Stumble it!
I’ve observed in the last ten years a lot of people (including myself) who’ve really wanted to “play” at church. What’s it look like? How should the music integrate? How does teaching happen, if it happens at all? Where do we have it, in a church building, in a house, at a Starbuck’s or a pub? And so on…And I suppose that all makes a lot of sense…till you start to think about it.
Like words plucked from the hidden folds of our collective memories…”seek ye first the kingdom of god and his rightness…”
Other words…”The kingdom of God is like a person who sees a treasure in a field…to gain the treasure they must first secure the field…”
And then we remember part of the narrative: David, that bloodied King of Israel, had to conquer the land BEFORE Solomon could build the temple.
The field, the land, is the kingdom…the treasure, the temple is the church…
Really…you have to secure the land, buy the field, seek the kingdom BEFORE you can build the temple, find the treasure, or have the church.
Jesus never preached the church–two times in thirty three years do we know that he spoke the word, ecclesia…and yet having preached the Kingdom Life of God, God’s Kingdom come into this Earth in our attitudes and actions…having preached the whole Kingdom for the whole person…the church came. Preach the kingdom=get the church… Preach the church= get a bunch of narcasistic navel gazers…
What is the kingdom? It’s just God’s life, God’s character, and God’s Rule…and it is present when even one woman or man finds themselves saying…”More of You my Master! More of You in the big things, the small things, anything and all things! More of you!”
So…today there’s still a lot of people longing to play church…Just like my three year old son longs to put the star on top of the Christmas tree–before we’ve even cut the tree…it just doesn’t work unless we get first things first. It’s fun to organize and reorganize the church. It’s fun to discover and rediscover the church. It’s fun. But really it won’t get us very far. And that’s why I no longer seek after the church–I seek God’s Kingship in my life, in my neighbors life, and in the world around us–knowing that the church will follow as we seek the kingdom of God first!
Amen brother
Yes Sir
I came to the same conclusion a few years ago, myself. So tired of all the church “games”. Seek first the Kingdom, and all these things will be added unto you. Keep seeking, keep knocking, you’ll find and it will open unto you!
The Kingdom of God and You