My kids become engrossed in video games. I guess anyone with kids knows that engrossed is a bit of an understatement. They become zombie-esque while they play video games. Anything other than the sights and the sounds of the game fade into oblivion before reaching their senses. I call to them, knowing they are impervious to my call. I call again and again. And finally, after a slight escalation in volume, their heads begin to turn away from the game…and yet their eyes remain fixed on the screen. They mumble, “yeah,” but have no idea what has been said. They are immersed in the game.
Over the last couple of years I have heard more and more Christians express their dissatisfaction with Christianity. The religion of Christianity has turned many away from their local church in order to pursue Christ on their own. Those with a burning desire to follow Christ find themselves stifled in the midst of others who claim to have that exact same desire. One by one, Christ-followers seem to be waking up from a zombie-like trance and seeing the glazed over looks in the pews next to them (or you can insert your Matrix image here)…and they are no longer satisfied with continuing Christianity as it has been handed to them.
What, if anything, has gone wrong with Christianity? And what, if anything, can be done to “fix” it?
Before I embark on answering these questions, let me admit that I am no expert. I have not started any successful program to solve the problems I perceive. These are just my thoughts and observations as I strive to live my life to glorify God.
In Romans 6 Paul addressed a potential problem in the church – people believing that since they had been immersed they could sin as much as they wanted to sin and allow more of God’s grace to cover them. (Whether we want to admit it or not, I fear that our current view of grace is nothing more than what Paul was addressing in this passage.) In order to combat this way of thinking, Paul says:
…don’t you know that all of us who were immersed into Christ Jesus were immersed into his death? We were therefore buried with him through immersion into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:3-4 – Note: I changed the NIV’s translation from “baptized/baptism” to “immersed/immersion.” The Greek word means to dip or immerse.)
Perhaps we have forgotten that we were immersed into Christ. Or perhaps our view of our baptism has been a limited view of our immersion. On October 15, 1982, I walked down the outside aisle of the church auditorium and filled out a card stating that I wanted to be baptized. Tears filled my eyes and ran down my cheeks. I knew that this was a turning point in my life. I vividly remember looking out over the people gathered that Wednesday night as Ray Melton said, “this is your new family.” Then he plunged me beneath the water and I came up a new person. The tears of joy continued the rest of that night.
If October 15, 1982 becomes the date of an event in my life, then I missed the point of my immersion. That would be like going through all the events of May 28, 1994 and then devoting myself to spend an hour a week with my wife…unless there was something better to do. If our immersion becomes an event instead of a complete immersion into the death of Christ and the new life that it brings, then Christianity is doomed to suffer the fate of adherents walking around with glazed over eyes wondering why they put so much effort into dressing up on Sunday mornings…and finding something better to do than spend an hour a week with the one to whom they pledged themselves.
Life as I know it is best when we are completely immersed in Christ.
Over the last couple of years I have heard more and more Christians express their dissatisfaction with Christianity. The religion of Christianity has turned many away from their local church in order to pursue Christ on their own. Those with a burning desire to follow Christ find themselves stifled in the midst of others who claim to have that exact same desire. One by one, Christ-followers seem to be waking up from a zombie-like trance and seeing the glazed over looks in the pews next to them (or you can insert your Matrix image here)…and they are no longer satisfied with continuing Christianity as it has been handed to them.
What, if anything, has gone wrong with Christianity? And what, if anything, can be done to “fix” it?
Before I embark on answering these questions, let me admit that I am no expert. I have not started any successful program to solve the problems I perceive. These are just my thoughts and observations as I strive to live my life to glorify God.
In Romans 6 Paul addressed a potential problem in the church – people believing that since they had been immersed they could sin as much as they wanted to sin and allow more of God’s grace to cover them. (Whether we want to admit it or not, I fear that our current view of grace is nothing more than what Paul was addressing in this passage.) In order to combat this way of thinking, Paul says:
…don’t you know that all of us who were immersed into Christ Jesus were immersed into his death? We were therefore buried with him through immersion into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:3-4 – Note: I changed the NIV’s translation from “baptized/baptism” to “immersed/immersion.” The Greek word means to dip or immerse.)
Perhaps we have forgotten that we were immersed into Christ. Or perhaps our view of our baptism has been a limited view of our immersion. On October 15, 1982, I walked down the outside aisle of the church auditorium and filled out a card stating that I wanted to be baptized. Tears filled my eyes and ran down my cheeks. I knew that this was a turning point in my life. I vividly remember looking out over the people gathered that Wednesday night as Ray Melton said, “this is your new family.” Then he plunged me beneath the water and I came up a new person. The tears of joy continued the rest of that night.
If October 15, 1982 becomes the date of an event in my life, then I missed the point of my immersion. That would be like going through all the events of May 28, 1994 and then devoting myself to spend an hour a week with my wife…unless there was something better to do. If our immersion becomes an event instead of a complete immersion into the death of Christ and the new life that it brings, then Christianity is doomed to suffer the fate of adherents walking around with glazed over eyes wondering why they put so much effort into dressing up on Sunday mornings…and finding something better to do than spend an hour a week with the one to whom they pledged themselves.
Life as I know it is best when we are completely immersed in Christ.
Great blog Steve! It confirms my belief that changes are coming for the Church (all believers). We have had many sermons and discussions in our small group as to the dissatisfaction we all feel with "church". There is so much more to being a christian that "going to church". Being fully immersed means bringing hope to a hurting world. Somehow that has gone by the wayside and we are more interested in what church program best suits my needs or my children's needs.
ReplyDeleteBTW, our preacher is leaving as of June 20th. In fact, he is getting out of preaching all together. He has started a blog that you might find interesting. danbouchelle@blogspot.com
Thanks for the comments, Jana. I think you hit on the heart of the church problem - selfishness. We all want our way without regard for others. It is what Paul was addressing with the Corinthian church when he wrote, "Love..." in I Corinthians 13.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that Dan is leaving and getting away from preaching...but know that he will continue to minister wherever his path leads. Thanks for sharing his blog with me.