Category Archives: Daily Diary of Thoughts

Today, the question stills bothers me, “So where do you go to church?” Along with the statements,” You need to go to church with me. We had church today etc…” Herein lies the purpose of this blog: to articulate a biblical, spiritual, theological, and practical answer to the question , Is there a viable way of doing church outside the institutional church experience, and if so, what does it look like?

If the past twenty years have taught me anything, they have taught me this: There will be two major responses to my view on the church. One will sound something like this: “Thank goodness, I’m not crazy! I thought I lost my mind. I’m grateful that there are others who feel the same way I do about church. My writing has given language to feelings and beliefs I’ve had for years. And it’s given me hope that there really is a church life experience beyond what’s commonly known and accepted.”

The other will sound something like this: “How dare you challenge our church practices! God loves the church. What right do you have to criticize it!? And who gives you the right to say that your way of doing church is the only valid way!?”

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not beyond correction in my views. I’m still growing and learning. However, the problem with this particular objection is that it exposes the very problem that I set out to address. Namely, we Christians are very confused about what the church is.

By no means am I criticizing the church. In fact, I’m writing because I love the church very much. And it’s because of that love that I wish to see the body of Christ express itself in ways that I believe God originally intended. The church, therefore, should not be confused with an organization, a denomination, a movement, or a leadership structure. The church is the people of God, the very bride of Jesus Christ.

God has not been silent on how the church naturally expresses herself on the earth. Therefore, it’s the present practices of the church that I’m seeking to change, not the church itself.

If you look back to much, you will soon be heading that way.

“If the first four chapters of Romans tell us anything, they tell us we are living a life we don’t deserve.”

Christ meets you outside the throne room, takes you by the hand, and walks you into the presence of God. Upon entrance we find grace, not condemnation; mercy, not punishment. Where we would never be granted an audience with the king, we are now welcomed into his presence.

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You can climb to high for your own good. It’s possible to ascend too far, stand to tall, and elevate too much. Linger too long at high altitudes, and two of your senses suffer. Your hearing dulls. It’s hard to hear people when you are higher than they. Voices grow distant. Sentences seem muffled. And when you are up there, your eyesight dims. It’s hard to focus on people when you are so far above them. They appear so small. Little figures with no faces. You can hardly distinguish one from the other. They all look alike. You don’t hear them. You don’t see them. You are above them.

I watched my pastor when it seemed as if there were no defeats on the battlefield. No blemishes on his administration. Loved by the people. Served by the soldiers. Followed by the crowds. He was at an all time high. The point were he lost his humility. The higher you allow people to exhaust the greater chance of losing your humility. “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven”. Matthew 18:4

The humility of a man draws people and empowers their thinking. However, the pride of a man controls people and brings their thinking into captivity.

www.kennypittman.org