kim through
   the looking glass

I was lucky enough to piggy-back on an order that Brad put in for some programming books a few weeks ago. He ordered me The Birth of Hathor (which took me completely by surprise!), Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves, Pagan Christianity, and Reimagining Church. I quickly dug into Pagan Christianity and would like to offer a short review here.

The tag-line for Pagan Christianity is “Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices” and explore it does! The authors (Frank Viola and George Barna) take the reader systematically through the traditions and practices in current ‘church’ culture and look at their historical evolution. The book examines the following:

• church buildings
• the order of worship
• sermons
• the pastor
• dressing up on Sunday mornings
• music in the church
• tithing/paid church positions
• Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
• how we educate our children and clergy

In each chapter, the authors discuss the historical basis for the practices that are common in church culture today and examines whether or not these practices are Biblical.

Reading this book has rocked my world. The authors begin the book with an anecdotal story of a man who gets dressed up in his ‘Sunday best’, gets in heated disagreements with his family members on their way out the door and speeds to church, only to arrive at the building, paste a fake smile on his face, greet people like a ‘perfect’ Christian, and then be bored to tears and try not to fall asleep during the sermon - asking himself the following questions:

Is sitting in this uncushioned pew, staring at the back of twelve rows of heads for forty-five minutes, doing things by the Book? Why do we spend so much money to maintain this building when we’re here only twice a week for a few hours? Why is half the congregation barely awake when Pastor Farley preaches? Why do my kids hate Sunday school? Why do we go through this same predictable, yawn-inspiring ritual every Sunday morning? Why am I going to church when it bored me to tears and does nothing for spiritually? Why do I wear this uncomfortable necktie …?” (Pagan Christianity, p. 3)

Afterward, the reader is invited to be challenged in their faith, to read the book with an open mind and to search out answers for themselves. I accepted the challenge heartily.

And was shocked, again and again.

From organic, every-member-functioning, open-participatory meetings in the first century, to highly ritualistic Catholic Masses in the middle ages, to the Reformation and Revivalist movements, none of the church practices above are Scriptural. Sure, most of them are in the Bible, but not at all in the form in which they’re currently practiced.

The authors’ conclusion? Church isn’t bad. But are we holding onto traditions where we should be moving on? Is the Body of Christ functioning in the way Jesus intended when we participate in a manner that is best described as being a spectator? Is the church meeting today a group of Christians coming together to mutually edify one another and be Christ to each other? Is the way we ‘do church’ stifling the spiritual growth and transformation of Christians?

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matthew 15: 1-3) [Emphasis mine.]

Jesus was a radical. He was a revolutionary. He came to abolish institutional religion and put the people into right relationship with a loving God - a God who doesn’t care what you wear to church on Sunday, who established the priesthood of ALL believers, who ate and drank merrily with his disciples, who loved the poor and the outcast, who likened the Body of Christ to a family.

I love Jesus the radical. I love Jesus the revolutionary. I want to follow Him - I want His message to transform me. I want to exude His love and life. I want to have a vibrant faith life and to be in communion with my Creator. I want to be Christ’s body to those in need, to those in my family - be they my physical family or my spiritual one.

But honestly? I don’t know how. And the church experiences I’ve had over my lifetime have done little to help me learn how to fall in love with Jesus and follow Him.

I’m thinking a lot about this - it’s honestly the most I’ve thought about my faith in years.

I’d urge anyone who is confused as to where we get our church practices to pick up this book! I’m currently about halfway through Reimagining Church - and it’s incredible!