I've been watching terrible pictures, and heard terrible stories out of New Orleans. All of us our saturated with the raw footage, and we are torn with having it so easy while so many have it so bad. Today's storylines, though, seem to be more about finger pointing, particularly partisan blame placing. 'Race', 'poor', 'urban' - all epitaphs thrown around today to describe the reasoning behind the particularly slow and seemingly ineffective relief efforts. Interestingly, the complaints about how the poor and urban (be they black or white) seem to center on how governments coulda, shoulda, woulda done more prior to the hurricane hitting the gulf coast, and how it's entirely unfair and wrong that all of these people are trapped in down town New Orleans. After all of the talk, I've got a question. What about the responsibilities of these people to live with their decisions to stay putt in the face of terrible odds? What I hear, when it's all said and done, is that these poor souls are the victims, not of a natural disaster, but of someone's political agenda, victims of someone else's classism and racism, and how if the government really cared about all people, they would've been taken care of before the storm even hit.
Now, let's get one thing straight. I agree that the relief efforts have seemed paltry at best. Heck, even the President realized he had to criticize the efforts today, even as he prepared to visit the storm stricken areas. But it's not just the national government's problem. What is the mayor of New Orleans wagging his finger at anyone, when he could've moved all sorts of resources, not to mention people, out of the city before the levees broke? Why didn't the Governor of Louisiana have the National Guard standing by with all sorts of resources and relief aid, when they knew this was going to be the mother of all storms? Why didn't they just order the complete evacuation of the city? Yes, these people are victims, but me thinks that there's fair blame to spread around to the local and state leaders well before we get to el Presidente.
One last thing... with regard to the people who are stuck in the city... what about their own responsibilities at choosing to stay? I'm not trying to point the finger back at them, but it seems to me to be the unasked question. They need a lot of help. And the Federal and State governments need to do as much as is feasible and maybe then some. But the bottom line is, as much as the different levels of goverment knew the crap was about to hit the fan, so did the people. They chose to stay. These people need our compassion, but they don't need us treat them as if they are merely stupid victims of someone else's dislike for poor, urban people of color. The real people who are causing problems here are the ones who are treating these people as if they were stupid for not realizing the danger, for being stupid enough to have to wait for the local government to tell them to leave. I think that's far worse than any other 'ism' I've heard leveled so far. God created government to take care of its citizens, but before that, He created us to take personal responsibility for our own being. The people of New Orleands deserve our compassion and tears, and anything we can do to eleviate their suffering now is the least we can do. But I hope after it's all said and done, someone will have the guts to ask and pursue the question of, "Why didn't you get out when you heard it was coming?"
Friday, September 02, 2005
reflections on what does it mean to be the body of Christ
It's an intriguiging and most important question for Christians of all denominations and fellowships to not only consider, but to wrestle with. It has far less to do with decided who's "in" and who's "out", and everything to do with understanding who God is, who we are, and what are real mission is.
There were some interesting responses to the questions posed with the context of the overarching theme. One person, rather than share their thoughts, merely agreed that they, too, would like to find the answers to these questions. Two others offered their thoughts to the mix. [you can read them by checking out the comments below the August 2nd post]. What is interesting are the differences and the similiarities between the two respondents. But here's my take on the questions posed...
How would you define 'the Church'? The Church is the body of Christ, with Christ as the head. That is, the body of Christ are all believers, every where, who confess Jesus as Savior and Lord, who have confessed both their own sinfulness, and their need for a savior, who have/are experiencing the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, who, by that same Spirit, are disciples of Christ, living changed lives, and have joined, where possible, for regular worship with fellow believers. That's a mouthful, and I'm sure the argumentative amongs us might find something to pick over or add to the mix. Note that I also consider that there really is no difference between "Church" and "body of Christ". They are one and the same.
Why do Christians need the Church? Simply put, as we read throughout the epistles, Paul, James, Peter, and Jude, are all writing to a group of believers, not a single person (please note: Paul's letters to Timothy are not considered epistles). As such, the implications are for the general body of believers as much as and more so than just for individual believers. So, when Paul says, work out your salvation with much fear and trembling, their's an implication that we are to be doing this together, in the context of the body of Christ. Church is not an option in as much as it's an option. Any American who considers themselves a Christian has every responsibility to pray for and be led to a body of believers, regardless of how imperfect that body may be. There are too many American Christians who have adopted the cultural standard of consumerism and applied it with gusto to how they go about picking, participating, and, sadly, staying at their local church. That's not to say that there aren't bad churches. But too often your typical Christian cuts and runs at the first sight of trouble. But how about this: does God ever call His people to stay and resolve things? Hmmm. We need the Church, plain and simple. Gathering as the Body of Christ on Sunday mornings or evenings is our part of our overall purpose to worship and glorify the Triune God. And in gathering as the body to worship Him, we realize the very nature of God as Triune, that God is the divine community that He calls us to imitate, and is bringing us to be a part of. I could go on.
Can a person be a Christian, that is, be saved in the name of Jesus Christ, apart from being a part of the Church? One respondent said, 'yes and no'. I think this is the most correct answer, though it would probably bother all who like 'black and white' answers. The ultimate answer is, of course, 'NO'. Once one is saved, you are a part of the Church. Christ does not save individuals for the sake of saving individuals. He saves them for a purpose, of which being saved for being a part of the Church, the divine community on earth that will one day be brought to perfection, is that chief part. Our individual salvation is part and parcel of being the Church. That is, there is a mystery to our salvation by which we are working out that salvation as being a part of the Body of Christ. God does not save individuals - He saves the nations, that is, He has called out a people who were not a people, who are now the people of God. There is no such thing as a 'lone ranger' Christian. He or she who thinks they are saved and don't need to participate in the local body are, I think, in for some sort of trouble along the way to Heaven's proverbial gates. If one has made a profession of faith, and then thinks they need not be a part of a local body, I would have serious misgivings concerning that person's profession or their understanding of what it means to be a Christian. At the same time, the answer is what I might call a partial 'yes' in that being a part of a local church does not automatically insure one's salvation, any more than my going into and sitting down on my garage's floor makes me a car. Attending all that the local church has to offer is not equated with salvation. God isn't sitting around checking off our attendance, or how many of our local church's weekly activities we've taken advantage of. This is not about earning our way into heaven via good church attendance. It's completely a heart issue. Do we not realize that we need one another because God has saved us to be His people, not just His person. I've essentially answered the last two questions in this one paragraph. I've met people who say, "I love Jesus, I just don't like the Church", and think that excuses them from participating in the local body. I've met some who say, "I don't need the local church, the leaders are corrupt, ect., ect., yada, yada, yada", and they think that God is looking down on them with a smile, thinking, "well done, good and faithful servant." Hmmmmmm. Don't think so. For one thing, we are interdependent upon one another. To withhold yourself from participating is tantamount to withholding who you are from God. It is hubris, plain and simple. It is ignorance of who God truly is, what He has saved you for. If you have found your local church's elders and/or pastor "corrupt" or not right, have you prayed about whether or not God is calling you to leave? If you have concluded that is so, humbly go about finding a new body of believers to call "home". There is no excuse for the believer who is disassociated from any and all churches. That person either deceived, and is not a believer, or they are ignorant of Scripture.
An Episcopal priest at the church where I first started doing full time youth ministry once said to me, "people don't believe in the devil, they should come work in the church." The Church is not an easy place to "live", let alone work. The moment you think you've found the "perfect" church, it will cease to be as soon as you join. And yet, the Church is the bride of Christ, too. When Paul tells men and women to submit to one another, wives submit to your husband, Paul also tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church - that is, be willing to live in such a way as you would be willing to die for your wife. Paul makes this important illustration based on God's fervant devotion to and love for the Church. If this is the heart of God, then we as those saved by God's love must understand that we are to be a part of the local church in order to understand God, and live out of His grace. It is being a part of the body that the Holy Spirit, in part, uses to transform us more and more into the image of the Son. It is joyful obedience to be a part of the Church, even when it's tough. But it is our calling.
Thoughts? Let me know...
There were some interesting responses to the questions posed with the context of the overarching theme. One person, rather than share their thoughts, merely agreed that they, too, would like to find the answers to these questions. Two others offered their thoughts to the mix. [you can read them by checking out the comments below the August 2nd post]. What is interesting are the differences and the similiarities between the two respondents. But here's my take on the questions posed...
How would you define 'the Church'? The Church is the body of Christ, with Christ as the head. That is, the body of Christ are all believers, every where, who confess Jesus as Savior and Lord, who have confessed both their own sinfulness, and their need for a savior, who have/are experiencing the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, who, by that same Spirit, are disciples of Christ, living changed lives, and have joined, where possible, for regular worship with fellow believers. That's a mouthful, and I'm sure the argumentative amongs us might find something to pick over or add to the mix. Note that I also consider that there really is no difference between "Church" and "body of Christ". They are one and the same.
Why do Christians need the Church? Simply put, as we read throughout the epistles, Paul, James, Peter, and Jude, are all writing to a group of believers, not a single person (please note: Paul's letters to Timothy are not considered epistles). As such, the implications are for the general body of believers as much as and more so than just for individual believers. So, when Paul says, work out your salvation with much fear and trembling, their's an implication that we are to be doing this together, in the context of the body of Christ. Church is not an option in as much as it's an option. Any American who considers themselves a Christian has every responsibility to pray for and be led to a body of believers, regardless of how imperfect that body may be. There are too many American Christians who have adopted the cultural standard of consumerism and applied it with gusto to how they go about picking, participating, and, sadly, staying at their local church. That's not to say that there aren't bad churches. But too often your typical Christian cuts and runs at the first sight of trouble. But how about this: does God ever call His people to stay and resolve things? Hmmm. We need the Church, plain and simple. Gathering as the Body of Christ on Sunday mornings or evenings is our part of our overall purpose to worship and glorify the Triune God. And in gathering as the body to worship Him, we realize the very nature of God as Triune, that God is the divine community that He calls us to imitate, and is bringing us to be a part of. I could go on.
Can a person be a Christian, that is, be saved in the name of Jesus Christ, apart from being a part of the Church? One respondent said, 'yes and no'. I think this is the most correct answer, though it would probably bother all who like 'black and white' answers. The ultimate answer is, of course, 'NO'. Once one is saved, you are a part of the Church. Christ does not save individuals for the sake of saving individuals. He saves them for a purpose, of which being saved for being a part of the Church, the divine community on earth that will one day be brought to perfection, is that chief part. Our individual salvation is part and parcel of being the Church. That is, there is a mystery to our salvation by which we are working out that salvation as being a part of the Body of Christ. God does not save individuals - He saves the nations, that is, He has called out a people who were not a people, who are now the people of God. There is no such thing as a 'lone ranger' Christian. He or she who thinks they are saved and don't need to participate in the local body are, I think, in for some sort of trouble along the way to Heaven's proverbial gates. If one has made a profession of faith, and then thinks they need not be a part of a local body, I would have serious misgivings concerning that person's profession or their understanding of what it means to be a Christian. At the same time, the answer is what I might call a partial 'yes' in that being a part of a local church does not automatically insure one's salvation, any more than my going into and sitting down on my garage's floor makes me a car. Attending all that the local church has to offer is not equated with salvation. God isn't sitting around checking off our attendance, or how many of our local church's weekly activities we've taken advantage of. This is not about earning our way into heaven via good church attendance. It's completely a heart issue. Do we not realize that we need one another because God has saved us to be His people, not just His person. I've essentially answered the last two questions in this one paragraph. I've met people who say, "I love Jesus, I just don't like the Church", and think that excuses them from participating in the local body. I've met some who say, "I don't need the local church, the leaders are corrupt, ect., ect., yada, yada, yada", and they think that God is looking down on them with a smile, thinking, "well done, good and faithful servant." Hmmmmmm. Don't think so. For one thing, we are interdependent upon one another. To withhold yourself from participating is tantamount to withholding who you are from God. It is hubris, plain and simple. It is ignorance of who God truly is, what He has saved you for. If you have found your local church's elders and/or pastor "corrupt" or not right, have you prayed about whether or not God is calling you to leave? If you have concluded that is so, humbly go about finding a new body of believers to call "home". There is no excuse for the believer who is disassociated from any and all churches. That person either deceived, and is not a believer, or they are ignorant of Scripture.
An Episcopal priest at the church where I first started doing full time youth ministry once said to me, "people don't believe in the devil, they should come work in the church." The Church is not an easy place to "live", let alone work. The moment you think you've found the "perfect" church, it will cease to be as soon as you join. And yet, the Church is the bride of Christ, too. When Paul tells men and women to submit to one another, wives submit to your husband, Paul also tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church - that is, be willing to live in such a way as you would be willing to die for your wife. Paul makes this important illustration based on God's fervant devotion to and love for the Church. If this is the heart of God, then we as those saved by God's love must understand that we are to be a part of the local church in order to understand God, and live out of His grace. It is being a part of the body that the Holy Spirit, in part, uses to transform us more and more into the image of the Son. It is joyful obedience to be a part of the Church, even when it's tough. But it is our calling.
Thoughts? Let me know...
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