My father-in-law is a “sayings” dad. He is one of those fathers who has funny saying for nearly everything.
If you stand at the refrigerator with the door open, trying to figure out what to eat, he’ll say, “Take a picture. It’ll last longer.”
If he is in the car and is second in line at a red light and the person in front of him is not paying attention when the light turns green, he’ll say, “What are you waiting for, an invitation? It’s not going to get any greener!”
If you stand between him and the television when he’s trying to watch a show, he’ll say, “You make a great door, but a lousy window.”
This last one really got me thinking. I wonder sometimes if the church makes a great door, but a lousy window. Though we can help people get to Jesus, they often don’t want to because we make it difficult for people to see Jesus.
The church often hinders people’s ability to see who Jesus really is. We have done such a poor job of being an authentic community that humbly seeks truth, loves one another, and unselfishly serves our neighbors, that even if people want to learn about Jesus, it’s hard for them to get past the gatekeepers of the church. Even when we have nice doors, we often keep those doors tightly locked (metaphorically speaking).
So many people look at the church as a representation of Jesus, and if they don’t like what they see, they think, “If that is what Jesus-followers are like, I want nothing to do with Jesus.” Often, when people think they are rejecting Jesus, they are really just rejecting a twisted representation of Him in the church.
Personally, I love both Jesus and the church. When I sometimes seem critical of church, it is only because I am trying to clean away some of the grime and dust that keep people from seeing a clear representation of Jesus Christ. This is not just in my writing, but in my practice as well.
What are you doing to help people see Jesus more clearly?
I suggest that people seek out a church and walk in and listen to how they praise. Then maybe next time go back and listen to only the ministry. See if they like one with out the other. Then if the answer is yes, go to a full service.
Maybe learn to praise on your own, in your house, in your car, wherever you feel like it. Some people “need the church” to get them closer to God. Others truly find themselves hindered by it.
Most people I know respond positively to the question “So you like Jesus, but but not the church?” (or substitute the word Christians). I am surprised at how many people are familiar with Gandhi’s statement “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.”
I rarely use the term Christian to describe myself to others. I use the term “I follow Jesus”, or occasionally “I’m spiritual, but not religious” (which always provokes questions).
The terms church and Christian convey very negative messages to many people I know, usually based on personal experiences they have had with churches and/or Christians.
Sam, you are right. Some recent books have shown this too, such as “They Like Jesus, but not the Church” by Dan Kimball and “UnChristian” by Kinneman and Lyons.
I fear that the church will not recognize the Master’s visitation much like the Jews missed Jesus 2000 years ago. They are so confident that he is returning in the ‘literal’ clouds that they might fail to see him how he really is.