Church Killers: These Others Are All Wrong
I think it is safe to say most everyone hated group work in school. Inevitably of the four in the group, one did all the work, one sat and did everything else but the work, one kept disagreeing on everything that was decided causing drama, and the last one never showed up. Group assignments were terrible, and I believe, designed to mess up the GPA rankings. It was always better to work on assignments individually. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for faith. It’s one of the few places where we find ourselves realizing that we are better together. One small to medium sized church may only be able to do very good but small ministry. If, however, you put together 5-6 small to medium churches, you can do incredible things for God’s kingdom.
That is not so easy in our day and time. We find ourselves in a time and place where judgment, anger, and disagreements abound, and where people do not want to even see and speak to each other, let alone work together in life and ministry for God. Much of that stems from two places: we insist on being right, and we demand that everybody agree with us.
If you’re a devout follower of Paul’s writings, you may be well aware that Paul believes everyone should be on the same page and that the Holy Spirit will do that for us. If it doesn’t happen, though, that is probably your fault according to Paul. But I’m not so sure Jesus demanded we all agree in order to work together in faith. There is only one single demand in Jesus’s words for us to have faith, and that is to believe in and follow him. Jesus and Nicodemus did not come to an understanding. Jesus and Peter often went back and forth on what Jesus was saying. Martha bickered to Jesus when her sister Mary didn’t help with the food preparation and chores, and there is nothing to say she agreed with his answer of telling her to mind her own business because Mary was doing what was right.
But those thoughts to Martha are exactly what Jesus tells us when we are tempted to say, “I’m right and everyone else and every other church is wrong!” Listen to the words of the Gospel: “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” Now, here, the word “judge” means criticism or condemnation. Certainly, if someone wrongs you, there is a need to acknowledge wrongdoing and repent. But criticism based in condemnation has no place in God’s kingdom, for God is the one who judges, and we are the ones who practice love and grace in a way that it brings others to God’s kingdom.
I’ll never forget a church lady I dealt with years ago. She was the kind who criticized, condemned, and nitpicked at everything: the sleeves on a lady’s dress were too short, now too long, that person’s makeup was too heavy, his scruff was showing and unshaved, their car was dirty, another lady’s neckline was too plunge-y, her roots were showing, his socks didn’t match, and every single one of these critical, nitpicky things made it real in her mind that people this messy just could not possibly be in God’s kingdom. But who is the one judging and running afoul of Jesus’s commands? She got so wrapped up in those specks in her neighbors’ eyes, she missed the large plank in her own.
But what if it’s not just one nitpicky person. What if the whole church says something like, “We preach the true gospel. These other churches and denominations are all wrong, and it will cost them eternal life with God.” I actually heard this in a church I played for, and I decided to play “When We All Get to Heaven,” for the postlude just to stir up a bit of drama. The truth is that God does not need us to be Heaven’s bouncers. God calls us to be shepherds guiding people to the truth of God’s redeeming love.
Leviticus, in the most Levitical way, lists a whole series of things to avoid: don’t twist justice in legal matters, don’t slanderously gossip about people, don’t stand idle when someone is threatened, don’t nurse hatred in your heart, and don’t seek revenge or bear a grudge. All of these things eat us alive in mind and spirit. And all of these things damage our physical and faith communities. Jesus pulls the wisdom from our Old Testament, which says, “Always judge people fairly.” To the people, Jesus then says, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.”
Why is this criticizing mindset such a problem? Rev. Benjamin Cremer says, “When our theology and politics as Christians is completely preoccupied with how other people might be sinning rather than how our own sin contributes to the problems of our world, that is when we know our religion is about control rather than redemption.” If someone has an issue, a sin, or a shortcoming in their life, God will deal with it. I promise you that God is powerful enough to convict people of what they do wrong, and God doesn’t need your help. Seek first the strength of your own relationship with God, then offer love and redemption to others, not criticism and nitpicking.
We live in a time where we cannot afford to judge and criticize. Churches are shrinking and closing. Faith is being tested, not so much by challenges from outside of faith, but by people who would exploit it from within for their own personal gain. It has been the hallmark of Disciples of Christ churches that we seek to work with others for the good of God’s kingdom. We don’t need a theological checklist to say that it is good to work together as a church and with other churches to feed the poor and hungry, to visit those in nursing homes and facilities, to bring gifts to mothers and children in shelters, to pray together to the God who loves us and calls us to this mission of following Christ here on earth.
I have learned that most people don’t like group work. It’s messy, complicated, and difficult to navigate. But I have also learned that one person can’t visit every shut in. One person can’t run a soup kitchen. One person praying is powerful, but there is something about a whole church or even several churches uniting and praying together. Jesus called all sorts of folks to be his disciples and wove them together through their faith in him and desire to follow him. Alone, we can probably have a good relationship to God. But together we can bring hope to our entire community. May we work for that bigger and broader hope.
Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/587284186404749