When I initially read this prayer request, I felt led to refute these doubts in defense of the church and my own behaviors, but I thought it was a better response to receive this lamentation with the lonesome longing it deserves. Here goes:
(If you want to skip the dissertation, my simplified response is on the last page.)
Church is a place for pretty people.
The Church is a place for perfect people.
Church is a place for fronts.
Church is a place for masks.
Church is a place for imperfect people to pretend like they are perfect in front of other imperfect people, all while imposing a false and double standard of perfection on the world.
When did the Church become the opposite of Jesus?
Anonymous
I had an experience in college ministry that I haven’t reconciled. I asked Ryan Mayo and Kevin Lee a question that made the group uncomfortable, but perhaps they can help out here. I questioned whether challenging the church would ultimately make it stronger. I can say now that it depends what we mean by “stronger”. Some challenges may be devastating; the Soviet Union’s demolition of thousands of churches and exiling of dissidents comes to mind. Nonetheless, I have been leaning further into believing God’s love is the mover of all things. In a previous prompt I brought up that truth is only a model of reality, that any model we are given is never the whole of existence. I think that is where this lament should be embraced.
o o o
We proclaim Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (1 Tim. 6:15) because all things are subject to him. If you can suspend your materialist worldview for this quick description, there is a manner in which everyone experiences this truth. When Christ says “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the father but through me” (John 14:6), he is taking upon himself the whole of reality.
“The Way”, in response to Thomas, to the father is in response to the distance between creation and the creator. The only description of the intersection between meaning and material (reason and phenomena) is a paradox (Image 1). This is the mystery of a seed, or the Word; potential somehow manifests reality. As a side note, Christ’s tangible, historical, bodily life is the miracle that this concept is REAL.
Image 1: Paradox of Perception
“The Truth” means Christ takes on the personification of all models of reality, which are true of many parables, but even more apparent in his life and teachings. The Lord’s prayer, for example, follows the pattern of creation (Image 2) in its structure, but also covers the entirety of the personal experience in its contents. Every point of the prayer asks God to condescend (in some way) to lift up the world and our experience of it (Image 3).
Image 2: Cosmic Exchange Between Opposite Poles of Reality
Image 3: Pattern of Uniting Heaven and Earth in the Lord’s Prayer
“The Life” is the most compelling example of how understanding Christ through the entirety of the Gospels shows how he encompasses reality. Within the elements of Christ’s life are microcosms of how we experience the world. For example:
- The immaculate conception acknowledges the miracle of existence (how did something come from nothing?).
- The story of his birth highlights the connectedness of our lived experiences (the manger is a preamble to the grave)
- His genealogy shows the endurance of generational faith that God will fulfill his promises (for every action is an equal and opposite reaction–eventually).
- Christ’s baptism symbolizes both creation and redemption in the descent, ascent, and spiritual anointing (see previous descriptions in Images 2 &3).
- His speech and ministry shows how the spoken truth engages in the world (it reveals truth, it conceals identity, it heals brokenness, it exposes evil, and it cleanses the temple).
- Christ’s Death is the epitome of injustice (the tragedy of life).
- His resurrection and extended body is a total mystery in the same way that reducing something all the way down to nothing makes it immeasurably greater (think of the atom).
- The life in which he claims to be is exactly how we (the Church) live from day to day. By receiving the Holy Spirit, it is only Christ living in us that leads our hearts, minds, and bodies to obedience to God.
So Christ’s claim to sovereignty is not just some doctrine or slogan we believe or even our expectation for the future. By being the highest point of identity that holds reality together (even as an anecdote), everything in the cosmos is in his domain–by definition.
The Church has traditionally maintained this sense of cosmic inclusivity in its mission. The hierarchies (that will always exist) had a place in conforming to an ideal rather than gods of worldly forces. Before I wander too far outside my scope of knowledge, let’s consider church architecture as a representation for reality (Image 4).
Image 4: Form of Church (building) Representing the Church’s (body) Mission
Churches were not built to be temples. There are no sacrifices and no place for man to encounter God (hold that thought). What we do have is a structure surrounding the singular sacrifice and the singular intercessor to God–Christ on the cross. Now, Christ being both man and God, intercessor and ruler is the paradox that the universe exists from. In the Apse, he is surrounded by a heavenly scene, typically with an image of him still creating or reigning over creation (Image 5).
Image 5: Example Image of Christ on High
Outside of the Apse is the extensions of Christ’s body, this is where the Eucharist received and the word of God is shared. Joseph and Mary are positioned as the nearest to his body because they were the first to know who he is (Image 6).
Image 6: Extended Body of Christ above the Altar (Church, Family, Eucharist, Word)
(Also depiction of my boy Fesi sealing the deal)
Extending from the altar is the Nave, where the Church, the congregation, the communion of saints, the disciples of Christ receive the body, blood, and word of God. Around the congregation may be images of the other saints, disciples and apostles who the church recognizes as essential to the local culture or life of the church.
Image 7: Nave with Images above Congregation
Outside of the nave is the entrance, or narthex, where unbelievers can stay and participate in the life of the congregation. This shows where the word of God, and the body of Christ is intended to live in action in the world. This space is the transitional area between worship and work.
Image 8: Narthex separates the sanctuary from secular world
Outside of the building itself are the monsters, gargoyles, and yes, pigeon poop that also exist in the world. This is designed to acknowledge that the mission of the church is to extend Christ out into all recesses of the Earth, no matter how monstrous, filthy, or queer.
Image 9: Various gargoyles shown to include all of creation in the redemption story
o o o
So back to this prayer request. What does it say about us if we consider all of reality to be contained in our worldview? We’re clearly hypocritical.
To have an ideal, a goal, or an aim requires a bit of humility to acknowledge that there’s work to do, that we will never achieve. To have this worldview, that everything has a place in God’s glory, means we have to believe that everything matters– everything matters! It’s a terrifying thought. If the points shared were the most blatant sins, especially of our congregation, let’s address them. Let’s identify them. Let’s confess our own hypocrisy. Let’s pray that our failures aren’t turning people away from God. In conclusion, I’ve left some short responses to this lament.
- Church is a place for pretty people.
- Thank You
- The Church is a place for perfect people.
- I don’t know many people well enough to know if they are shining from the blessings of obedience, or if they really think they have it all together. I promise you I’m the worst sinner in the room, but that’s probably why (Pastor) Mark always makes a point to welcome me.
- Church is a place for fronts.
- The ideal humbles us. The Bible shows us the two ways to witness the cross– cheers or tears. Some people are just overflowing with joy for the grace they receive.
- Church is a place for masks.
- If I brought my worst to the place of the best, it wouldn’t be to his glory. Seeking up is the only way to see the cross. We may put on a brave face around our neighbors, but the lights go down during worship for a reason.
- Church is a place for imperfect people to pretend like they are perfect in front of other imperfect people, all while imposing a false and double standard of perfection on the world.
- Intimacy is the solution to hypocrisy
- When did the Church become the opposite of Jesus?
- If the Church were perfect, we wouldn’t need Jesus. We’ve always been the opposite of God, but we pray for him to come down to lift us up. He is our hope.