MtM 06 - The stay-away saints

Countless books are published about what is wrong with the church today. A Google search offered 42 million entries tinted with every shade of personal opinion. Amid the brutal polemic, a phenomenon called “Stay-away Saints” caught my attention. Apparently, many Christians stay away from church on Sunday, because they don’t believe the spiritual experience will enrich them any more. They live by the Christian code, but hide behind the excuse that organized religion is bust, unaware we faithful are the solution to the problem and if we don’t step up to do what’s right, who will? From its humble beginning of obstinate fishermen, the church has always been about the people it units, the message they share, and the sanctification they desire. To paraphrase a famous saying: “Ask not what the church can do for you, but what you can do for your church?” We can’t expect change if we don’t participate in it ourselves. Staying at home and complaining never made things better. Instead, get involved and work for change where you think it is necessary. Follow your heart and make things happen, because we are called to reflect God’s holiness through living attitudes and actions. The poet Ralph Wald Emerson wrote: “A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. He may think his tribute is paid in secret, in the dark recesses of his heart - but it will come out. That which dominates our imagination and our thought will determine our lives and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshiping we are becoming!” 

The Greek word we commonly translate as “holiness” actually means: “to be all you can be”, an expression often heard in poetry and song today. When called to be holy, we aren’t asked to adhere to a superhuman code, but to offer our sincere response to God, bringing his glory into our community. By accepting the challenge to revitalize our churches, we are reminded we are made in God’s image and likeness to implement the vision he started for the world. As Image Bearers of God, we are vested with the dignity, intellect and authority which our Creator entrusted to us. These powers shouldn’t be limited to lamenting and complaining, but must instead unit us with all the faithful who have a sincere desire for the enduring Truth. Image Bearers of God act for him across creation, approving what he wants approved and building what he wants built, while giving witness to a profound and joyful passion for God. Our resolution will brighten our church – itself a community journeying towards sanctification – by instilling a vigorous newness, a freshness which flourishes from our hearts connected in a trusting relationship of love.