Holy Drama

When thinking about church, I'm always reminded of what "my" church has been like. I reminisce on the places I've been, the congregations and teens I've served with, and the structures that were in place. It is hard for me to think that a church does things poorly on purpose. The good intentions are always there, but somehow the point can always be missed. The point being, "How does our gathering represent the body of Christ? What practices do we have that are particular? What behaviors make us explicit or implicit? How do our worship services convey just that, the worship of God and an orientation for service?" My church is very imperfect; the churches I've always gone to have been imperfect. At what point do we embrace the tension of imperfection and yet cling to the hope of being made perfect? When do conflicting ideas for the sake of orthodoxy bend and conform to the practice of orthopraxy?

In my opinion, to settle on "good intentions" is admitting that you are embracing an ethic of failure. To embrace only what's "human" is to give yourself and avenue out of hot water. No, we need to embrace an ethic of Christ-likeness, loving-kindness, grace and mercy. We are being made holy only by being in the presence of the holy - do we often cling to our sinfulness because we don't spend enough time with God? with God's people? in God's word? in holy conversation? in confessing our sins? in Sabbath rest? in complete dependence upon our Savior?

We participate in a holy drama that reinvents our imaginations to believing that the world can be redeemed through Christ. We "worship" because God deserves it. We hold "service" so that we remember that life isn't about "us" but is always about loving the Lord our God with all of our hearts and our neighbors. Stop giving yourself an easy out and take on the life that God is calling you to - but then again we would have to be listening to hear that, right?