All I ever wanted to be, in my spiritual journey, is a Christ-follower . . . a follower of Jesus Christ. I began to learn, early on, that following Jesus was not the same as being a Christian or a Baptist or a Catholic, although I do not doubt there are followers of Christ in all those groups.
The church of my childhood and most of my adulthood has always said they were open to everyone . . . with one caveat . . . as long as you become like us . . . dress, mannerisms, version of the Bible, phrasing about spiritual matters, you get the idea. In fact, it was almost like becoming a member of a service club or the Masonic Lodge. All the secret stuff you had to learn along the way could really trip you up if you didn’t pick it up fast and then you always felt stupid and not part of the group.
I thought I’d hit the jackpot when I realized I was in a church that had for it’s “creedless” creed*: “Where the Bible speaks, we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent.” That was cool until it dawned on me one day we spent most of our time arguing over the silences of the scriptures and the nuances of interpretation. Along the way we lost sight of several generations who didn’t give a hoot about the church, but on their own discovered what it might mean to be a Christ-follower.
You may have seen some of these little videos about the difference between a Christian and a Christ-follower. If not, take a look: http://negative99.com/faith/christian-versus-christ-follower/ Just scroll down to the YouTube selections and enjoy! There’s more than one, take your time.
If someone wants to know Christ and follow him, why should they have to cut through all the church stuff to get to him? Why can’t they just look for someone like him . . . or someone like him looks for them . . . NOW THERE’S AN IDEA!!!!!
Baby. Bathwater. ’nuff said. Think about it.
By: sprocket on October 17, 2008
at 7:05 am
El pastor . . .
If it weren’t for your comments and my posts, I’d have no blog. Thanks for participating!!
By: Norm on October 17, 2008
at 8:13 am
Sorry it was so short, but it’s hard to type on a cell phone in the middle of a funeral (no, I wasn’t officiating it!).
I just wanted to make the point that for all its flaws, the church is still the bride of Christ. I don’t see how a person can be a Christ-follower and not be a part of his church. yes, there are some horrible churches out there that major in the minors, but given that there are a blujillion congregations in America, surely a person could find one that was following Christ as a group.
Hey, I’ve had my share of shafting from churches, I know the pain that people feel in some churches is real, but then again, marriage has its share of hurt and I’d never want to give up on my marriage because of a bad experience.
Just saying.
By: Sprocket on October 17, 2008
at 9:53 am
One more comment (tell me to shut up whenever you want). Here’s my initial reaction to those videos. Funny, cute, watchable. My second reaction, though, was this: I pictured the tax collector on his knees, looking up at the Pharisee, praying, “Thank you Lord that I am not like that Pharisee, that judgmental dope, no, I’m humble and meek…”
By: Sprocket on October 17, 2008
at 9:57 am
All good points from where you’re coming from, Robert. I spent 20 years there and I would have said exactly what you said.
I guess layin’ all this out here where a gazillion people could see it is an attempt to help/make people think. But mostly it’s me, writin’ and siftin’, thinkin’ and learnin’.
I’m glad you have the spirit to respond. That’s one of the things I like about you.
By: Norm on October 17, 2008
at 1:41 pm
Roberto . . . I almost forgot . . . I wanted to comment on this comment by you:
“I pictured the tax collector on his knees, looking up at the Pharisee, praying, ‘Thank you Lord that I am not like that Pharisee, that judgmental dope, no, I’m humble and meek…’.”
You have a gift for humor and parable. I got a kick outta that one. Thanks
By: Norm on October 17, 2008
at 1:43 pm