Let me begin by saying what I am NOT saying: I am not saying that I have fallen out of love with Church. I haven't. I love Church. Church is the Bride-to-be of Jesus. Church is the living organism of people who believe, regardless of denomination, or doctrine or dogma. Church is the coming together of people - the communion, the unity of community. It is fellowship. Two fellows in a ship. I love Church.
I'm also not saying that I have fallen out of love with church buildings. If you close your eyes when I say "Church" and you see a steeple... I'm not talking about that. I love church buildings.
I have fallen way out of love with the Institution. And here's why: The Church was never meant to be an Institution. And just as everything that becomes what it wasn't meant to be, the Institution of Church has become ugly and nasty. The Church has drifted far, far away from the body of believers that it once was. The Institution of Church is oppressive, arrogant and blind. It thinks it knows everything, It thinks it has exclusive rights to the Truth, to God's Presence, to Biblical Authority, to Christianity itself.
This institutionalization of Church is a rot that creeps. It is a yeast that spreads. It is subtle and pervasive until it is no longer subtle, but blatant and angry. It is possible for a little bit of institutionalization to pervade good Churches. When you see it, don't be quiet. The institutionalization is devoid of common sense and Godly love. It perverts even love and believes that love is justification for oppression.
The apostle Paul once spoke to a group of believers and said: Who has bewitched you? You started so well, how did you get from there to here? If you think I am talking about the Super Institutions like the Vatican, think again. I've seen the institutionalization crawling into all churches, even the modern ones, the 'free' ones, the 'faith' ones, the 'charismatic' and 'Pentecostal' ones. The ones in the 'renewal'. As soon as people begin to celebrate themselves, they begin to tell others how to live instead of showing them, they begin to judge and stop inviting. They become harsh on everyone but themselves. They stand even above their own word. They may go back on promises, they may change their minds, they may demand instead of give. Bewitched. They started well and look where they are now. Their leaders don't resemble Jesus. Not even a bit.
And that brings me to the main reason why I have fallen out of love with this institution call Church. People in the Institution of Church no longer feel it is a requirement to at least try and be like Jesus. The Church started so well. A band of followers of Jesus. People who believed that being a Christian is all about imitating Christ. In fact, it was not the Christians who first called themselves Christians. Others began noticing that they were like the crucified Christ. They heard them speak of Him and like Him. They saw the works that He did, now performed by this ordinary band of followers, this community, this fellowship.
I meet people who hate Christians and Churches, but still revere Jesus. People know what He stood for. People respect God and they see that His Church does not resemble Him. That is what they hate most and that is why I fell out of love.
I see beautiful things being done by beautiful people, in the name of this beautiful Jesus... but out there. Outside in the world. Not in the Institution, but outside of it. Out there in the world that He so loved.
