What Are We Afraid Of?

More often than not I find myself in a position of struggling between love and hate for the corporate church. For those who may not be used to that term, it means the visible church. The one that meets on Sunday morning and gossips about who raised their hands in worship that day....or who didn't depending on which side of the coin your church is. Church provides a really necessary service in the lives of us sojourners here on Earth, but if you're like me at all, you've noticed that there's a lot missing. The experience of God's fullness seems almost nowhere to be found, I've spoken with people who claim to dwell in this fullness in an experiential way, but I'm suspicious. And should my suspicions be unfounded, well then...I'm downright jealous.
The more I ponder on the "experience of God" the more it seems to travel into my head instead of my nerves and limbs. I'm unsure as of yet whether this is good or not. But one thing is for sure, I do not get ruffled easy these days. I know that God loves me, and I know that he's saying it in every circumstance of my life. Every chance encounter (even the bad ones). I've met pastors, and seen churches where this experience of God is the driving force behind their services....no communion mind you...just laughter and shaking. Or some guy laying on the ground screaming "Freedom!!!" like he's William Wallace. My suspicions don't just arise at that point...they erupt, and most of the time I have to leave before I start laughing at people. If I don't leave....I just tell people that God is showing me his sense of humor....through them. God really is funny though.
My church is into communion, liturgy and acting as if we believe what we read. Every Sunday is a massive injection of orthodox biblical Christianity. And that's the way we all want it. But, despite the soundness of my Pastors preaching, there is no missions effort, and very little evangelism from Joe Schmoe in our church. Alas, when the doors shut to keep in the air conditioning, they trap in a lot more than that. Sadly, though I see the problem, I do little to change it. But on the other hand, I am not here to fix the church...not now, not ever. I'm hear to defend the teaching of scripture and worship Jesus Christ (and those things I will do ferociously), all else amounts to the trifles of a mind with too little to do. Jesus is coming back after all, none of this stuff was ever meant to be perfect by it's own accord, but to be transformed into perfection when this dirty globe turns to chaff and burns away. Christ's righteousness is far from experiential most of the time, but it's still here, and still attributed to those who believe. So, stop trying to wash your own robes, and start asking Jesus to give you new ones.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. " ~John the Evangelist