Church: Part 2

Author Donald Miller captures many of my own thoughts and feelings when it comes to finding a church 'home' nowadays. Chapter 12 of 'Blue Like Jazz' is titled, 'Church- How I go without getting angry.' Miller articulates these thoughts more poignantly, humorously, insightfully and concisely than I ever could.

So, Mr. Miller, I hope you don't mind...

Donald Miller: "I suppose we need them. The institutions. The corporations. But mostly I don't like them. I don't have to like them either. It's my right.

I don't like church, either, for the same reason. Or I should say, I didn't like church. I like attending a Catholic service every once in a while, but I think that is because it feels different to me. I grew up Baptist."

B. Morris: I grew up Baptist and like attending Catholic services sometimes too. Probably because there is a sense of simplicity and depth at the same time. A sense of reverence and holiness. No cup holders in the seats or people loudly stirring their ice lattés during the sermon. No one 'producing' the singing or trying to be the next Tommy Walker. Or constantly referencing reality shows and sports stories.

Because it's challenging to get to know Jesus as He really is/was--rather than who a particular denomination fashions Him to be. (Come to find out, He cares about the 'already born' too; the weak, the poor, and the oppressed. Yep, even those in other countries. Shockingly, it turns out He doesn't even have a special preference for Americans.)

Donald Miller: "I like watching religious television every once in a while. It's better than Comedy Central. I want to study psychology so I can sit in front of religious television and figure out these people's problems. For a while I was very fascinated by televangelists. I couldn't afford a television ministry but I had a computer, so I would go into chat rooms and try to heal people. It was funny at first, but then it got boring.


B. Morris: Yeah, I know that all sin is supposed to be equal, but I actually think that God has a special place in hell for 'ministers' who weasle money out of weak-minded spiritual seekers, in Jesus' name. Remember the whole moneychangers in the temple thing? He was pretty darn mad, to put it mildly.

Donald Miller: "Some of my friends have left their churches and gone Greek Orthodox. I think that sounds cool. Greek Orthodox. Unless you are Greek. Then it sounds like where you are supposed to go, as though you are a conformist. If I were Greek, I would never go to a Greek Orthodox church. If I were Greek, I would go to a Baptist church. Everyone there would think I was exotic and cool.

I go to a church now that I love. I never thought that I would say that about a church. I never thought I could love a church....in the churches I used to go to, I felt like I didn't fit in. I always felt like the adopted kid, "as if there were room at the table for me." Do you know what I mean? I was accepted, but not understood. There was room at the table for me, but I wasn't in the family.

It doesn't do any good to bash churches, so I am not making blanket statements against the church as a whole. I have only been involved in a few churches, but I had the same tension with each of them; that's the only reason I bring it up."

B. Morris: I feel like making blanket statements and church bashing, so I think I'll keep quiet. Except to say that Taizé needs to do some church 'planting' here in the States. It would be ABS OLUTELY. SPIRITUALLY. GROUNDBREAKING. And even though the church technically is anywhere two or more are gathered in his name, we too pray that God will lead us somewhere that we can love and feel we belong.