Church Politics Up Close and Personal

When writing the Koinonia blog I wasn't anticipating a type up to a sequal so soon afterwards...as in days. There is much more to spill on a personally stinging note.....

If there's one thing that turns soul searchers from the evangelical church is legalism and church politics. Even worse is when the two are mixed. We have sat in numerous services where the teacher at the pulpit talks of woes on legalism in the church. One in particular that has been stored away in the 12th corner of memory is the very idea that the "right" thing for Christians to be practicing is church attendance Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings and Wednesday evenings. The blatant statement was made that for one to indulge in any less weekly attendance is wrong or a sin of some sort. Wow, really? Where does it say in Scripture that regular church attendance on specific days/times of the week are a required duty and proof of one's Christianity?

The blanket theory of keeping order in churches with a growing congregation can easily get out of control when far too much regulation is put in place. That can easily be defined when the regulation[s] are put in place to serve the staff's needs for convenience more than it is taking into account the emotional, psycholgical and spiritual state of each home represented by members of the congregation. Such things don't take into account all factors families are faced with on a daily basis that may be a source of struggle for many. No family should be put in any position to defend themselves and their struggles just to appease the "author" of [an] unnecessary regulation[s] in hopes to be categorized as "in need of exception"....thus be granted some level of grace, in order to be continue their quest for Spiritual encouragement and fellowship in love with the rest of the church.

The point of this particular blog is not to imply that chaos abound in the church to serve everyone that walks in the door. Instead, church leadership should never lose focus on the whole God-authored purpose of servanthood. Would we turn away children for being "tardy" if Jesus were standing next to the check-in desk? Seriously....would we? Do we really think He would turn away straglers 15 minutes into his teaching/dicipleship amongst other children? "Sorry, to let you in on this is disruptive to the rest of the kids that've been here for 15 minutes already". Would He really agree with the idea that mom, dad and the rest of the entire family "pay" the consequences for being late to church? Or would He actually say, "Come on over, I'm so glad you could make it today."