PASTORAL REFLECTIONS - July 2008

 
I was browsing through the Seminary bookstore recently and came upon a new book by Dan Kimball entitled They Love Jesus but Hate the Church: Insights into an Emergent Generation. Wow! That caught my eye! Kimball apparently made the rounds at coffee houses with young adults (the Emergent Generation or “EC’rs) talking about Jesus, Christianity and church in general. He actually did a word association type of questioning with them: “What do you think of when you hear the name ‘Jesus?’ and “What do you think when you hear the word ‘Christian?’ The conclusion became the title of the book – they’re crazy about Jesus but dislike the church. Among the reasons for this are these three that stood out for me:
 
1. The church is organized religion with a political agenda.
2. The church is judgmental and negative
3. The church is arrogantly claims all other religions are wrong.
 
As I skimmed through the book, I found myself getting a little defensive about “the church” even as I concurred with them I’m crazy about Jesus. But I love “the church” - even when I fight with it or disagree with it.  And as I think about our Good Shepherd community, I would disagree that we hold to any of the above three reasons for “hating the church.”  I’ve never believed this congregation has a political agenda or is judgmental and negative or arrogantly claims other religions wrong. As a matter of fact, I’ve seen us as open, tolerant, able to disagree amicably, friendly, positive, and far from arrogant about our faith. And I believe there are a great many more like us out there.
 
Writer Tim Ferrill (“the back page”, HOMILETICS, volume 20) thinks the EC movement has forgotten there are about 300,000 churches in this country –which suggests that there are a lot of people who love the church and love Jesus. Maybe the EC’rs mean they hate the “institution.” And history shows there are likely many reasons to hate the institution. Pick a time in history –the Crusades, pre-Reformation Roman Catholicism, etc.
 
I am reminded the word “church” means “the gathered,” not primarily “institution.” Jesus’ passion was to gather, teach, bless, forgive, and love communities. And he sought to forge those gathered to do the same.  True, he also made some pretty tough demands if God’s presence was going to be uncovered among them – love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, be servants, feed the hungry, visit the sick and imprisoned, etc. But communities following after Jesus are always going to struggle with his teachings. Some of them go against our way of living.  Still, I love the church struggling to fulfill Jesus’ mission on earth. And I believe a living Christ still loves the church with all its warts and bruises.  

Pastor Ron