Nothing New Under The Sun

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9

I quote this verse for good reason. Throughout history there really is nothing much new about human nature and its imminent results. People;...sin;…yes, even the foundations of what we call “church” have developed the same patterns for centuries on end. Although there have been revolutions, revivals, movements…there really is “nothing new under the sun” in the grand scheme of things.

That said, over the last few decades I’ve noticed many paradigm shifts within the church. Churches have historically claimed their rightful place in nearly every society around the world, however, their autonomy and “standing up for what they believe in” can be a double-edged sword. You can’t very well reach out to your community if you simply alienate them. On the other hand, you certainly can’t be all things to all people and still hold true to your beliefs. Thus, we encounter paradigm shifts that cycle throughout history.

What concerns me in today’s American society is the “religious” role playing that often supersedes the true purpose of the church. In some services time and care is spent so diligently following certain liturgies that it can get in the way of leadership actually seeing what the congregation needs. Many times it can work, but we can’t be so blinded by rituals that we miss the needs staring us in the face. If it’s clear there needs to be some corporate prayer on a given situation…throw that bulletin out the stained glass window and act on the need, not the timeline. If there is a palpable moving of the Holy Spirit during praise and worship time…don’t simply dismiss it away by going to the next thing on the agenda; revel in His glory and let God speak rather than the pastor.

Clearly there is a place for structure within church services; but there also needs to be a renewed awareness that this body of believers worshipping and praising is the essence of what God wants today. He wants a personal relationship with each and every one of us. Yes, He does want His children to be disciplined and faithful, but somehow we’ve learned to equate discipline with doing the same thing over and over…even at the expense of simply going through the motions. I do not believe that a mere habitual lifestyle is what God is looking for. Going to church each Sunday is all well and good, but if there is no relationship constantly building between you and your Savior…it’s all for naught.

Although I’ve experienced some contrary and ambivalent feelings regarding “church” itself, the true Church—the body of Christ—is an amazing and wonderful thing to be a part of. We are bonded by the knowledge that we have all made the same decision to have our loving Savior as the center of our lives. We ought not forget, however, that we have just as strong of a bond with everyone else on this planet…we are all sinners, saved and unsaved, and all deal with the same ol’ stuff life throws at us. In that regard, we should be exercising our tongues to the world around us that—although we are all sinners—we have a gift of grace available to us that delivers us from being bound by that sin. This is the Christian commission: to let people know about this gift. When Jesus Christ walked among us two thousand years ago, he didn’t think too highly of the “religious” aspects of society (read Matthew 23). Frankly I don’t think much has changed since He’s been here and I, for one, would much rather spend my energies praising Him in a way that is real and meaningful to me. I do love the church…I simply love the body of Christ—the true Church—so much more.

Greg Morton
© January 2, 2012

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