"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58 There is a new cultural virtue in town, and it is for really cool people, it is called 'quitting.' Yeah, that's right, the thing your parents warned you never to do is now trending. When something is tough, frustrating, confusing or hard, just quit. Why should you keep going? It is so much easier and less stressful to just give up. And then while you are sitting back in your easy chair, you can laugh at all the hard working neophytes who are gutting it out. This is especially true with a new brand of Christian called a "Done." These are people who have had enough of playing church, putting up with frustrating people, going through the motions and they want to be set free from any organization or "institutional religion." It is now time to do it alone, to be done with all the non-sense of people and denomination. People are tired of quibbling over doctrine and color of carpet. "Me and God man, forget all the other baggage that goes along with Christianity, because I am done!" Here is how one Christian blogger, Zach Hoag, explains his decision to join the few, the proud, the 'Done': "I am 'done' – with evangelical church as usual. I’m done with any ministry obligation to that category and identity. I can’t do it anymore, and neither can my family. In that sense, I am graduating. That said, there is a flip side to the equation, and one that makes this promotion an emotional and spiritual move up rather than merely an ideological move left. Really, I find myself just as disinterested in being a good progressive as I am in being a good evangelical. This is a moving forward in that strange lane sometimes called the messy middle. There’s just not enough reason to stay committed to church institutions, because their primary concern is championing the popular justice issues of the day, and their leaders can be accessed through other means (books, conferences, blogs, etc.)." In other words, he is done with any label and group-think. He is free to be a Christian desperado. The Christian who reads his bible, a blog here and there, all the while singing Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again": An' here I go again on my own Goin' down the only road I've ever known, Like a drifter I was born to walk alone An' I've made up my mind I ain't wasting no more time So here I go again... I will admit that being part of an organization, a nation, a church and even a large family can be a pain in the rear. Every time people are involved and then must work together to accomplish a common goal, conflict happens. Whenever you get two or more controlling minds making decisions you are bound to have headaches and disagreements. And instead of learning to compromise, embracing mercy, and forgiving...it is so much easier to quit. It feels so good to leave in a huff, pick up your toys and say, "See ya' later suckers!" Are institutions a bad thing? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ One of the most hated ideas and targets of rage for the "Dones" is the idea of the institution. Oh boy do they hate that word. To the "Dones" the word institution conjures up the image of a being imprisoned in a state mental home with Nurse Ratched while she is giving out pills and sedatives to keep people under her control. No laughter or joy is allowed, straight jackets of ties and dresses must be worn and absolutely no new ideas are to be tolerated. And if you try to change things or rethink the way to do church, so it isn't only a stiff rigid system, you know you will be called into the pastors office for some serious interrogation. Rebels must submit! As you wait for the dreaded church fuehrer to arrive, all you can hear is the constant drone of yellow neon lights buzzing on the ceiling. So for the "Dones" the only sane thing to do is breakout from the institution before you die inside. Climb out the window, escape over the razor wire, and speed off on your spiritual Harley never to be heard from again. You are finally free, you are done! But that is not really an accurate representation of what an institution is. A true institution is a society or organization that is set up to protect, preserve, and perpetuate what a community thinks is precious and praiseworthy. We all recognize the importance of keeping important things going. There are many things we put in place on an annual or even semi-annual basis because we consider it to be important to us. We just don't call them institutions. For instance... * Remembering birthdays is an institution in most families. Just stop having parties for your 5 and 6 year olds and I guarantee they will demand answers. They are expecting cake, ice cream and presents. And of course singing the familiar chorus of "Happy Birthday". So go ahead, as a fed up parent, just try to tell them no more birthday parties because "I am done!" It won't fly. * Hunting season. In Michigan, every November you can feel it in the air...it is time to "shoot us some deer." Just try to tell the average hunter that hunting season has been abolished. The wives have decided, they are done with it. It won't fly. * Fantasy Football...it is that time of year again. Yep, draft season is upon us and the fellas need to get together to pick their teams. Just try to stop us, it's tradition. It won't fly. Every one of those illustrations are rather silly when you compare them to passing down the eternal truths of Jesus Christ. The church matters to him, we are his bride. All through the New Testament the gospel writers implore us to keep working together, forgiving each other, loving, sacrificing, and "don't stop meeting together" because the issues of the soul must take priority in our lives. Saying you are 'done' is a sign you don't have a clue about the things that matter to God. Look at this one verse and then ask yourself, is the church really that important to him? "To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him." Ephesians 3:8-12 If you are "done" it doesn't make you superior to the rest of the institutional church, you are just selfish. Humility is hard because it requires you to lose yourself for the sake of others, even if they are caddy, critical, complaining and cold. God expects you, as a Christian, to love them anyway. The most powerful aspect of God's love is that it creates the object of who he will love. God doesn't look for the person who is easy to love, but rather for the one who will bring him the most glory, a person who is his enemy. No one out of natural love pursues his enemy. But when God's love kicks in, you will. That kind of love is rare. If you are done with people and his church, you really don't know God.
5 Comments
Chris K
8/10/2015 09:39:17 pm
Forgiveness.
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chris
8/11/2015 04:13:52 am
thanks chris, you are so right! why is foregiveness the last thing?
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Tommy
8/15/2015 07:34:24 am
It is easier to quit. It seems like the flaws in the Church is also part of the reason why denominations are started. They want to be free drone the 'messy' church. It seems rare for younger aged believers to stick it out with a Church. It still surprises me with all the new church plants within Grand Rapids. Why not work with an existing Church and build from there?
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8/7/2017 01:20:44 am
I adore your websites way of raising the awareness on your readers.
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Chris
8/7/2017 05:03:58 am
I am so glad you like my blog. I am trying to simply voice what I see is happening to the culture, and people and comments like yours keeps me going!
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