The Church

One of my favorite memories as an adult has to do with defeat. Not something most would consider a shining moment, but there are times that defeat is necessary. I had recently called it quits with a long-time, on-again-off-again, boyfriend because I finally recognized that I didn’t want a life without God in it. Now at the time, God and I weren’t exactly on speaking terms; I was wrestling with images of a God who loved me, but required the impossible in order to be in His good graces. What offered the most confusion was what I saw in some of my long-time friends who had, what I can only explain as, joy – regardless of what was going on around them. They were living testimonies of having a relationship with a good God that I wasn’t sure I had officially met.

Don’t get me wrong, I grew up in the church! I was there with my family every time the doors were open and many times when there was no official service or gathering. I went through Sunday School, VBS (Vacation Bible School), Christian camps / retreats (anyone in Georgia remember Camp Glisson?), and then Youth Group. As much as “God is love” was taught, I also caught a lot of “God is angry.” There were requirements that had to be met in order to be in good standing with God, requirements that had to be met before taking communion, and even requirements that had to be met in order to be a 4th grade member of the church. Church attendance and dressing up to the nines was expected weekly, and beware of having any unconfessed sin – God knows what you did, but He wants to make sure you know what you did. In all of that, I seemed to miss where joy was to be found.

As far as my favorite adult memory goes, it’s my favorite because I started down a path for answers. I had flung my arms in the air and yelled at God: “Fine! I can’t escape You, but I don’t like You! If it’s going to be just You and me, show me who You are! Boy, did God show up! I went out and bought a Bible (a significant expense as a single mom), I opted to listen to sermons instead of watching night-time sit-coms, I started listening to the Christian radio station, praise and worship music found online replaced the CDs I’d wasted my money on, and I started to consider finding a church. I didn’t even know where to start! Have you ever read the different “Statement of Faith” sections for churches these days? Regardless of denomination, the majority of them are nearly identical (there are some that don’t believe in dancing, but David danced before the Lord and was considered a man after God’s own heart – those churches are missing out).

I decided to try out a church that was close by and had a service that didn’t start too early. Not wanting to go alone, I managed to talk my cousin into going with me. She and her husband, along with my daughter and I, attended church for the first time in years. Small groups made a brief appearance, but church became something we looked forward to. Fast-forward a dozen years and our family is again looking for a church. A “pandemic” (with a surprising survival rate) is not the best time to look for a church. We’re finding that some churches are not meeting in person – just online, some require a reservation to attend, and all require a mask – with no exceptions. Most of the churches are taking these steps for several reasons: state mandates is a big one and a “darned if you do, darned if you don’t” mentality is a close runner-up. In no way do I dispute that the Wuhan virus is a formidable virus for many, but I absolutely have issue when it seems to be okay that we close the doors of the Church out of fear.

I stumbled upon a video a few weeks ago, a video posted back in 2010, that made complete sense even in how harsh it was. A pastor had visited China and was there to minister and teach the leaders of the underground church. These people had spent more than a dozen hours traveling by train to get to a non-airconditioned room in which they sat on the hard wood floor for about 8 hours a day for 3 days straight. The pastor didn’t have enough Bibles for everyone, but was shocked to discover that it was common for them to have entire chapters memorized! Many had been imprisoned for their faith, but they still fought to meet together after being released. Near the end of their 3 days together, the pastor asked how he could pray for them. They asked that he pray that they would be able to gather in China the way we can gather in America. The pastor said that he wouldn’t pray for that. He went on to explain that if people have to drive more than an hour that they choose not to go; people in America will leave after about 40 minutes of sitting through a service; if there’s no A/C and no comfy seats then people don’t usually come back; and then he explained that the average American household had 2 Bibles that went unread while they had whole chapters memorized. He would not pray that they would be like America. Here’s the video:

I’m not one to look at the world and see doom and gloom, but with the abuse of power in our government, the lies and misinformation being fed through our mainstream media outlets (are we being told what to think or do we know how to think), the infringement of our Constitutional rights, and the censorship of free speech, all point to a severe loss of freedom.

“But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty once lost is lost forever.”  ~John Adams, 1775

John Witherspoon, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, said that history shows not a single instance where civil liberty was lost and religious liberty was preserved. If we allow unlawful mandates to continue, censorship of opinions that don’t agree with an agenda to continue, and fraudulent activity in our government to continue, what is the future of the Church? If we’re not allowed to meet or only allowed to meet according to the government’s allowances, we’re likely soon to lose the freedom to meet at all. When conservative voices and voices who disagree with the mainstream rhetoric are silenced, their freedom to voice their opinions and beliefs stripped, our freedom to meet together in worship to God will soon follow. What is the future of the Church?

When not faced with the obstacles of a “pandemic,” what is it that we look for in a church? Many would have something to say about the size of the congregation. Some prefer the larger numbers where they can blend in and not stand out while others desire the smaller, family-like atmosphere a church with fewer numbers offers. Then there’s the praise and worship, the children’s service options, small group availability, and how charismatic (or not) is the pastor. To lay it on the table for all to know, we’ve struggled to find a church for about six years. Sure, there’s at least 3 or 4 churches in every small town across the great United States of America (Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, and usually another denomination), but after going from church to church, I always walked away with the same cringe-worthy experience. It’s usually along the lines of “You’re saved by grace through faith BUT…” or “God loves you and sent His Son to die for you BUT…” 

I can’t help but wonder what draws those in China to the Church. Probably not the instruments used in the worship line-up or the children’s service or childcare options. What does scripture have to say about those areas we find ourselves so concerned with? Humor me by watching this other video I stumbled upon:

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-25 (NIV)

What do we want the Church to look like today? Is it a place that weekly entertains, offers a feel-good message with a little condemnation on the side – have to keep people in line after all, and accommodates the ever picky public? Do we rely on the pastor to read from the Bible without reading it for ourselves? Do we rely on Children’s Church to teach our children about making an eternal decision? Before, after, and in this “pandemic”… what does the Church of God look like? Perhaps the vision of the Church is unclear because so many of the individual institutions have bowed to the government, surrendering their Constitutional rights – and, more importantly, the marching orders received from God.

As I write this, I am well aware of the hypocrisy. I hate having to get up early on a Sunday morning to get myself and the family ready and to Church on time. I hate having to battle with potty breaks in the middle of praise and worship, or in the middle of a sermon with no childcare available. But I especially can’t stand when my husband and I have to do damage control with our kiddos – explaining that God isn’t mad at them, that they’re saved by grace through faith with no buts, and that miracles did not die with the apostles. I’m tired of having to tell my kiddos that a church isn’t supposed to be fearful, but faith-filled. I’m tired of being taught that there’s power in the blood of Jesus, but we need to fear a virus.

What is the solution? The solution is always going to have me pointing to God. He is the beginning, the end, and everything in-between. We need to turn off the news networks and open our Bibles. We need to see this for what it is: a spiritual attack that has to be fought in the Spirit. Let’s continue teaching God’s Word – His love, salvation, and goodness – and leave the job of convicting people to the Holy Spirit. He does it better. Let’s have faith that heals, faith that calms storms, faith that sends demons running. This is a call for the Church of the Almighty God to open wide the doors and take a stand. Will you attend?