An apology from the church to the world...
Dear World,
I have been meaning to write for some time now. Funny how life keeps pulling me into the next thing and keeping me from acting on the last thing. But I wanted to follow through on something that's been bothering me for a while. There are days I feel sick about it, so I guess 'bothering' isn't a strong enough word.
I just wanted to say sorry for the way the church has conducted itself and treated you down through the years. I'm a pastor in the church, so I own a large part of the responsibility for her actions and attitudes. I can't keep saying, "It's the thought that counts." Actions speak louder than words speak louder than thoughts. I think anyone in the church would say they have fond feelings for you and wish you well, but the well-wishing isn't enough. It's so easy to say "be warmed and filled" without doing a single darn thing to act on our faith...James, the half brother Jesus warned the church of this behavior and yet here we are 2000 years later trying to move beyond feeling being moved to actually moving.
I'm embarrassed for two things. For our actions and our inactions. Our violent words and our silent tongues. It seems that we both stick our foot in our mouth when we speak and that the cat's got our tongues when we should speak up. When we should sit still and listen to understand we act out in such immature ways and yet when we should act on our beliefs we are paralyzed in place, disengaged and afraid of taking a stand. We have let injustice prevail on our watch and have acted unjustly ourselves adding insult to injury. I'm sorry for the confusing message we are putting out there. There have to be days when you just don't know what to think of the church.
The cause of this confusion is that the Bible is pretty clear about what matters. It's crazy how so many Christians whine about not being fed and wanting to go deeper all the while struggling to apply the basic tenants of the gospel they know all too well. I often wonder if we want to know more because we don't want to be reminded that we aren't complying and applying what we already know. We know better. That's the problem, we actually know better, but we struggle to do the better we know.
Jesus was clear...
We know we're supposed to love our neighbors.
We know we're supposed to even love our enemies.
We know we're supposed to give people the coats off our backs.
We know we're supposed to be the light and salt of this earth.
We know we're supposed to move toward brokenness with healing.
We know we're supposed to be a friend of sinners.
We know we're supposed to lay down our lives for our friends.
We know we're supposed to serve and not be served.
We know we're supposed to spread the good news.
We know we're supposed to live differently. No guile, no greed.
We know we're supposed to be servants of all, not power grabbers.
We know we're supposed to be known for our love, not our arguments.
We know we're supposed to be full of grace and truth.
We know we're supposed to follow Christ's way with our whole hearts.
We know we're supposed to be move with compassion for the harassed and helpless.
We know we're supposed to cry over our city like Jesus did.
We know we're supposed to keep saying, "Father, forgive them." but we struggle to forgive.
We know we're supposed to be content with our daily bread and generous with our possessions.
We know we're supposed to feed the hungry and take in the stranger and clothe the naked.
We know we're supposed to show hospitality to the stranger and the foreigner.
We know we're supposed to "go to Samaria" pressing through cultural bias to racial reconciliation.
We know we're supposed to support "the least of these", our modern day "leper colonies".
We know we're supposed to be God's love wherever we are whatever the cost.
We know we're supposed to be more than a building, but a body that helps save humanity.
We know this stuff. It's not that we are ignorant of it...we just ignore it on most days. We get caught up in our own little worlds. We don't want to get dirty. We don't want any skin off our back. We don't want to sweat out the life we're called to live. Jesus never called us to self-preservation, but self-sacrifice. He called us to be comforters, not to be comfortable. We have gotten so used to keeping our distance and hiding in silence...and I'm sorry.
I'm speaking for myself mostly, but also on behalf of the church I love to the world I love. The Bible says that "God so loved the world" and I want to join him in that love. He didn't just love the world, he "so" loved the world. He gave it all, he gave his one and only Son, his best and his most. He literally loved the world to death, even death on a cross. And it is this kind of love that I long for the church to emulate. I'm sorry that we fall short on so many days, but I want you to know that I want to change that. I can't change everyone else, but I can change my attitudes and actions. I can lead our church to be the very presence of Jesus in this world...we need his presence here again. We were supposed to be that presence, and though we fail miserably on many days, I want you to know that we're sorry and I pray we can make every effort to show you his refreshing love and presence again. He is truly beautiful. Our portrayal of him doesn't do him justice, and it doesn't do you justice either.
So this is me saying I'm so very sorry for our hypocrisy and lethargy and animosity, we know better than that and we are better than that. We aren't living up to our potential and I hope we can show you with our lives that God's love truly is the hope of the world in this life. The church seems to blame the world for all the bad things that are happening, but I want you to know I don't think it's all your fault. I think a lot of it is our fault for not living what Jesus called us to be and do. I truly believe if we followed Jesus' way, this world would be a better place. It's my deepest desire that we repent and revive in the coming days and years. We owe it to you to give you a chance to see Jesus through the 'body of Christ'. And the church is the last best chance of that happening.
Apologies often are just words, but I hope my saying sorry is proven with actions moving forward. Just know that I love you and I want to love you as much as God does, he 'so loves you' and I'm wanting that kind of affection to fill every fiber of my being as well.
Sincerely,
Jason
I have been meaning to write for some time now. Funny how life keeps pulling me into the next thing and keeping me from acting on the last thing. But I wanted to follow through on something that's been bothering me for a while. There are days I feel sick about it, so I guess 'bothering' isn't a strong enough word.
I just wanted to say sorry for the way the church has conducted itself and treated you down through the years. I'm a pastor in the church, so I own a large part of the responsibility for her actions and attitudes. I can't keep saying, "It's the thought that counts." Actions speak louder than words speak louder than thoughts. I think anyone in the church would say they have fond feelings for you and wish you well, but the well-wishing isn't enough. It's so easy to say "be warmed and filled" without doing a single darn thing to act on our faith...James, the half brother Jesus warned the church of this behavior and yet here we are 2000 years later trying to move beyond feeling being moved to actually moving.
I'm embarrassed for two things. For our actions and our inactions. Our violent words and our silent tongues. It seems that we both stick our foot in our mouth when we speak and that the cat's got our tongues when we should speak up. When we should sit still and listen to understand we act out in such immature ways and yet when we should act on our beliefs we are paralyzed in place, disengaged and afraid of taking a stand. We have let injustice prevail on our watch and have acted unjustly ourselves adding insult to injury. I'm sorry for the confusing message we are putting out there. There have to be days when you just don't know what to think of the church.
The cause of this confusion is that the Bible is pretty clear about what matters. It's crazy how so many Christians whine about not being fed and wanting to go deeper all the while struggling to apply the basic tenants of the gospel they know all too well. I often wonder if we want to know more because we don't want to be reminded that we aren't complying and applying what we already know. We know better. That's the problem, we actually know better, but we struggle to do the better we know.
Jesus was clear...
We know we're supposed to love our neighbors.
We know we're supposed to even love our enemies.
We know we're supposed to give people the coats off our backs.
We know we're supposed to be the light and salt of this earth.
We know we're supposed to move toward brokenness with healing.
We know we're supposed to be a friend of sinners.
We know we're supposed to lay down our lives for our friends.
We know we're supposed to serve and not be served.
We know we're supposed to spread the good news.
We know we're supposed to live differently. No guile, no greed.
We know we're supposed to be servants of all, not power grabbers.
We know we're supposed to be known for our love, not our arguments.
We know we're supposed to be full of grace and truth.
We know we're supposed to follow Christ's way with our whole hearts.
We know we're supposed to be move with compassion for the harassed and helpless.
We know we're supposed to cry over our city like Jesus did.
We know we're supposed to keep saying, "Father, forgive them." but we struggle to forgive.
We know we're supposed to be content with our daily bread and generous with our possessions.
We know we're supposed to feed the hungry and take in the stranger and clothe the naked.
We know we're supposed to show hospitality to the stranger and the foreigner.
We know we're supposed to "go to Samaria" pressing through cultural bias to racial reconciliation.
We know we're supposed to support "the least of these", our modern day "leper colonies".
We know we're supposed to be God's love wherever we are whatever the cost.
We know we're supposed to be more than a building, but a body that helps save humanity.
We know this stuff. It's not that we are ignorant of it...we just ignore it on most days. We get caught up in our own little worlds. We don't want to get dirty. We don't want any skin off our back. We don't want to sweat out the life we're called to live. Jesus never called us to self-preservation, but self-sacrifice. He called us to be comforters, not to be comfortable. We have gotten so used to keeping our distance and hiding in silence...and I'm sorry.
I'm speaking for myself mostly, but also on behalf of the church I love to the world I love. The Bible says that "God so loved the world" and I want to join him in that love. He didn't just love the world, he "so" loved the world. He gave it all, he gave his one and only Son, his best and his most. He literally loved the world to death, even death on a cross. And it is this kind of love that I long for the church to emulate. I'm sorry that we fall short on so many days, but I want you to know that I want to change that. I can't change everyone else, but I can change my attitudes and actions. I can lead our church to be the very presence of Jesus in this world...we need his presence here again. We were supposed to be that presence, and though we fail miserably on many days, I want you to know that we're sorry and I pray we can make every effort to show you his refreshing love and presence again. He is truly beautiful. Our portrayal of him doesn't do him justice, and it doesn't do you justice either.
So this is me saying I'm so very sorry for our hypocrisy and lethargy and animosity, we know better than that and we are better than that. We aren't living up to our potential and I hope we can show you with our lives that God's love truly is the hope of the world in this life. The church seems to blame the world for all the bad things that are happening, but I want you to know I don't think it's all your fault. I think a lot of it is our fault for not living what Jesus called us to be and do. I truly believe if we followed Jesus' way, this world would be a better place. It's my deepest desire that we repent and revive in the coming days and years. We owe it to you to give you a chance to see Jesus through the 'body of Christ'. And the church is the last best chance of that happening.
Apologies often are just words, but I hope my saying sorry is proven with actions moving forward. Just know that I love you and I want to love you as much as God does, he 'so loves you' and I'm wanting that kind of affection to fill every fiber of my being as well.
Sincerely,
Jason
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