Sunday 1 August 2010

Church is merely People!

Following on the Anne Rice affair for the final thought I have to echo the thoughts of a commentator of this blog. Anne appears to say that whilst she wants to remove herself from being a Christian yet wishes to continue to follow Christ.

I don't see a problem with this in that this is what many people attempt to do, but have to add the reality that those who seek to walk the path of Christ and follow in His footsteps on their own rarely (I'd say never but I'm sure someone would prove me wrong) manage to remain Christian in anything but name.

A general rule: We cannot be Christians in isolation.

Once we meet with others we become 'Church' and so, regardless of denomination or name, to walk alone is folly and fails but to be 'Church' is the way to live as Christ calls us.

Once we do this we need to ensure that the walk we make corporately is sound and is Christ's teachings and not the whims of the bigger mouths or the loudest voices. This means that once we have decided to be Church with others, we need to ensure that the body (that is the believers) and sound and being led soundly. This is where shopping for a church comes in = never accept a church as Church until you've made sure that is it sound and trustworthy.

Once we meet as Church then we should be helped to keep our walk straight. This might mean being disciplined and as we are taught (and corrected if necessary) we become more like Christ and become disciples (and discipled). If one finds a church where 'anything (or everything) is acceptable' it probably ain't 'proper Church'.

So there it is - hopefully the lady will continue her walk with Christ, realise that the Christian world has as many dodgy, flawed, fallen and pretty disgusting types as the world that (largely) seeks to ignore it and will carry on growing and emulating Christ.

Pax.

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