to see, more people are calling themselves Christians while more Christians are
denying the title for all its negative connotations. Have you heard anyone
claim their faith as “believer” or “follower of Christ” or “Jesus lover”?
That’s dandy, and true. But the term “Christian” has been taken away from us,
much as the symbol of the rainbow has. As a young person learning that I am in
the midst of much needed revelation and change for “the church,” I fear the
negativity toward the church. I fear for non-believers because it will keep
them away, and for believers because of unforgiveness and bitterness toward
those who have been getting it wrong. I fear the anger I’ve seen. I fear more
splitting, more division dangerously close at hand within the whole Christian
body. I pray it doesn’t happen that leaders who are making right changes due to
convictions about how the church has been failing begin to find new titles. I
don’t want to see a new movement rise up again only to lose itself in its
mission once more. I want to see the church be taken back; for the term
Christian to be taken back. To bring
them back to mean the body of Christ and Christ-like. The only way to know
those meanings is through Christ himself and we find him in the Word, our
Bibles, and in prayer. I think this means we must look at the broken church
with a heart of forgiveness. Jesus saw the broken and flawed and he forgave
them, then said, “now sin no more.” Forgiveness and correction. Jesus was, is, for the church, his bride, so I want
to be, too. Jesus’ heart probably breaks for her, I want mine to, too. Let us
lift the church back up to what it should be, not break it down.
“And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything
they had… they worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the
Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity- all while
praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord
added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” Acts 2.44, 46-47
-Ashley
I love what you said Ashley! Forgiveness and correction are essential to the Church and are such a representation of the heart of Christ. I feel like casting aside the institution of church that causes nominal Christianity can help to build and restore the Body of Christ.
Great thoughts, Ashley! I think it’s thrilling to create new titles and jump behind new ideas but boy do I agree that forgiveness, a very old idea, is where we ought to begin. We don’t need fresh ideas as much as we need the freshness of the Spirit! (Those Acts passages are so beautiful.)
I think it is interesting that we have such a hard time attaching labels to certain beliefs and thought processes simply because we are afraid of the connotation it will present to others. If we are Christians, we should desire to be proud to proclaim this truth.
Kate J…completely agree.
I completely agree with the need for us to forgive the church. I have found myself a few times this last week thinking “How could the church have gotten so off track?” But if this line of thought becomes too prevalent then it is hard to move on and actually come up with solutions to re-imagine the church. Forgiveness of the churches flaws is one of the first steps to moving forward.
Many churches are out there who come up with ways to draw people in, but they are not teaching the whole truth of the Bible. Many “christians” choose a church by what it does for them and not how they can serve Christ. We want our ears tickled. (I look in my past, and I use to do this, not really realizing it at the time.) Even though many churches need to make changes or not exist at all, and Christians need to examine themselves, Christ is in control and calls those He wants to follow Him!
Ashley, I was moved by your post. Thanks. BTW – Robi, with the “heqrt” is my wife. 🙂
heart that is:-)
Amen Ashley! loved the heqrt of this writing.
I agree completely that reclaiming the terms christian and church are vital for change and revelation to actually occur. To view these words as negative or get rid of them completely will not be the source of revolution, rather they must be redefined by believers and our society. I love your idea of forgiving the church. I think there is a balance between being skeptical and critical of church, and we must open our eyes to not only the bad that is occurring, but also the good. The current church doesn’t necessarily need to be destroyed, I think, but revived, redefined, and then forgiven.