BLOG 7/20/18. “WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS SO CRITICAL OF THE CHURCH?”
One of my dearest friends would occasionally ask me the probing question: “Why are you always so critical of the church?” My response was to refer her to God’s calling to Jeremiah the (7th century BC) prophet from Israel’s history: “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. … to pluck up and break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer. 1:9-10). I had to explain that God’s calling of Jeremiah was because Israel, which was called to be a holy nation, had long-since forgotten that calling, and had contrived a comfortable religious structure which was high on God’s promises, but totally oblivious and forgetful of the purpose and demands given to it in its own founding, namely its calling to be obey the law, the Torah, which was to define its character which would set it apart from other nations.
God had to send prophets to Israel because they had forgotten Torah, i.e., their own calling, purpose, identity, and instructions.
God also told Jeremiah that it was unlikely that Israel would hear what he was saying, since they were completely self-satisfied with their reinterpreted sense of their uniqueness. Later, God would send Micah (8th century BC) to rebuke Israel again: “… and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:9). One can easily summarize the message of all of the prophets to Israel in a reminder to: remember Torah. Israel could not be a light to the nations if they forgot their calling and the character they were to demonstrate as they conformed to the teachings of the Torah, the Mosaic law.
So, then, here we are looking at so much the ostensible church in the 21st century, which has forgotten that its very designation: ek-klesia (translated into English as church) means ‘called out’. The church is a people called-out to herald in both spoken word, and in obedient lives, the teachings and mission of Jesus. The church is called out to be the continuing presence of Christ in the world. The church is called out to demonstrate God’s New Creation, his kingdom, in flesh and blood community.
Sadly, far too often, the church re-interprets is reason for being into something far less than that. It becomes complacent about its own calling to be the missionary arm of the Holy Trinity, and becomes a merely human religious institution, many of whose members cannot even articulate the teachings of Jesus to which and for which they are called. Those new creation communities may begin well, focused on their calling, and teaching one another and encouraging one another in this calling. But all too soon, forgetfulness sets in, and missional obedience is replaced by entertaining church activities. Their communal lights go out.
I had to explain to my cherished friend and inquirer that one could not “build and plant” positively until all those evidences of forgetfulness and gospel disobedience were exposed, plucked up, broken down, and destroyed. This, I explained, was the necessity of critical rebuke, which also is a God-given ministry.
I hasten to add, that such critical rebuke can easily become a very useless function when it becomes carping criticism born out of selfish dissatisfaction. It must always be done in love, and with positive intent, i.e., with kindness and humility. What this reminds us of is that we need to be continually engage in those disciplines that will keep the community contagious with message and mission given to us by Jesus Christ when he calls us to himself.
At the heart of our calling is that we are to demonstrate the love of God in all our relationships, in both mutual encouragement and nurture, and in our ministry of rebuke and reproof within the community. “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples in that you love one another.” Run with it!
