Introduction
It has come to be that our churches are in disorder–I'm not speaking of sins here, but you can perhaps label this a sin, I speak of the structure of the church. Our churches are fractured, there is rampant division and a lack of connection. What are the effects of that? Well, naturally it leads to a state of corrosion, where each of us within that system becomes a worse version of ourselves. Not in sullying our salvation, but in staining what it means to be human and further, to be in community. When a church has abandoned its people, it will soon cease to be–for the church is nothing more than US, you and I, reading this letter. It pains me that many of our members are suffering, while we have the ability to help them. That many struggle and still we walk past them–there is to be a community, a familial system where each person is secured in the church. Sadly, that is not what we see. The churches have become a place of theory, where we focus much on theology–and dogmatic beliefs, rather than doing like Christ commanded, helping the least of these. We are all burdened, we all come with our baggage, yet it mustn't be so that we are all isolated–or one helped and another cast out. Below I speak of three things we as a church need to URGENTLY focus on, if we ignore these (God-forbid what I'm about to say does not happen), but our churches will simply be toppled ONE BY ONE. There is already a crisis in the church, where many are rejecting it, many are leaving it–if we do not mitigate the cause(s) of this great exodus, the churches will be empty.
Priority 1
There is a disconnect in the church(es) regarding the youth and adults. It’s as if each has their camp and is made ready for war. This is evidence of the fracture within the church, where division seems to run rampant. First, at the group level (being adult vs youth) and secondly, at the individual level–where each person within the group themselves feel isolated, until we arrive at the individual; where everyone feels themselves to be alone. The church cannot continue like this, all of this fracture is merely pushing each of us further away from the other.
Priority 2
There are many sermons in the churches on abstract ideas and burdensome rules, yet not much on practical issues. Much speech on avoiding sin and not many on HOW to avoid sin. Much sermons on the coming of Christ and not many on living daily in Christ. Much on perfection and not much on sanctification. Much on Satan and the end of times and not much on the anxieties which prevails on us daily. Is theology important? Yes indeed. Speak on sin? Yes. But these are not the only things the Christian must focus on. Christ is coming, I will agree, there is an afterlife, that is true, but what about the life we are currently living–why must we ignore the present, and put an emphasis on the far distant future?
The members seem to be ignored, or feel as such, they come on Saturdays/Sundays eager to listen to the word–eager to be fed, yet they go home with the same redundant sermon over and over and over again. We must preach and teach on things pertaining to their well-being, one cannot live for Christ if they do not live well. I speak not of riches, but of well-being. Our emotional, mental, intellectual and physical health is not separate from our spirituality. For the command is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37).” This means our being is given to Christ–and as far as we are all aware, the human is a composite being. Therefore, it is wise to remember that. That yes we must study the bible, but as well we need to worry about our mental health. Yes, we need to sing songs and overcome sin, as well we need to learn. Yes, we need to go to church, as well we need to take care of the body.
“The life of the church must be linked with the life of the people.”( From: The Cost of Discipleship, Memoir section written by G. Leibholz)
If such a statement holds true, then our churches cannot function if the members are themselves incapable of functioning. There is no church without US. If we are all sick, so is the church. If one of us is sick, likewise the church is so. For we exclaim to be a body, composed of parts–is it not the physical body when one part is in pain, renders the whole to be unwell?
Priority 3
We need to provide resources for people. I command many of you who are dependable in that area. It is good that we have individuals knowledgeable on certain of these issues. However, I feel as if we need a support system, a sort of group support. This can be done in little–big brother groups; in a mass church chat, or various small ones where people are in groups together. The specifics of that you can decide as well. There also is the case that perhaps we pool in our resources, that is we create google doc files and insert links that could help people when in time of need.
But all this is good and all, yet there remain the conversations that need to be had in the churches. Honest discussions and open-heart responses—which satisfies pressing questions. I propose two things: (1) That the youth and elders (perhaps they choose delegates) who will on a Saturday afternoon sit down and have discussions. Where each side brings their concerns, each speaks on a compromise–on a way to remedy the broken relationship. (2) Which leads to perhaps another Saturday where the entire church is involved, a sort of round table, where we each speak on the issue as it is.
Conclusion
The church is a wonderful place to be, but we cannot ignore that it is not perfect. I'm not perfect, I who speak to you have my vices–I’m merely as you are, i'm not above you nor better than you and vice versa. We are all struggling, we all carry a burden–yet it mustn't be that some of us are crushed by it. Sadly, though there are some who are visibly crushed, there are many others in danger of the same fate. Practically there comes issues, however, together we can do something–at the very least. I know you are all busy, I'm aware you have families–nor do I call you to abandon that or let these relationships dry-up. Yet I'm sure we can all plan a Saturday or two to deal with these pressing matters–matters which pertain to both the soul and bodies of those we call “Sister and Brother.”
Below is a statement from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I believe we can all exclaim that to be the state of our church:
“The real trouble is that the pure Word of Jesus has been overlaid with so much human ballast -burdensome rules and regulations, false hopes and consolations-that it has become extremely difficult to make a genuine decision for Christ. Of course, it is our aim to preach Christ and Christ alone, but, when all is said and done, it is not the fault of our critics that they find our preaching so hard to understand, so overburdened with ideas and expressions which are hopelessly out of touch with the mental climate in which they live. It is just not true that every word of criticism directed against contemporary preaching is a deliberate rejection of Christ and proceeds from the spirit of Antichrist. So many people come to church with a genuine desire to hear what we have to say, yet they are always going back home with the uncomfortable feeling that we are making it too difficult for them to come to Jesus." (The Cost of Discipleship).
God be with you all.
Komen