Thursday, August 02, 2007

Pickin' n Choosin'

Not surprisingly, we don't fit in everywhere we go. We don't belong in some groups, other groups don't suit us and finally, isn't this the age when we can pick and choose where we wish to place our time and energies?

Churches are like this. People come and go through the membership without much trouble. Don't like the Preacher? Move to another church. Gotta beef with the music, go find another place to worship.

While we may bemoan the light-handed move from church to church, or how we move from belief system to belief system, we are a marketplace kind of people. We follow our preferences. We find those who are like us and who like us.

When the Kingdom comes, we will all be at the Table together. Differences and preferences will not matter. All those who love Christ will be one.

Until that time, let's remember that while everyone should be people like us, people aren't just like us.

In the best possible world, we would learn the discipline of belonging regardless of how we feel about the preacher, the music or the congregation. We'd decide that the Body of Christ where we were was where we needed to be. We'd work out the differences by committing ourselves to loving anyway, being a person of peace anyway.

No one wants to hear this. Our desire for self-fulfillment and comfort overcomes us.

I am sure that you have valid reasons for why you choose a homogenus life.

Looking at the bottom of my flip-flop,

St. Casserole

12 comments:

Elaine (aka...Purple) said...

That will preach!!!

[and trenchant as one of my seminary professors used to ask us when we wrote our exams]

Karen Sapio said...

Thanks for this. I had a member in full rant last month about how we needed to do away with all written, corporate prayers because they are coercive and stifle the spiritual liberty of our members.

Lori said...

"Until that time, let's remember that while everyone should be people like us, people aren't just like us."

Well now and there it all is, right there.

Well said.

Princess of Everything (and then some) said...

(((hugs you tight)))

I adore you AND your flip flops.

Mark Smith said...

If we HAVE choices (in other words, there are other churches in the area), what is wrong with choosing the one that fits best?

While moving around a lot is a bad thing, I have to think that staying in a situation that is at best uncomfortable for you (and at worst unhealthy) is also a bad thing.

Elaine said...

I am blessed with still belonging to the congregation I was born into. Yes, it is a very homogenous gathering. It always has been. However, it is also very good at hanging onto people and families for generations. That means that I see dozens of people every week that I have literally known since I was baptized as an infant.

As cool and comfortable as that is, it also means that we have all had to learn to get beyond the bumps and adolescences in the road.

I had never really thought about it as a discipline of belonging, but it is.

Elaine
Norman, OK

Gracebythesea said...

Preach it Sista. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set US ALL free!

Jody Harrington said...

~singing~
A--a--men.A--a--a---men.A-A-men. A-men. A-men.
~sing it over~

The Simpleton said...

I love this and think of the final scene in "Places in the Heart."

And Amen.

seethroughfaith said...

When the Kingdom comes, we will all be at the Table together. Differences and preferences will not matter. All those who love Christ will be one.

especially love that bit

Sue said...

Amen.

Unknown said...

Well said.