There are thoughts that I have that irritate me.
They do so, because they just refuse to leave me still.
One of the questions that bug me, is reading the book of Acts, as you may recall I’ve been doing of late, the question keeps cropping up to me, what would life be like if we lived by the power of the Holy Spirit? Wouldn’t it be a bit different to life as we live it presently?
That is an ongoing annoying question that thankfully is leading to answers and changed behaviours, slowly – inexorably slowly – but surely.
What has also been bugging me of late, however, is the thought of regularly attending church services with familiar strangers.
Spectator church invites me to turn up to a building, take a seat, stand to sing the songs, sit to hear the announcements, then offer something in a bowl, then listen to someone talking at me, then stand to sing more songs and listen to a prayer then go home. Then return the next week to do the same.
My issue isn’t so much the format – because any form is open to abuse. The issue is about the inherent safety from vulnerability in the routine and the ritual. I am never called to be vulnerable in that. Even worse, there’s nothing implicit in the observation of such a routine to make an impact in the lives of others communally and see life changed as we engage with each other. We don’t need to.
Even when we do, it won’t have to be that quick or involving. We create our own little groups of safe people, having safe conversations that don’t interfere with matters of the heart, we build our safe norms and conventions and we do everything possible beyond the veneer of politeness and hospitality to maintain it.
Thank God for His Holy Spirit that in the midst of that drops bombs that disrupt that.
Stirrings of the conscience, re-reading of the word of the nature of community life, traumatic events destabilising the norms we held onto, these and other bombs dropped that are not scheduled to devastate more than to agitate change and movement in a Spirit-led direction. I certainly do not appreciate the uncertainty at the time. I certainly prefer the norms. I certainly don’t want to upset the applecart of the conventions we have agreed.
Yet, then the Spirit offers the stark choice to carry on the masquerade or get deeper in knowing Jesus by being more intentional and deeer in knowing others. Realising too that it’s not about a fellowship of familiar strangers that meet up once a week, but it is a community of people committed to each other in life, ready to share in suffering and celebrating as Christ is formed in us.
As I said, that’s not an issue of form – but it should make us reflect on our lives to see if the forms we currently have help or hinder the process of reflecting theh Body Christ died for and will return to embrace.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 