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Would Jesus go to church?

A great question that opens doors and spawns new questions- Read the paper and visit the Forum to get in on the discussion:

 

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1. If you are interested in participating in an ongoing conversation, visit the Spiritual Growth Forum at www.tinyurl.com/Would-Jesus-Go-To-Church-Paper

 

 

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2. If you happen to live in Raleigh, NC and are interested in learning more about a church that asks questions like this take a look at North Raleigh Community- http://www.NorthRaleighCommunityChurch.org/index.shtml

 

 

Summary- Would Jesus go to church?
Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t. He would probably recognize today’s society’s hunger for spiritual life, but also note the lack of relevance of much of church life today. Jesus was an enemy of any religious system that kept people from Divine life in its blind focus on ritual, rules, and rites instead of needs, relationships, and universal spiritual truths.


Jesus introduced a new way of looking at spirituality then, and it’s likely that he would do the same today. The world continues to change and spiritually astute followers of Jesus have been adapting for centuries.
• In the Middle Ages before the rise of scientific inquiry, the world was not only Unknown but believed to be Unknowable. Spiritually astute followers of Jesus adapted to that worldview and acted as the champion of people… their protector in the face of terrible forces.


• When Newton, Galileo, and Copernicus ushered in a view of the world that became very Knowable, the response was the Reformation and Counter-Reformation… spiritual people helping the church became a teacher, a champion of truth for the people.


Today, we are once again, in a new and changing environment. Einstein, Heisenberg, and Darwin have uncovered relative and uncertain realities. The Internet has engendered a worldwide explosion of information and long-held beliefs are being thrown open to question.


Society is attempting to navigate the chaos that accompanies this new environment, yet mainstream Christianity remains encumbered by centuries of accumulated trappings. The church has been slow to adapt.
Today, a few stalwart followers of Jesus are rediscovering spiritual relevance as they reexamine and recover the spiritual truths that Jesus taught:

  1. Inner wakefulness to the Divine is more important than creed or dogma
  2. Authoritarian leadership is a poor substitute for experiencing the Divine
  3. Community is essential to the spiritual journey
  4. Tolerance and acceptance is more helpful to religion than sectarian division
  5. Everyone can and should participate in bettering the earth
  6. Time spent seeking out and discerning the Divine is foundational for everything.

Jesus lived these truths and he taught them anywhere he could find people…addressing those who weren’t looking, those who had given up, and even those of other faiths. It didn’t seem to matter; he accepted people where they were and built on their beliefs and experiences.


So yes, it’s likely that Jesus would probably participate in churches. However, he’d be just as likely to find friendships in hospitals, shopping malls, and on the internet. Perhaps the more important questions are “What is Church?” or “Where is spirituality likely to blossom next”?


To read the entire white paper, or participate in the conversation, visit the Spiritual Growth Forum at  www.tinyurl.com/Would-Jesus-Go-To-Church-Paper

For interview and media opportunities, please contact Michael Stierhoff- Michael@lighthouse-marketing-solutions.com

Doug Hammack was born and raised in California and lives with his family in Raleigh, NC. With over 20 years in spiritual formation and ministry, he’s a lifelong reader, student of human nature and Divinity. His BA is in History from the University of California: San Diego and his Master of Divinity (Theology) and Doctor of Ministry (Human Development) degrees are from Fuller Theological Seminary.