Asleep in the Light?
A troubling phenomenon recurs among young Christians reared in solid homes and sound churches. After living their early years as outstanding examples of Christian faith, many become spiritual dropouts. Did they fail because they concentrated on the exterior, visible Christian life? Did they learn to mimic certain behaviors, nuances of words, and emotional responses? Crayfish-like, did they develop a hard exterior that resembled everyone else’s and conclude such was the kingdom of God, while inside they were weak and vulnerable? ... An outside shell can seem attractive, trustworthy, and protective. It certainly has advantages over a dead, useless skeleton or over no skeleton at all. But God desires for us a more advanced skeleton that serves as it stays hidden.
Paul Brand
Source: "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"
When I read the above quote on Sojourner e-digest I was glad someone articulated this point. I have observed Brand's statement to be true both when I was a young Christian and afterwards when I returned to Christianity this year with the perspective of an unbeliever.
When I was young, I was one of Brand's church-fed Christians who did not understand the reality of the need to surrender to Christ's will. Because I had not submitted to Christ, I was blind, didn't understand Love, was unsure and lacked true faith. I moved within the embrace of the Holy Spirit but I had not opened my heart to His transforming power. I had not experienced the deeper spiritual truths of God's amazing Love for his creation. Instead, I found security in the sanctuary of my Christian peer group and meaningless church youth activities. Together, my friends and I looked out at the "unsaved world" with a disdainful curiosity and a great deal of fear. And yet, I always questioned the tendency I saw in the church towards cliquish isolation, biased "us and them" attitudes and superficial relationships. I truly wanted to know the Truth. I had to look outside the church to find it. That's a sad thing.
When I finally experienced Christ's love this year, it really blew me out of the water. All the things I had heard and read as a child finally made sense. I realized faith and Godly love are the fruit of surrender to God's will. On fire with the Spirit, I began to search for other Christians who could explain what was happening to me. I found only a handful of Christians who knew what I was even talking about. With great surprise, I realized being baptized in the Holy Spirit is not a common experience in the modern church today. Out of necessity, I turned to the Bible, classic Christian literature and books written by Christian mystics to understand what was happening to me. There, I finally found Believers who shared my spiritual experiences and could explain them. I was relieved because the common experiences of these Believers assured me my spiritual experiences were valid. Since reading these books, I've happily been led to other Christians who are part of the spiritual rebirth I sense is occuring in this century. The Holy Spirit is on the move. Are we being led to work within the established church to share the true message of Christ's Love?
Paul Brand
Source: "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"
When I read the above quote on Sojourner e-digest I was glad someone articulated this point. I have observed Brand's statement to be true both when I was a young Christian and afterwards when I returned to Christianity this year with the perspective of an unbeliever.
When I was young, I was one of Brand's church-fed Christians who did not understand the reality of the need to surrender to Christ's will. Because I had not submitted to Christ, I was blind, didn't understand Love, was unsure and lacked true faith. I moved within the embrace of the Holy Spirit but I had not opened my heart to His transforming power. I had not experienced the deeper spiritual truths of God's amazing Love for his creation. Instead, I found security in the sanctuary of my Christian peer group and meaningless church youth activities. Together, my friends and I looked out at the "unsaved world" with a disdainful curiosity and a great deal of fear. And yet, I always questioned the tendency I saw in the church towards cliquish isolation, biased "us and them" attitudes and superficial relationships. I truly wanted to know the Truth. I had to look outside the church to find it. That's a sad thing.
When I finally experienced Christ's love this year, it really blew me out of the water. All the things I had heard and read as a child finally made sense. I realized faith and Godly love are the fruit of surrender to God's will. On fire with the Spirit, I began to search for other Christians who could explain what was happening to me. I found only a handful of Christians who knew what I was even talking about. With great surprise, I realized being baptized in the Holy Spirit is not a common experience in the modern church today. Out of necessity, I turned to the Bible, classic Christian literature and books written by Christian mystics to understand what was happening to me. There, I finally found Believers who shared my spiritual experiences and could explain them. I was relieved because the common experiences of these Believers assured me my spiritual experiences were valid. Since reading these books, I've happily been led to other Christians who are part of the spiritual rebirth I sense is occuring in this century. The Holy Spirit is on the move. Are we being led to work within the established church to share the true message of Christ's Love?
posted by Michelle Coder | 9:22 AM
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