We have designed within our minds an ideal church that is two things; happy and safe. However, this isn't reality. This isn't the church that Jesus built. Yet, it is the very weave we choose to form organizational tactics.
The Jesus-Life continues to be the ultimate call for every heart. Its powerful impact remains available for today's world; yet, its designed strength has been sabotaged and weakened. And, what would I know about it as I am among the weakest? Therefore, my judgment is based upon looking at our world and looking at His Word.
I see a calling for drastic adjustment.
The Jesus-Life is often the opposite of our tendencies. We seem to believe we can/should choose where to serve; find a place that makes us feel needed and useful. The underlying criteria is that it shall not make us uncomfortable. However, this is not necessarily losing our life due to our crosses strapped to our backs. No, we are driven by a state of religious convenience which permits individuals to hide from reaching the world while carrying out various church works....in quite demanding safety.
Edwin H. Friedman spells out a concept in his book, A Failure of Nerve that we have become a "seatbelt society". He expresses this term to point out that we are creatures of safety over adventure. A thirst for safety directly impacts our talk, our doctrine, our walk, our entire mission. Fundamentally, far too many of us are afraid to venture even into additional truths of the Bible because we operate from safety of not being challenged by nor in trouble with co-believers.
Churches are clearly buckled up with seatbelts of safety and, thus, stymied from opportunity. As long as one perpetually looks over his/her shoulder to see if what one is discovering from God is going to be accepted, we are basically shut down; focused toward where we have been with no vision for where we are going.
We are left with the repeated motions of what we have always believed. To buckle up with our religious seatbelts of safety is a drastically costly move. It is costing us friends, relatives, and neighbors as they don't find life among us....just more church habit. The demand for religious habit was what called for the killing of Jesus. He was living without a seatbelt.
I would encourage us to unbuckle. Drive the lanes of faith without seatbelts. Yes, some of us might die to our biases, preferences, and whims....but hasn't this been the call for every believer all along?
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