Persecution has not crushed the church; power has not beaten it back; time has not abated its forces; and what is most wonderful of all, the abuses of its friends have not shaken its stability.
~Horace Bushnell (1802-1876)
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
~ paul, The Least of The Apostles, in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2
Oh beloved, it is true. This fool of a writer would have been dead without the Church. The Love and Righteousness of G_d did flow through her to pour out on a soul that had indeed gone in a very stupid and deadly direction. What He did through her, and the people who are part of this true Body, for me will take a very long moment in eternity to comprehend. Further, she has done astounding good across the planet in Spirit-led proclamation and application of the Gospel.
There is, though, a deeply important to distinction to make. So much of what we do as “church” bears little resemblance to how the physical, visible body of Jesus Christ actually works. We, as the created, find ourselves dictating to the Creator almost the same way that our flesh feeds back to us, and tries to convince us that doing certain things are right (though they most certainly are not).
To this end, there are a number of things the Church is not:
A place to apply Christian philosophy to a social issue. His Name is not for use. We are His instruments to point and wield and glorify or crush according to what will bring Him the most glory.
A group of people who are going to agree on everything. All parts of a body must be unified in purpose, but they must also contrast and have different strengths for different purposes.
Nations will benefit from the Church, but no nation has any business using the name of Christ to prop up its political or economic aims.
A tool of any kind. Except to be used by His Hands.
A place for the certain aspects of the same Body to exclaim how badly the other part is fulfilling its purpose. Actually, any place where folks are biting and devouring each other can comfortably be called something other than the Church.
A building where lots of people go. There are multitudes of social organizations with some denominational title, where nothing of the Church truly exists.
An enterprise to be managed. She is an Army to be commanded.
No beloved, the Church is something utterly, completely different. She is the actual Bride of the One who has given Her Life and Hope and Love and Forgiveness and Strength and Purpose.
She is stunningly beautiful.
She is perfect. There is no flaw in her.
She is Loved with an everlasting Love.
She is called from the depths of eternity.
She is unstoppable.
She is powerful.
She is effective.
She will overcome all the fiery darts of the evil one.
Can we see it? Actually, it seems that we cannot. We, so many of us, become confused as to what the Body of Christ is. We are forever complicating the issue, and trying to insert our own views over the top of the Designer Himself.
And herein is the problem. We are the receivers of the Perfect Love of a Perfect Husband. But our pride and desire for control make a tremendous ruckus in the world. And as any good husband will simply love and graciously work to woo his bride into receiving his love and direction – the Perfect Husband does the same.
However, what is wonderful about a perfectly wonderful Husband like Jesus, is that He is also all-powerful. He will have His way with us. We may wiggle and squirm and scream and shout and contend. But in the end. Love will win. And this same Love, will pass through us to an entire world that so desperately needs it.
Hopefully the question is obvious. What if we quit acting like the naughty and contentious temptress we are not? What if we bought into the truth that we are a Royal Princess in the Kingdom of Heaven – and began to simply live like who we already are?
What if?
So, are you part of a part of the Body that is actually squirming in the arms of her Lover? Call out to the maidens around you. Sing songs and hymns and spiritual songs of Love and then model how a bride might receive a very Good Husband. See if it isn’t amazing how many will respond when they see the rapturous joy in your countenance as you are ravished by the Romancer or our souls.
Tonight is the night beloved. Let Him have you. The show others the joy of being Truly Loved.
The New Testament does not envisage solitary religion; some kind of regular assembly for worship and instruction is everywhere taken for granted in the Epistles. So we must be regular practicing members of the church. Of course we differ in temperament. Some (like you—and me) find it more natural to approach God in solitude; but we must go to church as well. For the church is not a human society of people united by their natural affinities, but the body of Christ, in which all members, however different (and he rejoices in their differences and by no means wishes to iron them out) must share the common life, complementing and helping one another precisely by their differences.
~C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)
