Second Restoration

Here lies a sanctuary

An overly picked buffet

Tossed, torn, thrown about

Ravaged by the hands of man

An innocent solace

A pure light

Wrecked in a justified collision

Seethed in arrogance

Embattled in bitterness

Lost to ignorance

I find it overly humorous and equally frustrating that both the rooted traditionalists and the progressive brethren in the churches are fearful and seem to have a disposition towards the Restoration Movement and the very mention of such movement.  I find in humor this common thread that does bind them together though they pull the church apart with their bickering.

Maybe it is the simplicity surrounding the movement, or maybe it is the consent and complacency to be at heart a denomination, I am unsure.  After all if their goal was to be simply Christian than what would they have to fear from each other, or to work with one another?  Or maybe, the movement calls out their baseless traditions and at the same time preaches simplicity and a common base that ruffles progressives who wish to extend their musical passions.

No matter the reason, unity suffers.  No matter the reason, the church suffers.  No matter the reason, Christ suffers.  So whether you need to lay your traditions at Jesus feet, or whether you need to lay your personal preferences at Jesus feet, until they are laid down neither is fully focused on the vision of Christ.  Let’s turn our focus to Christ, not our worship styles, our traditions, our in-fighting, even if we differ there is no excuse for not being able to be civilized and truly work towards Christ’s goal to be one in Christ.

Are we really one if we acknowledge we co-exist, but really never break bread together.  Whether you have a praise team, or you whole heartedly are against praise teams, whether you have a Christmas Play or you don’t have a Christmas Play….does this really mean you can’t talk to one another, that you can’t eat a meal together, does it even me you can’t worship together.  We disagree with those that live their lives in sin everyday, yet we are able to civilize ourselves to talk to them, why then can’t we find the time or means to talk to our fellow brothers?

As someone that has grown up in the “Church of Christ” I was taught and received an education in the Bible that by all accounts was amazing.  Lots of credit to my mom, dad and Bible Bowl.  I also have studied the Restoration Movement and understand what the goals and reasons for restoration were and how the “Church of Christ” came to be.  I believe earnestly in those goals and appeals and think there was a reason that they yielded such an important movement in Christianity.    But, do we care anymore?  Do you care how the churches around your region are doing?  Are you rooting for or against them?  Are they the joke in the room, or the dirty step child?  At least liberal and conservative churches do have something in common,  they equally isolate and criticize.

I have seen and heard, as I am sure you have, of individual quarrels that cross decades being a hindrence between neighboring congregations.  The obvious Biblical contradictions to this behaviour are infinite.  We are quick to label this church this and this church that.  Do we care about the Biblical principles we read and take seriously their action?

I write this, not simply to heap on criticism but to call on those that read this, though that stretch is not far, to shift direction.  Be more open, be more concerned, reach out, don’t focus on the differences but rather hone in on the focus of Christ.  No one wants to share in our civil wars or bickering, it brings no one to Christ and certainly does not give them an example of Christ in our lives or that of our Church.  There are reasons we no longer grow and it has nothing to do with this or that it has to do with our example of Christ.

Gathering of localities and churches started this movement and revivals allowed the simplicity of being a follower of Christ to show through.  We have mucked it up with our own traditionalism, progression, ego’s etc.  We must now turn around and restore what has always been there, Christ’s Church.

I was filling out a questionnaire at work the other day on how I would like to be coached as an employee by a future manager, and I got to thinking about truth.  The word gets thrown around often and many people say that they wish for you to be honest.  But, as a society and often as a church we don’t.  We want to hear the truth when it doesn’t hurt and we want to tell the truth when it is safe to do so.  That isn’t very honest.

We all tip-toe around each other, trying to say the right things and actively worrying that we will either anger or offend someone around us.  I am not advocating that we be disrespectful, but whatever happened to telling things the way they are.  Reading documents of the past, I am alarmed at the approach that intellectual minds used when writing back and forth.  It was an approach that was up front and real, not shaded by political correctness.

In today’s church we implement this same societal policy to our conversations and writings.  Instead of being able to have open discussions on difference or doctrinal positions, we quietly discuss the issues when others are not around or tip-toe around them when they are.  Churches that once worked together, now separate themselves and work with those that they can feel comfortable with, without having such discussions.  Why have we made this about us?  Why has it become so emotionally personal?

We have let our culture and society interfere with our Christianity.  We see such problems handled the same way around us (race, sexual orientation, the list goes on and on) and we have adopted this as our way of handling the greatest gift we were ever given, the Kingdom of Christ.  Let’s get over ourselves and be truly honest even if it means brutally honest.  Let’s learn to take and examine at the grass roots level, not just simply at the academic level.