Faith Is A Battlefield
Just read the Bible, they said. Just join a church, they said. Just have Faith, they said. The only thing JUST about Christianity is the Bible itself. Think about it. You shove a group of imperfect people together in pews that are tighter than spandex who would never associate with each other outside of those four walls and tell them, “sing songs, be happy, love one another…OR ELSE.”
Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness
This scare tactic worked back in the days when the telegram took a week to be delivered and the only way to get the latest scoop was to listen to Aunt Myrtle gossip behind her hand fan “I seen it with my own eyes I tell ya she was down by the creek with that Wilson boy…” Then once she had you hooked there would be a chorus of “Praise Jesus let’s all repent” as the congregation headed to the Sunday Supper food line.
Shakespeare’s Babel
Fast forward to modern times and technology and it’s easy to see why churches and their numbers are crumbling faster than the Tower of Babel, and for much the same reason. When someone suggests you read the Bible, the King James version is the one most often favored by theologians and scholarly types. But to a new believer, this version will have you gone before you start. Take this excerpt from James 2:18 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” Cometh again? Unless you are Shakespeare’s sidekick you will be hard pressed to find inspiration in this verse, much less an entire book fashioned this way. Is it too much to ask for a version without all the extra letters that gets to the point like “HEY! Salvation can only be found by Faith, so quit trying to suck up to our Father!”
Can you dig it?
Kidding aside, the inability of the average reader to truly grasp the glorious message within the Good Book is the biggest crisis to the faith, and it is followed in close second by the people trying to teach it. I may just be a victim of nostalgia but when I think about church I see a pretty little white building with a steeple, stained glass windows, and a bell that chimes loud enough to remind even the deaf folks it’s time to throw on a polyester suit and head to the Chapel. The preacher man is always well kept, soft spoken (except when he is warning of fire and brimstone) and can spout off a parable or Bible verse for any situation. I do agree that a living room Bible study or a digital sermon has great value, but the best church experiences happen within the echoing walls of a sanctuary singing off key with a choir, sweating with your neighbor.
Bread Feeds The Body
Just because I have an image of a Rockefeller painting in my mind where church is concerned, do not misunderstand me. If the Bible is the bread, the church is the body, and the more you study the Word the easier it will become to grasp that the Bible always refers to the Church as a people, not a physical place. Because of this fact it seems counterproductive for someone to suggest that you JUST join a church, when the entire Faith experience depends on choosing a group of people whose values and customs align with your own. If you are new to the faith and want to grasp what all this good news is about, are you going to trust a pastor in a 3 piece suit with 20 years’ experience or will you take your chances with Bubba and his plumber’s crack? The idea that just anyone can preach and teach the Word is insulting to say the least, and if you are not careful and do your research you may fall victim to Satan’s schemes because, after all, Faith is a battlefield!
Watch out for Wolves
Between wolves in sheep’s clothing, false prophets, and the fact that Christianity is becoming more taboo than in the times of Cesar, having Faith and practicing it can be likened more to a UFC match than Amazing Grace. But just like Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the full armor of God, you too must be willing to stand your ground and join the fight because this is one JUST battle worth fighting for!
Keep It Simple
If you are interested in reading a simplified version of the Bible or one in chronological order (another frustrating surprise to new readers is it’s not arranged by date) be sure to check out these links below and support your local blog!
Through the Bible…As It Happened
