Being in ministry makes me look at things with a different eye than I used to. I am constantly asking how things can be made better or what isn’t working the way it should. I think those are valuable things to think about because unless we are willing to critique things we can’t expect them to improve. If there are things off limits to critique then we have a whole new set of issues there. But my point is it is easy to lose contentment when you are on a constant search to make things better. I think we have to be careful that we don’t lose our contentment or ever feel that we won’t be satisfied until things are perfect in the church because they never will be.
No matter how hard we try, how much we plan or all the good intentions we have the church will never be perfect from our perspective. That doesn’t mean we don’t try to make it better or if we see room for improvement that we don’t try to do so. It does mean that we have to find space for contentment. Can you imagine if your view of your spouse was that you would never be content with them or fully love them until they were perfect and all the problems were in the past? We would never find anyone to love. The same is true with the church. It can always improve. It can always get more efficient. It should always be loved, cherished, appreciated, and adored even in light of her imperfections. If God can have grace with us we can have grace on his church.
So I think there is a balance to be found. We don’t need to be so content that the church loses its focus and misses its mission. We don’t need to be so critical that it is hard to still love the church in whatever state we find her. This takes wisdom. It takes patience. It takes the perspective of knowing that each and every one of us are all still being worked on and won’t ever be perfect this side of heaven. So let’s keep working to make it better and while we do so let us take time to enjoy all the good things God has already done in our midst that we can easily miss when we look at the bride of Christ with a critical eye.
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Life would be less confused if we used Christ’s “pattern.” He, the Rock, ordained the Qahal, synagogue or Church of Christ in the wilderness. Sabbath always means REST and the rest Jesus finallly gave us is the Greek PAUO. The laded burden defines “creating spiritual anxiety through religious rituals.” A burden in both Hebrew and Greek can be heard in any church (Circe) violating direct commands for the resource (that which is written) and the presentation method when Rabbi teaches Disciples; that is the word SPEAK.
The Church or synagogue from the wilderness onward and virtually unchanged when Jesus attended and participated was a “Word of God only” assembly. The synagogue never had “a praise service” by direct commande for the Qahal and by common reverence When Jesus Christ (The Spirit) asks the twos and threes to come outside the camp, rest and “learn of me.”
The commanded, example and necessarily inference meaning of PREACH was to READ the Word, discuss it and use it for COMFORT. Church is the hardest work day of the week. Remember that singing as an ACT and preaching came after Constantine. Theologians or doctors of the law, says Jesus, “take away the key to knowledge.” that is their job, that is what they do.