Thoughts on the Church

And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ~ Matthew 16:18-19

Last Sunday I spoke about the church. Ever since then this idea of church has been resonating in my heart and soul. The church. There are a variety of ways to describe the church. You can describe it as: The House of God, The House of Prayer, The Father’s House, and many other descriptors. The one description I find most compelling is FAMILY. The family of God. God is our Father. And Jesus is my elder brother. 

I appreciate the family I grew up in. I am one of nine children that was raise Catholic in North East Ohio. I have five sisters and three brothers. My older brother is Danny. At times we would fight, wrestle in the house, get upset with one another. But outside the house we would look out for one another. Danny did at times look out for me. He stood up for me on a number of occasions. One occasion stands out as I type this devotion.

I was a sophomore in high school. I had earned a varsity letter in wresting, and I had just gotten my letter man’s jacket. I wore it proudly everywhere I went. One Friday night Dan and I decided to go to a high school football game. I think it was Brecksville High School playing Strongsville High School. I wore my Walsh Jesuit High School letter jacket to the game. We just enjoyed watching the game and watching the fans as well.

After the game was over, we were walking out. I was a little in front of my brother Dan. Four students from Strongsville HS approached me. They wanted to see if a student from Walsh HS wearing a letter men’s jacket could fly. They were discussing the flight arrangements with me when my older brother walked up. He basically told them that the flight arrangements needed to be canceled. Canceled because he was my older brother and any flight arrangements had to go through him. Additionally, these four students needed to know that as the older brother he thoroughly enjoyed a good fight. The four students looked at him and looked at me and very wisely decided to walk away. I thanked my brother, but I told him that I thought I could take the four of them. He laughed. He told me I have so much to learn.

I would note that I have learned that I have an elder brother in the family of God – Jesus. He took on sin, death, hell, satan himself and was victorious. It seems to me that Jesus enjoys a good fight as well, especially it seems when he is defending and protecting a family member. It is good having an older brother like Jesus, interceding and watching out for me and all those who follow him.

The other factor I appreciate about the church is its diversity. The church has this ability to draw people from all kinds of different backgrounds, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, races, and the list could go on. It is a very cool reality. 

What saddens me, as I listen to people, instead of appreciating our diversity we look for reasons to divide and separate from one another. We use artificial criteria for fellowship with one another.

• Do you sing hymns or choruses?
• Are you KJV only or one of those heretical versions?
• Are you Arminian or Calvinist?
• Are you eternally secure or on again and off again?
• Do you speak in tongues? Or did that cease in the first century?
• Is it piano – organ only or any instrument including harmonicas and cow bells on stage Sunday morning?
• Is it suit and tie for the preacher or Hawaiian shirts?
• Worship on Sunday only or Saturday is the Sabbath?
• Women in leadership or only in the Nursery and Children’s ministry?
• Is it congregational rule, elder rule, pastor rule, or no rules?

I think sometimes we spend too much time with what makes us different instead of what pulls us together. Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, our king and our Redeemer pulls us together and not apart. 

I have learned this about life – you tend to find what you are looking for. If you are looking for reasons to separate and divide you can easily find it. If you are looking for reasons not to come to church. Or just stay home and criticize and throw shade on the church, you can easily find any number of reasons. However, If you are looking for reasons to come together. To add. To multiply. To worship corporately. And to find family. You can find that as well. Psychologists tell us that most of us suffer from “confirmation bias.” That is a way of saying “we tend to find what we are looking for.” Tragically after finding all those things, we are looking for we develop an additional disease, “excessive certainty.” Excessive certainty minimizes curiosity and wonder and listening to others who may not agree with you.

Here is the antidote – the foot of the cross. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. There is equality and common ground at the foot of the cross. That’s where I want to be. Right there where it all began. In Jesus name amen.