Thanks Troy,

From, Sacred Scribbling. by Troy Dean.

This week I am away for a few days of solitude and reflection. This is the third Spring I have visited St. Columba Retreat House. It’s located on the Point Reyes Peninsula. I typically take a hike each day somewhere I can hear the waves crashing and see wildlife unseen in Lincoln (elephant seals). There is a historic lighthouse at the very end of the point. Many folks travel the winding roads pass a number of historic farms to come to visit and whale watch for a few moments. There are 300+ steps down to the lighthouse from the visitor’s center. It’s usually quite windy and sometimes foggy. The interesting thing about this particular lighthouse is that it no longer is lit. It does still have a loud fog horn that goes every 30 seconds, yet the light no longer is shining. It’s not due to budget cuts either. A number of years ago it was made automatic but now is dark. The information center states that since so much of our navigational equipment has advanced to include satellites and GPS maps, the light is no longer necessary. Modern day shipping no longer needs lighthouses.

It seems to me that might be said about what many think about the Church today because technology has given us a buffet for our spiritual appetites. We have a ton of unique and helpful Bible translations and tools to help us navigate the scriptures. We can listen to a favorite teacher or message via podcast. We have access to so many worship songs through sites like iTunes that we can construct our own personal worship set. We have big and comfortable homes to connect with our friends and host a family BBQ. We even have PayPal to help us give to those charities and compassion projects that personally move us. We can do everything that we do on a Sunday through our homes and the advanced technology of the internet. So who needs Sunday (or Saturday) church? It seems that modern Christians no longer need churches.  Can’t we just sit in front of our glossy screens (mine is an iPad) as belonging becomes an online customizable experience?  Do we really need the gathered church?

Before I respond to this critique, allow yourself to take a few moments and reflect on the question. Why do we need Church? Especially our weekend gatherings?

What do you think?

I was once a missionary in New Guinea. Life there was rugged, absent the conveniences I enjoy in the U.S. Power came from the sun, water from the rain, companionship from a very rare and special people living on a mountainside at the edge of the world. One of the more tedious and challenging tasks I faced was learning an unwritten language, which involved finding patterns in endless strings of utterance, attempting to understand the building blocks of language; wrapping myself around alien ways of viewing the world and verbal means of expressing that world view. I learned a few things about the Kingdom of God along the way that are worth repeating.

First, it is the differences within the language that make it understandable, not the sameness. For example, think about the difference in English of the difference between /tame/ and /lame/. One sound distinguishes these words, yet it is that one sound that determines the real meaning of the words. So it is in God’s Kingdom. The gospel becomes meaningful for people of every stripe as it finds expression through our differences. Just like on the nickel, e. pluribus unum: “out of many, one.”

Second, despite the political bent of the government who issues my passport, “the Kingdom of God is within” (Luke 17:21). The immigration officer looks at my U.S. passport and sees an American. The Christian I visit in a jungle village sees a brother in Christ, not an American. . . perhaps he sees a comparatively well-heeled brother, but a brother nonetheless. I am constrained and compelled by the love of Christ because he is in charge of my heart. My loyalty is to God’s Kingdom. That’s where my citizenship is.

Finally, I’m reminded that people matter—more than the stuff of earth, a lifestyle laden with cheap idols of materialism, or a fine meal at any number of favorite restaurants. Jesus showed us this in every exchange, every word, every action.

The Kingdom of God is formed in the heart in our surrender, is expressed in our loving service, and glorified in our singleness-amidst-diversity.