since the Cross & Crown leader was giving an update on the Thanksgiving outreach, and something that he said really struck me.
The text was John 21: 1-19. The part that he was focusing on the most was vs. 15-17:
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these? Yes, Lord, he said, you know that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my lambs.
16 Again Jesus said, Simon son of John, do you truly love me? He answered, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus said, Take care of my sheep.
17 The third time he said to him, Simon son of John, do you love me? Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, Do you love me? He said, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my sheep.
He went on to talk about how we can take the text literally or figuratively, and it going to work it's way around to the other side eventually. If we reach out to the community to feed them, to provide from the food pantry or Thanksgiving outreach baskets, they'll see our faith through our works without our having to say a word about it, and they'll be drawn by our works. If we reach out to the community to feed them figuratively (such as praying with the families that come to the food pantry, each time more in depth and with caring instead of nosiness) we'll end up feeding them literally as well, either sharing meals with them, through outreach programs, or any other way. It felt so RIGHT to be in a congregation that teaches a caring outreach, with the mindset of, "how may we serve you?" rather than, "You must believe as we do or you will burn burn burn burn BURN!!!"
It's a little frustrating that right when I find a congregation that I'm comfortable with, we're going to miss the next two weeks. We're leaving on Saturday to go visit Brian's family, and won't be back until early Sunday morning the week after. Since we're driving through the night Brian and I will be too tired to go to church that day. So it will be the 2nd of December before we go back to church. It's hard enough to get Brian to go, but he says he'll do his best to keep going with us. He knows it means a lot to me, so I think he'll keep going. He's agreed to it anyway, we'll see.
Sorry this was so rambling. I'm still getting my thoughts situated. ;)
2 comments:
Dude, can we get you to come and lecture here? I'm totally on board with what you're saying (about Southside and all the rest). So many horrible things have been done in the name of Jesus that it makes Jesus look like a tool. If I weren't a christian and I just saw what most churches are doing I would think that christianity was a waste of time. In my mind that makes it even more important to plant some new churches that don't look like what has been going on in popular christianity.
I still hurt over all that Southside crap, especially when people talk about "my home church". I just have to say, "My home church doesn't exist anymore."
So what HAPPENED at Southside? My grandparents kept telling me that Southside failed my mother (um, no, she just used the falling apart as an excuse to quit going) but they couldn't specify anything other than it turning into a "community church" that didn't preach baptism or communion. On my own part, there were people that I looked to as role models that quite literally turned their backs on me, even to the point of calling me a whore to my face. So much for support when we stumble. Other than those things though, I don't know what happened at Southside, it all fell apart after the last time we went to visit, when Bethany was a baby.
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