The Journey to Jesus

I've been thinking that the journey to Jesus sure takes a long time. It is often a long, arduous path that eventually leads to Jesus. But along the way, there are twists, curves and switch-backs that make it often seem like I'll never get there. Sometimes, things--even people--perhaps even church can get in the way of our movement. I'm thinking about that here.

The journey to Jesus can often be confused with other necessary journeys we all have to take to be human. The journey to become a man; the journey to become a good husband; the journey of becoming a gracious and loving father...all of these and more are journeys I'm currently on. I've not fully arrived at any of them. I'm still becoming. I'm still on my way. I'm still in process.

Last week, I wrote on the blog about "churchianity vs. Christianity." That journey has elicited strong responses and even a few "unsubscribes." Let me say a bit more about this. I am not an outsider when it comes to the journey to become the church. I've dedicated most of my working life to help improve the church and make church better for people. But also, I have to admit, I see church through the lens of being a boy born in the south; raised in the Southern Baptist denomination and pastoring several churches. There's so much in church I love--yet so much I struggle with. I love the idea of belonging. Belonging to a group of people on journey together is a powerful vision to remember that reminds me that I am not alone on this journey. I need companions. I also love when we are able to gather and sing; hear powerful messages that inspire and teach us and help people who are truly the "outsiders" move to the inside.

Yet, with my loves comes deep stirrings that remind me to ask deep questions; pick up rocks and look underneath and try to raise the level of thinking about life and church. I'm afraid that we have absorbed a model for our churches that may become like dinosaurs in future generations. All of my four sons--having been raised in the church are questioning it. They are not alone in their questioning. In fact their generation has hard questions to ask of the church.

If church is anything at all, we should seek to become places where our graveclothes can be talked about; unwrapped and we can be set free from them. Defining church as a place of transformation helps me understand it more; value it more and want it more for myself and others. I cannot do this journey alone. I need community. I need the hand of others to help me get free from my own grave clothes. As I journey to Jesus, my call is for companions to walk with me--all of us moving towards Jesus. I don't want church to get in the way of my journey towards Jesus. In fact, as I understand it-- I can't journey well to Jesus without some form of church in my life. Can you?