20 years ago it was possible to be unreachable.  20 years ago, if you left your house or your office, others would have to wait until you returned to talk to you.  Now, most Americans who are out of diapers have a mobile phone and reasonably priced (eh, arguably) phone and data plans.  We can call, text, Snap, Tweet, Facetime or Facebook practically anyone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  And yet experts say we are lonelier and more isolated than at any other time in history.  We are excepting this pseudo connection in place of true intimacy.  Let’s face it.  It’s easier than face to face interaction.  We don’t have to coordinate with anyone else’s schedule, we don’t have to shower or set foot outside our home, and we can multi-task – communicating in the carpool line or while watching the our favorite show.  It feeds into our need to be doing and blowing and going all the time.  We don’t have to slow down.  And we don’t have to get personal.  If someone annoys us or we disagree with them, we can just stop typing.  And we don’t have to see the real hurt, disappointment or frustration that might be on the other end of the conversation.  But that works both ways.  When we want someone else to see and experience with us our pain, or joy, or excitement, the phone can’t compare with a living, breathing, touching person.  We are left feeling empty and alone.

In the same way, we can fool ourselves into thinking that technology (and other things) can take the place of the local church.  It has become trendy to say that we are “spiritual” but don’t need the church to have a relationship with God.  We can pray alone, read devotionals online or in a book, and watch preachers or uplifting programs on TV.  And while all of that is true, and I am thankful for the ministries that help us pursue God in the everyday, we were never meant to live out our callings in isolation from God’s church.

I wrote an article a couple of weeks ago on what the families of special needs individuals wish the church knew.  You can read it here.  In researching that post, I spoke with many people that consider themselves “church-wounded”by someone or a group of someones in their church.  People who have been so hurt that they chose to separate from the body of Christ.  I will be the first to admit that there is not a perfect church.  The old joke says that if you ever find one, it will be imperfect the minute you join.  Since there is no perfect person, no perfect staff member, no perfect preacher, there will never be a perfect church.  Staff members screw up.  Congregants sin.  Members hurt other members.  In this wicked world, it happens.  If you stay in relationship with ANYONE – church member or not – long enough, it will happen.  But that doesn’t mean we don’t need the fellowship.

The church is God’s design for our own edification and the furtherance of His gospel message.    Hebrews 10:24-25 exhorts us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”  When we enter into relationship with God, He makes us members of a family.  “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Romans 12:4-5)  We are members of one another.  And just as it can sometimes get sticky and difficult to be a member of your biological family, it can occasionally be trying to be a member of the family of God.  But it can also be rewarding and wonderful and educational and life-giving.  Ephesians 4:15-16 says, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”  If I’m an arm, I can’t function at full capacity without you – the ligament that holds me in place.  We all need each other, staying in the thing and working together to carry out Christ’s commission in our world.

Jesus loves the church so much that He often referred to her as His bride (ex. Ephesians 5).  Because Christ loves the church, I love the church.  I love MY church.  I AM the church.

image by lezab

When I first started attending yoga classes, I skipped out on the savasana.  As a busy mom and overly active gym rat, I didn’t have time in my day for what looked like a post-workout nap.  As I fell in love with the discipline and decided to train to teach, it slowly became my favorite part of my practice.  Savasana, typically executed in corpse pose (lying on the back, body relaxed and eyes closed), offers the participant a time of silence, stillness and refreshment.  A chance to fully assimilate the benefits of the work already done.  This quieting of the mind and body is an art, a gift, but also at times a subtle struggle. 

As a believer, I wrestle in much the same way with stillness and silence in prayer.  I get fidgety, my mind wanders and I sometimes get uncomfortable, but the discipline is worth the effort.  Without silence, I risk missing the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.  I miss inspiration and instruction.  So silence has become, for me, the ultimate act of surrender to God.  A sacrifice of my time and energy for a greater good.  A great source of strength. 

“The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.”  Hab 2:20 NIV

I have been taking a little self-imposed break from serious writing because my last piece took a lot our of me emotionally (you can read it here).  But it’s been one week since the heartbreaking violence at the small Texas church of Sutherland Springs, and I saw an article this week by Don Sweeney with the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram that prompted me to respond.  Sweeney reports that a backlash is swelling on social media just as it did after the mass shooting in Las Vegas on October 1st.  The object of the resentment?  Thoughts and prayers.

It’s quite common in this day of, what seems to be, almost constant tragedies for those with a social media account to share concern and pledge “thoughts and prayers” to those affected.  Scores have expressed this or similar sentiments in regards to these two events as well as the natural catastrophes of hurricanes and wild fires.  But some are vilifying these simple compassionate words.  Examples of the retorts include:  “To anyone saying ‘thoughts and prayers’ to the victims…they were in CHURCH.  They don’t need more prayers.  They need gun control.” – Mikel Jollett  And “Enough with the ‘thoughts and prayers already’.  The bible teaches us that faith without works is dead.  Do something or say nothing.” – Joy Reid  And “After decades of data, I think we all can conclude the ‘thoughts and prayers’ method of gun-violence prevention is 0% effective.” – Kaivan Shroff 

While I agree that telling someone you are thinking of them is little more than a kind sentiment with no ability to change their current situation, prayer belongs in a wholly different category.  2 Corinthians 10:3-4 says, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”  And prayer is one of those weapons.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and 18 the Bible commands us to “pray continually…for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  Another passage confirms that “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”  James 5:16.  At first glance, I might wonder if James 5 disqualifies me from doing prayer battle.  How can I, who messes up royally and often, be righteous?  Romans chapter 3 explains how:  “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (v. 22) “and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (v. 24)  There is nothing I can do to be righteous, but God bestows on me the righteousness of Jesus when I put my faith in Him.  So even though I sin horribly, my prayers hold weight.  If you have put your faith in the all-powerful God and His Son Jesus, yours do too. 

Now, please don’t hear me say that prayer is the only weapon in a Christian’s arsenal.  If you feel strongly about certain legislation, then prayerfully lobby our lawmakers.  If you possess the skills necessary to render aid and the ability to travel, go.  If you have the funds to donate, get online and find a reputable source to funnel through.  www.ssfb.net offers suggestions of ways to give directly to their church or its impacted members.  But also remember that prayer itself is faith in action. 

My prayer for today:  “Arise, Lord!  Lift up your hand, O God.  Do not forget the helpless.”  Psalm 10:12