Jay’s Travelogue

After the disintegration of our church last year we’ve been searching for a new one and I think we may have found it. It’s only taken about 10 months…

Click here to visit the church’s website.

I was thinking about this entire process (ordeal) the other day and it got me thinking about whether the church is even relevant any longer. In the end I think it still is, but certainly less so than it has been in then past and a lot of it is the fault of the church itself. Coincidentally the minister at our church preached on this same thing last Sunday as a part of the current series on Ethos.

Think about why a church exists, what it’s purpose is and what it means to the community it lives in.

First of all the church, as defined by The New Testament, is a body of like-minded believers, not a building. The Book of Acts describes the birth of the Church after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and shows how they grew and also how they behaved. The church detailed in the New Testament is often a far cry from the one that exists now. Too often modern day churches could be better described as selfish, exclusionary, prosperity-centric clubs. Our former church was not prosperity-centric, but had the other two down pretty well, much to my surprise. Since we left I’ve discovered that some of my non-caucasian friends did not feel at home in the church and the one time I did go back for a visit I got a little taste of it in relation to the black guest minister that day (who delivered a fantastic message). I found myself sickened and sad for the members.

How can a church serve by excluding people? Is there not enough hurt and pain in the world?

So what is the church doing to help heal the pain and suffering in the world? If the answer is nothing then what’s the point? Jesus Christ came to earth and changed everything. What are we doing?

Jesus reached out to the sick, tax collectors, lepers, and the condemned. He said to give to the needy, not to judge, to love our enemies, and to, above all else, love God and others.

So how do you think we, as the church, are doing? I think we’re wrong all too often and turn away a lot of hurting people because they aren’t like us and perhaps, because they make us uncomfortable. If we’re going to be relevant then we’re going to have to go outside our comfort zone and we’re going to have to be genuine human beings. If we’re not willing to be real and accept people for who they are then we might as well pack it in and stay home on Sunday, Wednesday and whenever it is we get together. We’re going to have to stop focusing on things that are irrelevant and start focusing on people, just like Christ.

Fortunately, whether the church as it exists today is relevant to the world or not, God always will be.

iTunes is playing Speeding Cars from the album “Goodnight and Go – Single” by Imogen Heap

I heard on the radio last night that one reason Barack Obama’s grandfather became a Muslim was because he felt that Christianity was weak, that turning the other cheek and forgiving your enemy was weak. This thinking seems contradictory to me.

Does it take a stronger man to kill his enemy or is the stronger man the one who can live side by side with him, in peace, knowing they disagree?
Does violence ever really solve a problem or does it make it grow, often becoming a generational problem?

The problem here is not one of weakness, it is one of both patience and character. The violent cannot allow time the opportunity to heal or allow themselves to see past the easy answer. Violence disregards all other human characteristics beyond mere aggression. Acts of violence are acts of base humanity. In violence you become one dimensional, a weapon. There may be cunning in the execution and planning of violence, but none in the act itself. Violence is not strength, it is weakness personified.

Most often, violence is displayed by those that are without hope, at their wits end, seeing no way out. Is that strength or weakness?

Wars, which are the epitome of violence, are typically brought on by prideful men seeking glory. In the end, the instigators always lose the war and usually their lives through another act of violence.

The strong resolve their issues through mutual peace, the weak never resolve their issues through violence.

Christ spoke of living together in peace and loving one another. He showed He was anything but weak. He allowed himself to be killed to save all mankind. Everyone sees that he was killed but far too many overlook the fact that he didn’t stay dead. He proved that true strength rises above violence. He is not dead, unlike those that thought they were putting him to death. Christ still lives today. Someone please tell me how that is weak.

iTunes is playing Letter From Home from the album “The Road To You (Live)” by Pat Metheny

I haven’t posted anything here in awhile but I also haven’t gone away. This is a very busy time of the year for everyone and it’s no different in our house.

For now, my wish is that everyone has a blessed and joyous Christmas! Spend as much time with your family and friends as you can (there’s no better time of the year to give the gift of forgiveness). Relax, take it easy, eat a little too much and go out for an extended walk. Enjoy nature, God’s miraculous creation.

Speaking of Christmas, why don’t we tell everyone we meet to have a Merry Christmas instead of the watered down Happy Holidays? The entire reason we have this holiday is because of the birth of Christ. Let’s buck the trend and say Merry Christmas!

So…MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

iTunes is playing: Quadra’s Domain from the album “Streamlines” by Tom Scott

Our church is going through a difficult time right now and all the trouble is being brought about by people who should know better. When Christians attack Christians it has to make you wonder whether they’re truly Christians at all, but I think it’s a different issue entirely. I think it’s a loss of focus. A loss of focus on what it means to be a Christian, which is to be like Christ.

I read an article recently that talked about how the Christian faith and the Muslim faith have both been violent throughout their histories. No need to argue with that assertion because it’s true, at least to a point.

Those that have actually read the Bible know that Jesus Christ came to earth to put a stop to all of the violence. He was the one who said that if your enemy strikes you on one cheek that you are to give him the other one. Jesus was the one who said to “Love your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself” as well as “the greatest commandment is love”.

Those aspects of Jesus Christ are the lens I use, and we must all use, to determine whether someone is acting as Christ would. He came to this planet to understand why it is so hard for us to behave and why we just don’t seem to get it. After all he went through, and after all the abuse he took, he left us with words of love.

Christ cares for us above all else, more even than his own life. If only we could get ahold of this principle and treat each other as if we care about others above all else. The entire world would be a lot better off.

iPod is playing God Is Not Sleeping from “Issues – Options” by Phil Roy