Feeding stations.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger      0 comments      link this post     


Though I can't toss out the entire past few centuries of church, I also can't shake the feeling that something about our concept of doing and being and attending church is off. Two books I've been reading (The Great Giveaway, and Pagan Christianity) seemed to have appeared on the radar at about the right time for me, giving me much to mull over. Both books seriously question the traditions, methods, habits and alliances we've created that are, without thinking, necessary to do/be church.

So, I read this post and get to a quote the writer included towards the bottom:

We CRAVED the word of God. WE CRAVED the preaching of the gospel. We were starving and wasting away spiritually.... Was it difficult to leave? Yes. Were we sad to leave our brothers and sisters? Yes. Did we have to go? Yes. And the Lord has made up for all that we had to leave behind.

It's that annoying concept of feeding. No, it's not one of hunger for the Lord, but one of expecting to be fed. There is a difference. I wrote in an earlier post about the oft-heard idea of "not being fed" used as a reason to leave churches.

I'm not going to judge this or any other person as to why they leave a church. The original post I linked to, plus its comments and its own links, can provide enough conversation for all sides. I simply wish to, again, question 1) our concept of viewing church as a place where we go to passively be fed and 2) our concept of the church being a body we can leave if we find our own reasons to do so.

Labels: christianity, church

Copyright (c) Julie R. Neidlinger      2/20/2008 07:28:00 PM      (0) comments      Links to this post    

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