51 More to Go

Today is the end of my first week of 2006. I finished reading my first book of 2006 as well. I've decided to try to write something about each of the books I read.

At the library one day, a friend recommended an online reading group. It is apparently a Christian-related group, so I decided to check out the book. It’s called Endless Chain by Emilie Richards. It’s not really the type of book I normally read, but sometimes I venture out.

The story focuses on the life of a minister in a small church in rural Virginia. If I stopped at the setting, I could probably get away with making positive comments. But since there is much more to any story than that, I’ll just say this is a book I wouldn’t recommend.

You may be wondering why I’m writing about it at all. I guess the point is to define what I think a “church” is, and to find out what some of you think that definition is as well.

Throughout this story, I read about the lives of people, some good, some not so good, who were in some way related to the country church or her minister. I think that’s an adequate description of who makes up any body of believers…some good, some not so good. But there the similarity ends. Or there ends the similarity to what I think a body of believers should look like. In the story there are social activists, there are people doing good deeds, there are people loving, there are people struggling. But there aren’t many people worshipping God. Or consulting God. Or honoring God. Or giving God the glory. Or even attempting to live God-centered lives. It seems like a fellowship of country club members or a civic organization.

Is that what the church is? I don’t think it’s what it should be. It’s the Bride of Christ. It is a holy institution unlike anything thought up by man. It is not a business or a club. It is what Christ died for.

This book seems to ignore the holiness of God. It seems to treat directives from God as possibly good ideas for some people. And it treats Scripture with something near contempt. At a Christmas service, after quoting Luke's account of the birth of Christ, this is the minister’s message:

“Of course, we don’t know if that really happened, do we? We’re relying on a man named Luke to tell us this story, and we know for a fact that he lived well after Jesus and got his information from other sources.”

“But it’s a good story nonetheless, isn’t it? Even if it never happened quite this way. The Bible is filled with wonderful stories.”

A few paragraphs down he continues with this thought:

“Luke wanted us to believe in a world filled with spirit, a world where the good we do is as important as the good we believe in.”

It saddens me that an author writes a story where the minister doesn’t believe in the truth of Scripture. I know there are people out there who don’t, people who claim to be Christians who don’t. Even ministers who don’t. But I would rather they be the exception and be perceived as such.

And how can the good we do be as important as the good we believe in? I think as Christians, God is certainly equipping us for good works, and expects us to use our talents to that end. But if the good that I believe in is God Himself, my works will never measure up to that. Nor be as important as Him.

(For the record, I don’t think Luke lived “well after Jesus,” as our author claims. He was a co-worker of Paul’s and present with him through some of his journeys. Paul was pretty much a contemporary of Jesus. Luke may have been younger than Paul, but he certainly didn't live well after him.)

So why even admit this is the first book I read for 2006? Because this book represents something sad to me (other than the hours put into reading it). It is a view of God and Christianity that I’m afraid is more prevalent than I would like for it to be.

When someone reads this book, or one like it, and then looks at my life….am I like one of the characters? Does my faith appear as nothing more than noble hobby? Do they say to themselves, "That's fine for her, but I've got scrapbooking to fill my time."

One of my deepest desires is for Christ to be evident in me. I want others to see a transformed life.