The Church in the World

I haven't blogged in awhile.  There are two reasons for this:  my life suddenly got busy and I have been marinating.  For the past couple of weeks I have found that readings from my other classes (theology, polity, exegesis) have been colliding with my readings and experiences in the Cross and State class.  I have also found that my forays into the world:  watching the news on CNN, checking out other blogs, and conversations with my fellow human beings are also colliding with my experiences in Cross and State.  Lately I have been thinking a lot about the church in the world (probably because our topic for theology this week is "the nature of the church") 

As we approach Easter, I am convicted that the the gospel is about reconciliation.  Plain and simple reconciliation by the power of God revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ and continually made possible in our lives through the work of the Holy Spirit.  None of us deserve the reconciliation and redemption made possible by Jesus' death and resurrection...it is a free gift of God to all.  As Christians who are part of ONE CHURCH, we are called to proclaim this good news and extend it to others on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Reconciliation is not our work, but work that we are called to do when we claim Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

In thinking about the church's call to Christ's work of redemption and reconciliation I am also thinking about what is going on in our country and the world right now...

The healthcare debate is hot and heavy right now in our country, particularly since it was passed in the House and the Senate.  As my father-in-law put it this weekend:  50% of our country is rejoicing and 50% is complaining and Christians are on both sides of the debate.  I just read a blog post by a pastor in Anderson, SC entitled "My thoughts on Healthcare Reform...".  The first sentence reads, "Short version-it doesn't matter."  This pastor goes on to claim that, "Paul never staged a political protest (even though Christians were being set on fire!) Jesus never organized a political rally (even though the Roman army had invaded Israel and were forcing their rule over them.)  Jesus was not a Republican...or a Democrat!"  This blogger goes onto to encourage Christians to trust in the Sovereign God to take care of things and he includes some thoughts on the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If you want to read his whole blog, check it out at http://www.perrynoble.com/. 

Now, I don't want to bash this church leader or his thoughts on the gospel, but I do disagree with his thoughts on politics and the church.  Jesus was not a Republican or a Democrat because he was not an American.  He was a Palestinian Jew and part of the 1st century Roman Empire.  What Jesus did on earth shook up the POLITICS of Judaism and the Roman Empire.  Think about it:  Jesus was crucified at the hands of the government and the religious authorities of his day! 

I think the policies of our federal government do matter, particularly for the doctrine of reconciliation.  Think about the Theological Declaration of Barmen that is in the PC(U.S.A.)'s Book of Confessions.  What if the German Christians had not made this statement against the Nazi Government in the 1930's?  Also...check out these thoughts by Amy Plantinga Pauw from my theology reading this week:  "Some nineteenth-century American Presbyterians promulgated the doctrine of the "spirituality of the church."  They argued that the chuch was not to become involved in social and political matters because its mandate was spiritual:  to proclaim the gospel.  But by claiming that slavery was a political issue that the church should leave alone, the promulgators of the "spirituality of the church" were not being apolitical:  they were defending the institution of slavery."

I don't want this blog to turn into a debate about healthcare or any other particular political debates, but I do want to put out there that I think that God calls us, individually and corporately (as the church), to the work of reconciliation and sometimes that work is in the realm of politics.  It was for Jesus when he died on the cross at the hands of Roman authorities, it was for Christians who opposed slavery in the 19th century, it was for the German Confessional Church in 1934, it is for those who feel called to stand up for or against current healthcare reform policy, and it is for me as I advocate against state and federal policies that prohibit reconciliation and redemption for people who are incarcerated in our prison system.  As Susan Casey put it last week when she visited with our cross and the state class-redemption is no longer possible for those we execute.  Personally, I would like to think that reconciliation and redemption is possible for God even when we humans kill one another, but why do we want to kill and take judgement into our own hands? 

If we don't stand up for those things we feel the Spirit is convicting us about then we fail to be followers of Christ.  If we don't take a stand against injustice in the world (even if it is in the realm of politics) then we fail to be the church who proclaims the good news of the gospel!