Separation of Church and Church
For years I have been shaking my head at the continual twisting of the idea of “separation of church and state” into the “prohibition of church in the state,” and declaring that the reason for the decline of Christianity in our Christian nation.
Nope. That’s not it.
It’s not the government’s job to spread God’s message. Would it be nice if we had a truly Christian government that stood up for those rights? Sure! Silly question. But we don’t. And that is not our problem.
I’ve heard it several times in the last few weeks. “Churches get in the way of the Church.” “God hates religion.” “Churches scare people away from God.” Christianity is so fractured and separated that outsiders don’t care to sort it all out and figure out where they belong. The separation of church and church has become the major obstacle to sharing the truth.
I’ve attended services or been a part of events at several Bakersfield churches and they are awesome! I’ve been to Baptist churches, Nazarene, Mennonite, and Non-Denominational (which is basically a denomination). Great people and great hearts everywhere. What if they all worked together? Why do they have to hold tightly to the man-made differences? Are the cornflake potatoes really that much better at the Lutheran potluck than they are at the Methodist?
My wife and I were enjoying the worship service at Ridgeview Community Church recently, and Pastor Daren Pitcher used one of my favorite analogies to date. He explained that when we as a country go to war, we have a specific plan to defeat the enemy. It’s a tried and true plan of separating the enemy, isolating them in groups, cutting of their communication, and then sweeping in to destroy them. It works. Check the history books.
Our enemy sits back and watches while we do all the prep work for him to come in and do the destroying. We separate. We stick to our own and even have little cliques of churches. One congregation doesn’t know what the other (a quarter mile away) is doing. And we want to blame the government and media for the fall of Christianity. We’re great at pointing fingers.
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:3-6 (NIV)
What if, even if only here in Bakersfield, all the churches became THE church? What if we set aside the differences long enough to withhold judgment for those differences and get the word out as one body that “God doesn’t hate you?” What if we actually communicated with each other for the better communication to those missing out on God’s love? Why do we choose to NOT do that and stand in God’s way? That’s right. We, God’s “followers,” are standing in his way. Let that marinate in your mind for a minute.
Now, I said it before. There are MANY incredible churches in Bakersfield. There are awesome ministries going on and people being reached for God. Great things are being done by separated and isolated groups. What if they, what if we, were one?
When Jesus prays for something, it’s a good time to pay attention. Jesus prayed, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:20-23 (NIV)
“That all of them may be one.”
“Then the world will know that you sent me.”
What does the world think right now?
Let’s get together, Bakersfield, and quit pointing the finger somewhere else. Imagine the possibilities. Biggest potluck ever!
