GOD’S RESPONSE TO IMPERFECTION
While both members and non-members will occasionally comment on the failure of the church to live up to its own Gospel, it is Good News when we discover that within the church and the world, God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. In contrast to the society which demands perfection and delights in discovering weaknesses as a sign of failure, the church offers the promise that we can be accepted even in our imperfection and nurtured towards perfection.
We need to reflect on and provide concrete examples of how the Body of Christ addresses the hungers of the world. For example, in a world marked by greed and excessive materialism, the church provides a means to reflect on stewardship. In a world that hungers for experiences of intimacy, the church has a unique vision of community which cuts across age, economic, racial, and cultural divisions. In an age whose spirit has been numbed by the artificiality of high voltage entertainment provided by specialists, the Church offers the experience of worship which enables ordinary participants to offer praise to a different audience. In an age which exhibits a fear of commitment and a mistrust of community, the church offers the concept of covenant. In a time when people feel crushed by the pressures of time, the church proposes a rhythm which centers on the issue of the Sabbath.
SPIRITUAL HUNGER
Most importantly, in a culture that exhibits a great spiritual hunger and mass confusion about the relationship between spirituality and faith, the church offers itself as a window onto eternity. Historically people have identified certain high spots such Bethel, Mt. Sinai, Mt. Carmel, Mt. Zion, etc. as unique points where God and humanity could communicate more directly. The church makes the audacious claim to being a mobile window onto this eternity. “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)
In what way does Jesus’ body offer us salvation in a fractured, frightened, often despairing world? If Jesus is Lord and offers the church as the continuing expression of his saving presence, then even the inadequacy of a particular church cannot frustrate God’s plan of salvation. As was thoroughly debated during the period of the Reformation, the efficacy of the sacraments does not depend upon the perfection of those who administer them. The church is a continuing expression of God’s “power made perfect in our weakness.” This is double good news for a hurting world. If that saving experience is operating in our churches, then our ability to “name it” for those outside the church is a powerful invitation.
While both members and non-members will occasionally comment on the failure of the church to live up to its own Gospel, it is Good News when we discover that within the church and the world, God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. In contrast to the society which demands perfection and delights in discovering weaknesses as a sign of failure, the church offers the promise that we can be accepted even in our imperfection and nurtured towards perfection.
We need to reflect on and provide concrete examples of how the Body of Christ addresses the hungers of the world. For example, in a world marked by greed and excessive materialism, the church provides a means to reflect on stewardship. In a world that hungers for experiences of intimacy, the church has a unique vision of community which cuts across age, economic, racial, and cultural divisions. In an age whose spirit has been numbed by the artificiality of high voltage entertainment provided by specialists, the Church offers the experience of worship which enables ordinary participants to offer praise to a different audience. In an age which exhibits a fear of commitment and a mistrust of community, the church offers the concept of covenant. In a time when people feel crushed by the pressures of time, the church proposes a rhythm which centers on the issue of the Sabbath.
Most importantly, in a culture that exhibits a great spiritual hunger and mass confusion about the relationship between spirituality and faith, the church offers itself as a window onto eternity. Historically people have identified certain high spots such Bethel, Mt. Sinai, Mt. Carmel, Mt. Zion, etc. as unique points where God and humanity could communicate more directly. The church makes the audacious claim to being a mobile window onto this eternity. “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) (TO BE CONTINUED)
EXCERPTS FROM “IS THERE SALVATION IN THE CHURCH?
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