Rosa Parks and the Church...
Rosa Parks passed away earlier today. I still struggle with the thought that at one time, not long ago, the treatment of people with different skin color was not only tolerated, it was a legislated norm.
Recently two of my friends, Jake and Tracee, have commented on the subject of tolerance and the church. Their words fanned a flame that has been building within me for some time now.
I miss my church out in Salt Lake. Was it perfect? By no means! Every Sunday it was packed full of people who fell far short in their spiritual walks (present company included). But that was the beauty of it! The second service was made up of the rich and poor, young and old, and to add to the mix roughly a third were from other countries—Sudan, Iraq, Serbia, Guatemala, Germany, etc! etc! A geographer's dream congregation!! A small community church and I cherished my time there.
I now find myself at a church that is little more than an extended college ministry. The young are absent as are the elders. This is somewhat to be expected in a college town such as Manhattan, but the mix still gets to me. The rich and upper-middle classes have found their way inside, but the poor need not come less they bear the brunt of gawking strangers—many of whom remain strangers to me. Do I love my church here? Yes, but…
We, as the Body, are not as welcoming as we could be and this is where my struggle with my church surfaces. I have now been attending for a year and a half and still don’t recognize a third of the people (being a rather outgoing person this is saying something). If anything, I have felt shunned more often than I have felt welcomed. And what of the new person on a Sunday who dares venture through the sanctuary doors?
I realize this is likely an age old gripe, but it is one that is made that more difficult to stomach after experiencing a church as I believe God intends it to be. For now, I will continue to wear my blue jeans on Sunday in hopes that someday I may not be the only one.
On a seperate note...I will be returning to the Gulf Coast this weekend to help out down there. I will be in touch with many of you when I return.
Recently two of my friends, Jake and Tracee, have commented on the subject of tolerance and the church. Their words fanned a flame that has been building within me for some time now.
I miss my church out in Salt Lake. Was it perfect? By no means! Every Sunday it was packed full of people who fell far short in their spiritual walks (present company included). But that was the beauty of it! The second service was made up of the rich and poor, young and old, and to add to the mix roughly a third were from other countries—Sudan, Iraq, Serbia, Guatemala, Germany, etc! etc! A geographer's dream congregation!! A small community church and I cherished my time there.
I now find myself at a church that is little more than an extended college ministry. The young are absent as are the elders. This is somewhat to be expected in a college town such as Manhattan, but the mix still gets to me. The rich and upper-middle classes have found their way inside, but the poor need not come less they bear the brunt of gawking strangers—many of whom remain strangers to me. Do I love my church here? Yes, but…
We, as the Body, are not as welcoming as we could be and this is where my struggle with my church surfaces. I have now been attending for a year and a half and still don’t recognize a third of the people (being a rather outgoing person this is saying something). If anything, I have felt shunned more often than I have felt welcomed. And what of the new person on a Sunday who dares venture through the sanctuary doors?
I realize this is likely an age old gripe, but it is one that is made that more difficult to stomach after experiencing a church as I believe God intends it to be. For now, I will continue to wear my blue jeans on Sunday in hopes that someday I may not be the only one.
On a seperate note...I will be returning to the Gulf Coast this weekend to help out down there. I will be in touch with many of you when I return.
posted by The Bearded | 2:32 PM
1 Comments:
John - I think there's something in the way we preach now a days that doesn't go far enough with the Gospel to communicate effectively that God is about the redemption of His people, not ensuring your ticket to heaven (per se) and that the church is one bride... not many brides....
Great post....
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