Cracks in the Armor
What would Paul think about the state of the Church today?
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully. As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing. - 2 Timothy 4:1-8
Today's reading is believed to be the last epistle Paul wrote before his death.
He was passing the baton to Timothy to keep up the fight, and the letter is written with a touch of foreboding. Already, there are cracks in the armor. The Church is losing some of its followers to myths and false teachings.
People are seeking out teachers who teach the messages they want to hear, rather than listen to the truth.
I had a conversation with a priest recently who expressed similar concerns about the state of our Church today. In an effort to hold onto the population of the faithful, some Church Leaders have adjusted the message to suit the needs and desires of their congregations, modernizing and modifying the meaning of the Scripture readings to hold onto those who would drift away.
It doesn't matter what denomination you are, people are drifting, and attempts to reel them in may cause others to drift as well.
In our congregation, we are talking about The Way of Love, a short course in turning back to the foundational principles of Christ's teaching. According to the Episcopal Church website, it is "More than a program or curriculum, it is an intentional commitment to a set of practices. It's a commitment to follow Jesus: Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, Rest."
As a Church, we are trying to reinvent ourselves as more Christ-centered, while attempting to make us more meaningful to young people and old together.
The overarching message is to spend more time with Christ, through study, prayer, worship and action.
Will we succeed in bringing people back, and attracting new people to come?
Or will we worry that we may be excluding some who seek something different, and then fail to commit to a single message of love?
I think we let ourselves get confused by Jesus' ministry. On the one hand he claimed to uphold the law rather than abolish it, and yet he welcomed those who turned away and offered them a way back.
He accused the leaders of hypocrisy when they chose the law and its punishment over the choice to reclaim a lost soul.
So, what will we do?
Will we find a way to standardize the message so all can hear and understand? Or will we continue to let each congregation choose its own direction?
How will they know to come, if they don't know what we stand for?
More to come...