The Church is Messy - Part Two

     Sometimes I do not know what to think about the church. At times, it seems like we have it all backwards. We, as U.S. Christians, welcome imperialistic military developments that murder thousands of people in Iraq and Afghanistan, celebrating their "defense of the U.S.." We, as Christians, tend to be the most prejudiced, racist and anti-homosexual. We are pro-guns and pro-judgment. We tend to fight our battles with the military and with politics; whatever happened to peaceful revolutions and transformative grace? In the words of Tony Campolo, "If we were to set out to establish a religion in polar opposition to the Beatitudes Jesus taught, it would look strikingly similar to the pop Christianity that has taken over the airwaves of North America" (Claiborne 269).

     While I am making large generalizations, there is no doubt that the church has huge flaws. These scars can be seen throughout history - The Crusades, The Spanish Inquisition, etc. - and still today. Thus, on behalf of the church, I would like to say that WE (CHRISTIANS) ARE HYPOCRITES AND SINNERS; WE ACKNOWLEDGE TRUTH WITH OUR WORDS AND OFTEN DENY GOD'S TRUTH IN OUR ACTIONS. WE ARE FLAWED AND MESSY PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF A MESSY AND FLAWED CHURCH.

     

     I say this for two reasons. The first reason is, "If people really knew what idiots we are, in all our brokenness and vulnerability, they would know that they can give this thing a shot too" (Claiborne 254). Thus, I hope that people realize that their imperfections call them to be a part of the church (which is very messy itself). (For more on this, see my post titled "The Church is Messy - Part One"). Second, I want to acknowledge the truth of Brennan Manning's words: "The greatest cause of atheism is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny him with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable." In acknowledging, this truth I hope that "the world would be willing to listen to a church on its knees, a church that doesn't pretend to be perfect or to have all of the answers" (Claiborne 251).

     Basically, I want to recognize the fact that the church is very messy and very flawed. As a result, it is easy for us to become disenchanted with the church. (I know that I do frequently). In the rest of this post, I hope to clarify that the flaws of the church or of Christianity are not the flaws of God. Furthermore, the church is a beautiful community that beckons those of use that are disenchanted to join in.

     The Church is the body and bride of Christ. It is the community of Christ-believers and Christ-followers. While the church is vital to God's work, it does not mean that all actions of the church are condoned by God. Rather, the church is the community that God gives us to interact together and to grow towards fulfillment in Christ. Thus, this community will get many things right and other things wrong. This community is necessary though because God has called us to not only enter into relationship with Him, but also to have relationship with one another.

     While reflecting on the last year, I have discovered that my approach to college was much like the approach that many of us take to the church. By this I mean that I expected Colorado Christian University to be an institution that represented God's desire, and the beliefs of the church in a well-balanced, unbiased manner. In other words, I expected my university to be perfect and I expected it to teach all the things I held to be important. Likewise, we expect the church to be the perfect representation of God's will and we expect it to satisfy us with what it teaches and how it acts. However, we overlook the fact that we were made to contribute to the church and likewise I have been called to contribute to CCU. The messiness of the church begs for our involvement in the church. We shouldn't disengage because of the messiness of the church; instead, wherever the church lacks or needs revival and revolution, we are called to action and engagement. Similarly, instead of becoming disenchanted with some of the stances, policies and actions of my school and its members, I now realize that I can use this opportunity to instruct others and to help our school draw closer to God. We are all a part of the body - that is the church - and thus we must play our role in instructing and edifying other parts to make the body the best it can be.

     My Cross-Country Coach frequently tells me, "The church is messy. That is why it is appealing to me." He is absolutely right. The church is messy because it is not perfect. In fact, nothing in this world is perfect. However, when we - the members of the body, the church - come together and learn and grow from each other we draw closer to what we were made to be; we move closer to our potential as the church and as the children of God. This is the true beauty of the church.

Source

Claiborne, Shane. The Irresistible Revolution. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006. Print.

The Church is Messy - Part One

     An excerpt from Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution:

A few years back, I was talking with a homeless guy in an alley downtown, and he started sharing with me about God. He was familiar with the Bible but kept talking about "the Christians" in the third person. A little confused, I finally asked him, "Are you not a Christians?" "Oh no," he said, "I am far too messed up." I asked him what he thought a Christian is, and he said, "Someone who's got their stuff together and has things figured out." I confessed that I must not be a Christian either and that I wasn't sure that I had ever met one. (Claiborne 245)

     Sometimes we shy away from the church because we feel that we are not worthy. However, we need to recognize that the church is not perfect. In fact, we can see that the church has been messy throughout history. The Apostle Paul was a persecutor and murderer of Christians, and then God made Paul one of the best spokesmen for the Gospel. There is not always a clean and definite switch in behavior as occurred as Paul's conversion. In fact, things are usually much more messy - like David committing adultery and murdering one of his soldiers during his reign as king over Israel. God used David before this incident and continued to use him afterward (what a messy situation). God also used Moses to lead Israel despite the fact that Moses had killed an Egyptian and was a timid man. Furthermore, even after God had consecrated Noah and his family, Noah engaged in debauchery and drunkenness. The point is that the church is messy. 

     While it is easy to understand that the church is messy, it is hard to accept. In my own life, I have been committed to righteous living and appeared to be on the straight and narrow before slipping up and giving into temptation, or rejecting God's call to love someone else. When these instances occur, I can't help but feel lost. How can the Holy Spirit dwell within me even when I screw up badly? Sometimes I wonder, is the Holy Spirit even within me or have I falsely claimed to be a follower this whole time? Though I doubt at times and fall short, I do believe that I am a follower of Christ. Moreover, being a part of the church does not entitle me to any amount of perfection. I am imperfect and so is the church. The fact of the matter is we can commit ourselves to holiness over and over, we can consecrate ourselves to the Lord, but at the end of the day, our life in this world will still be messy to one extent or another. 

     While this may seem like a reason to despair, we should find comfort in the fact that we are not alone. We are flawed beings, but so are many of the "heroes" of the Bible. Many people that have answered God's call have fallen short, and thus we should not lose heart when we mess up, fall, and hit bumps in the road. We should realize that our messiness is an invitation into the church, not an exclusion from it. Jesus said, "... It's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick... I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matt. 9:12-13). Thus, when we fall short, we should realize our need for Christ's grace and redemption, and the community of the church. Because we are messy people, we belong in the messy church.

Back On My Feet

     5:30am Wednesday I start my summer internship with Back On My Feet in Austin. Back On My Feet, for those of you that haven't heard, is a homeless running ministry. And yes, I am stoked...

BoMF Background

     Here is a little bit of background info on the organization...

     BoMF was started in 2007 in Philadelphia. Since that time, it has grown to 10 different U.S. cities, including Austin, TX, which launched its chapter in January of this year.

     BoMF isn't about creating homeless people that run, it is about transforming and empowering "homeless" people through running. It is about changing peoples' self-perception, giving them confidence, giving them community, giving them identity, and hope for the future. 

     BoMF transforms people through the acquisition of commitment and dedication (there is something to say about people who are willing to wake up at 5:30 am 3-4 times a week to run). It changes people through the supportive community of caring people found in each running group, which is made up of residential (homeless) members and non-residential (volunteer) members. People are changed as they set and achieve goals and discover the successful results of hard work. Furthermore, there is also something to be said about the actual aspect of running and its effect on life. There is a connection between physical health and emotional/mental health. Running serves as an outlet for negative emotions, a source of positive high emotions, and has many positive effects on the brain, including capacity to learn, etc. Finally, BoMF provides financial and educational resources, as well as assistance in gaining jobs and housing that contributes to members' external success.

     Here is how it works. People that have been in homeless shelters for a month or more are given the opportunity to join BoMF. To join, they must commit to the 3 practices a week as well as other guidelines, fill out a goals sheet and take an initial survey. After a month of attending 90% of practices, members are moved to the "Next Steps" phase of the program. During this phase, members are evaluated in order to determine the best way to go about gaining a job and housing, as well as any training/education and finances that will be needed to do so. Success through the program is measured when individuals achieve occupational and housing independence.

Why I Care

     First of all, I love to serve people. Second of all, I love to run. Thus, I love to serve people through running.

     In all seriousness though, running has been a major part of my life for the last 7+ years. Running has had a major impact on me: giving me confidence and happiness; testing my physical, emotional and mental limits; teaching me life lessons; and giving me a connection to nature, other runners, and God. After relationships with others - including friends, family and God - running has been the most transformational thing in my life. Thus, I want to see other people enjoy the power of running too; I want to see this gift change the lives of other people.

     I believe in serving others, especially the poor and marginalized. The God that I love is a God of hope and restoration, redemption and salvation. I believe in this ministry and the redemption that it brings to the lives of broken people. While this organization may not proclaim to be "Christian," their work is very much God's work. Thus, I am excited to have the opportunity to be a part, however small, of a group and community with such a large and meaningful purpose.

     During my time with BoMF, I will gain experience working in a non-profit organization, working with volunteers, and interacting with homeless. I hope to gain experience that would be of value in leading a non-profit organization in the future and in leading a running ministry. Furthermore, I expect to be challenged in this internship as I come face-to-face with people that I often overlook and dehumanize. I know that I will learn a lot from the people I interact with, and I am looking forward to gaining a new perspective on God and life.

     In any case, I am blessed to have this opportunity. Thank you God! And, I welcome you to participate too. Feel free to contact me if you want to come walk/run any Monday, Wednesday or Friday morning!

     God is good!


If you want more info on BoMF, go to their website at http://www.backonmyfeet.org/
To hear the awesome story of BoMF founder Anne Mahlum, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVWCqCe1D8Y