Come Sunday, we visited a local city-church with our students.
That morning, a young woman shared her difficult come-to-Jesus-journey.
She'd been raised in the church.
She participated in Sunday School, Sunday morning worship, Sunday night worship (that was a thing in those days), and Wednesday night youth services.
She knew the Bible...memorized parts of it.
Her parents were active, loving, strong Jesus-followers, serving in their church.
Then, befriended by some young women from the "Unification Church" (aka: the Moonies, a religious cult that sprung up in the US from 1960-1990), she left home to join ("kidnapped" was a more accurate word), losing all contact with what was familiar and comfortable.
Brainwashed, she mindlessly followed her new "family," while her parents frantically searched, finally hiring detectives who traced her across the country, re-kidnapped her out of an abandoned warehouse, where she was living, with the help of the New York City police force, and brought her home.
After months of debriefing and counseling, the "prodigal" had returned.
What caught my attention as she spoke were these words: "What I was taught was so close to Biblical truth, I couldn't discern any difference. The teachings seemed much like the words Jesus spoke. Words of love and compassion. While I was in church often, I was always taught what to believe, but never really why I believed it."
Here are a couple of links for those who have never heard of, or don't remember, this cult:
Link 1
Link 2
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Last week, I introduced a word that seems to have become a buzzword in Christian circles as of late.
In fact, it's probably been around longer than I realize, but starting in 2018, this word has been on my radar...
It's brought no small measure of wrestling to my heart....even grief.
I've read a lot of articles in the online periodical, "Relevant Magazine" about this word...
Then, christianpost.com, premierchristianity.com, redletterchristians.org, as well as multiple other sites, over the last two years include many such writings on this topic...
I've seen it used in a growing number of blog posts, especially among younger generations (X'ers and I-y'ers, in particular, but don't get me wrong, it affects all age groups )...
The word is:
Deconstruction.
I interpret it to mean a tearing apart in order to build something more permanent or lasting, more "fitting."
But, it's much more complicated.
The word originated in 1973 as a strategy of critical analysis.
So, it's not an old word, by any means.
When someone deconstructs something they seek to expose deep-seated contradictions in a work (literature or art), or a philosophy (a belief-system), by diving below the surface to explore where others who've created or instructed have gone wrong.
The whole idea of deconstruction is to analyze and reveal inadequacies.
It doesn't mean that those who engage in spiritual deconstruction are leaving their faith...this is a fallacy.
The folks on this particular journey, see contradictions between what they have been taught from Scripture and how they interpret Jesus' life and teachings.
I have ZERO PROBLEM with this...
They want Jesus not His bride.
However, this is also reality: many have walked away from their faith entirely.
Thus my great sorrow.
What's the answer?
Before an answer can be explored, the problem must be understood.
I can't say with certainty, but somehow the words of this young woman in the story above continue to haunt me.
Either not taught adequately, or not heard...or, there seems to be a discrepancy between what is taught and how it is lived out.
All three are problematic.
The answer, then?
Jesus' bride in America needs an awakening.
She's gotten sleepy, lazy, and compromising.
Her wedding gown is soiled and torn.
She's no longer true to her first-love.
She's hurting others, causing pain, perhaps even involved in spiritual abuse.
Let's face it, the church needs more Jesus and more accurate theology.
With the problem clear, the answer to the issue begins with revival.
A revival of being stirred back to faith...
...exploring truth, chewing on it, learning what we believe and why we believe it...
...listening to the still, small voice of God...
(really listening and not coloring what He says with our own desires and voices)...
To this end, I pray.
I pray for the Lord to send the American church a strong leader, like a Nehemiah.
I pray for men and women to rise up, who are people of great grief...
...but, men and women who are strong voices of crying out in the wilderness of faith...
...People with an aching sorrow that leads to prayer...not for prayer itself, but for solution's-sake (read Nehemiah chapter 1).
I pray for those who see the needs of the Church and form a plan of action...a God-anointed action.
I pray for God-words that are received, not just in head, but heart, and lived out of integrity, and pure-of-motive.
Most of all, I pray for the glory of God to rise up...
...that God reveal Himself to us.
We can not be in His Presence and remain the same.
We can not be in His Presence and be divided.
When He comes into our midst, we can safely bring truth to the table, and work our way to unity.
This is a great work.
It is a work I pray to see in churches (as well as in the individual, the CHURCH) across our country...bringing Christians to solidarity, and making the main thing the main thing: This being the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Main Thing is ALWAYS the GOSPEL of JESUS!
We can agree to disagree on the minors, but if we keep the gospel front and center...things change.
I change.
From inside out.
It may be idealistic, but it has happened before.
And, my God can do anything.
Nothing is impossible.
Join me in prayer?
And, join me in a brief look at the book of Nehemiah.
Wouldn't REVIVAL be the best Christmas gift we could give our world, fellow Christians?
Let's get on our knees!!!
"What I was taught was so close to Biblical truth, I couldn't discern any difference. The teachings seemed much like the words Jesus spoke. Words of love and compassion. While I was in church often, I was always taught what to believe, but never really why I believed it."
ReplyDeleteYes yes yes! I'm very troubled by the call to love and compassion APART from telling people about the common need we all share for a Savior. Love becomes a concept, an ideal, a devotional thought instead of being tied to Jesus and His expression of God's love for us.
Many of us grew up in circles where there was a lot of judging and condemning. It's wonderful that the Christian community has moved toward love and compassion instead. But going so far that direction has caused us to leave Jesus out of the picture or tap Him on as a "by the way". "Speaking the truth in love.."
I read an interesting article on CNN news today about Fred Rogers. Here is the link:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/23/entertainment/mister-rogers-faith-religion/index.html
How very tragic that at the end of his life he had questions about his status with God! I don't doubt his sincerity or that he had a good moral impact on the children. But being told that you are loved and accepted just as you are-
so go love others in the same way- is humanism and doesn't lead to salvation. It grieves me.
So, I am so with you in this deconstruction thinking. We must get back to the Bible and the gospel and know the Christ that is the basis for what we believe. Only then can we "live love" and share the most important thing that any of us need to know.