I work in spaces that often have very institutional perspectives on church and faith. There are the regular “hooks” thrown out by well-meaning people that try to bring in people to the church building.
I just had an old pastor invite me to a leadership development session at the church building. I’ve been to them previously. However, he’s been making a concerted effort to “reconnect” me to the church with subtle hints and invitations like this. I don’t think he doubts my salvation but I would bet good deals of money were I a betting man that he thinks I’m “out of fellowship” with the Lord because I’m “out of fellowship” with them. As far as churches go, that particular church has historically been fairly accepting of varying church schedules.
The church I attended previously was a lot more insistent on your being at church regularly if you were going to be a “good Christian” to the point of giving you disappointed looks when you were away and then returned. What, after all, could be more important than going to church? And, there was one person (probably more) there that really only felt you should read from the King James Version of the Bible and learn what it means or else you didn’t quite love Jesus.
The church I attended previous to that church was even more austere. I was a staff member there. If I wasn’t on the front row, the head pastor would search the crowd until he found me. One time, I had my children in the service because they had cancelled children’s church. The rule was, no children on the front row (they had to have it looking good for television recordings after all). So, we weren’t on the front row and as soon as the pastor walked by, he began looking for me as if I had somehow escaped and he needed to find me before moving on to other duties. I knew what was going on and waved and pointed at my children and he was satisfied. Another time, I took a trip with my family and we were gone for Sunday. I had let them know that I was going to be gone and I still had to explain myself when I returned. Never mind that I had taken my children to visit a Christian museum that weekend…I was not within the walls.
But the walls are, for all too many, blockades to a true relationship with God. With the walls come rules and regulations that constrict and control. Yes, the walls keep the weather out, but they can also keep God out when He is not the center of the reason for using the walls. The walls become the fortress for the fiefdom of the pastor, his staff, and some well-connected parishioners.
True faith doesn’t require those walls to be in place. You can practice your faith in Jesus without ever setting foot in a church. God is a simple conversation away. He’s always “at the ready” to talk to you.
This past weekend, I was home alone with my wife and son away. I was taking care of my son’s dog and was outside with him. I was walking along the gravel road that leads into our land and just felt the immediate connection with God as I walked along looking at the beauty of His creation and the blessings of His provision. In the very sense of the word, it was heartwarming to me. The thought came to me that I would be walking to my real home in His Kingdom one day. The weights of this world would be gone. The beauty of His presence will far surpass the beauty I experienced this weekend in the cool morning. I will be in His presence forever…without the walls, no separation.
Comments are closed