If you’ve been reading for the last few weeks you know that I spent some much needed REST time in Hawaii…a Sabbath week if you will…restoring my health (even if it was short-lived) and spending some much needed down-time just doing whatever. One of those “whatever” things was of course reading and listening to reading. One of those books I got to finish up was The Love Wins Companion Guide (Rob Bell, edited by David Vanderveen). One of those books I started to listen to is Simply Jesus by N.T. Wright.
While I’m still in the middle of listening to Simply Jesus…while compiling all that I have learned these last 10 months or so…I’ve been left with the most amazing thing, the most radical statement I never, ever thought I would make.
I am so glad that God, that Jesus, that the Holy Spirit are so much
BIGGER than the modern Christian Church
I’ve been a part of in America.
Yes, I did say that. And I really mean it. Let me try to explain: one of those things I know for certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can go back to in this time of upheaval was my extremely extraordinary encounter with Jesus back almost 16 years ago on May 15, 1996, in the loft of a house on Rogers Wood in San Antonio, TX. I can also remember Him guiding me back to Indiana later that summer instead of staying Texas…much to my dismay.
Yet, if I look back to the WAY in which I found God…I would have to say that I don’t know that I still fully believe in the doctrine of the modern Church that got me to Jesus. I am not sure I believe you have to have this ultimate decision for Christ, right here and now or otherwise you are going to Hell if you die in 5 minutes from now. I am not sure I believe that it is all about a relationship with Jesus that “saves” me from this aforementioned Hell. I am not sure I believe in the 4 spiritual laws that made the gospel seem so easy and the decision for Christ so clear to me.
Basically, I don’t believe it was because of the modern doctrine of the prevalent Christian Church in America that was really what led me to open the door to Jesus and run in to Him. This is why I say that, as I learn that God is so much bigger than our doctrine and our “laws” and our neatly packaged ways to explain Him to others, that I am so glad that God is BIGGER than all of these things. Because, in my mind, if He wasn’t bigger than these things…if He wasn’t bigger than the Evangelists, the Presbyterians, the Reformed, the Baptists, and so on…if He wasn’t as big as He is – then I would NEVER have found Him.
Is this making ANY sense?
Let me try to give a couple of examples to see if I either further complicate things or bring clarity to my point:
First, to the Companion Guide by Rob. In there, there is this excerpt by Glenn Parish, “Melchizedek, The Magi, and Isa Al-Masi” that stopped me in my tracks. Mr. Parrish points to the several stories that are most likely well familiar to those of us in the modern church, but perhaps still puzzle us if we were to really stop and give thought to them:
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| Jesus rebukes Peter, by William Hole |
* One of the High Priest of God, Melchizedek and how he somehow knew about God and how to worship him…even before the revelation of the 10 commandments and the “wedding” of Israel to God and the establishment of the Jewish nation
* One of the seemingly odd story of the Magi and their apparent respect and honor of God even though they were not of Jewish decent. Again, they come bearing gifts (tithes if you will) and worship this lil’ baby that they were told was the “king”…
* One of how Jesus reveals to Peter how he (Peter) would die…but that Peter is concerned about John and how he (John) will go. Jesus actually rebukes him (Peter) for asking this question, saying, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You (Peter) must follow me?” Basically, Peter is to keep his focus on himself and his call to follow God…not on worrying whether or not his buddy John will have to follow Jesus in the same way he (Peter) is called to follow.
Yet the one that got my think-motor on overdrive is the story Parish shares of the Muslim communities he visits once a year in the Philippines to see the work of Isa al-Masi…in other words Jesus the Messiah. How these Muslims…people we have been told in the modern Church that have no hope for salvation according to our measures…how these Muslims are worshiping Isa, albeit in Islamic fashion and by no means consider themselves “Christians”. How these Muslims often report having dreams/visions where Isa is calling to them. Here is an excerpt I just cannot but put here:
“…in Isa’s mosque, his followers keep working out what fits within their traditions and what needs to be adjusted so that they might authentically follow him as Muslims. Missionaries have a measuring system for different levels of ‘contextualization’ of the gospel in these settings. The ‘Isa-Mosque’ fits one of the deepest levels and generates controversy as to whether or not these people are ‘saved’.
What is that to me?“
(The Love Wins Companion Guide, pg 106. Italics/bold added)
You can almost hear the rebuke Jesus gave Peter echoing out loud in this passage – or at least I can. I mean, what gives us so called Christians the right to say we have the reigns, we own the land, we mark the territory on how, when, and where God can work? Are we really that conceited and full of ourselves? Have we fallen so far away from our first Love that we think we are the only ones that have the right to proclaim Christ to the world? Or could perhaps, just perhaps Christ actually own the specific rights to this proclamation…and He alone can chose how, when and where to use His proclamation for the benefit of all those that will hear Him? What is it to me if a Muslim has the Way, the Truth and the Life and practices it in a way that is different than me? What if this Muslim worships the one true God but doesn’t know that the God he is worshiping is named Jesus? What is it to me whether or not he knows the actual name, or if he is at least worshiping in Truth and in Spirit?
Which leads me to one last question I will leave you with for now, and will pick up again later this week or so:
If Jesus is the Truth,
then can the Truth be found
outside the Church,
outside the lives of Christians,
outside the Bible?
Is Jesus bigger than the Church?
Is Jesus bigger than the Church?
To be continued….
I saw your blog on singleness and really liked it and decided to read some other blogs on ur site, To my dismay the article regarding if God is bigger then the church pulled me back, In saying that im not sure how anyone can say they found God when we were not created to seek Him,but He chases after you and secondly that would glorify you and not God for Salvation, Then i got really confused when you wrote about what the truth is when God says in Genesis He will send a saviour and was also spoken thru the prophets that a saviour would come and Jesus full filled those prophecies. With all do respect am I missing something.
Hi Melissa,
Thank you so much for taking your time to read my thoughts and then more time to leave a comment. I truly appreciate your questions, time and interaction.
On my side, I too feel I am missing something from what you are truly asking me. So, if you wouldn’t mind clarifying exactly what it is you are asking me to clarify on my end, then perhaps I could better address your questions if you are still interested.
In the meantime, this series is going to continue and perhaps if you have time to follow my thoughts thru the series, everything will become more clear. For example, I think I will address your comment about how we are not made to chase after God – for, with all due respect – I quite disagree with this. I feel we are created to Be with God, in relationship with Him and that our souls and our spirits will not be satisfied until we find Him. True He is the one that pursues us first….but if it wasn’t our actions as individuals to turn around and respond to Him by seeking Him that helps us bridge over the gap from spiritual death to life….then why wouldn’t every one be in a relationship with God?
Okay onto my next post where I hope I help to further explain my thoughts and that it challenges you to continue to question what you think.
Blessings,
the Joy Gal