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What good is the church?

What good is the church?

Last updated on: August 25, 2024 at 11:42 am by Dorian Scott Cole

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What good is the church? 2024-08-25T11:42:57-06:00 Dorian Scott Cole

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Go and make disciples…. Is that the end? Or the beginning?

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20

Image of Go Make Disciples by Obra Shalom Campo Grande on Flickr, CCO license. And lettering by Dorian Scott Cole

Service opportunities and author’s books are at the bottom of the page.

This Bible verse is often seen as a directive to make converts, and it antagonizes others. Yet it’s a message of good news that many don’t have. Followers of Jesus can be anyone. For example, Jesus came first to the Jews, then sent his apostles to non-Jews. Both Jews and Christians can follow Jesus’ Good News. All the world can.

I visited missionaries in Morocco in the 1960s. It’s a predominantly Islamic country with beliefs from the Prophet Mohammed. Mohammed recognized the Israelite prophets Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. They believe that God revealed himself to these prophets before the Jewish and Christian bibles were written. The Koran was written around 700 AD.

The focus of most of the missions was running orphanages for unwanted or orphaned children. The Bible tells about Jesus, and I think they taught about Jesus. They may have taught the Koran as well. People find useful things in all religions that cite Abraham as their source, as well as others. Yet we reduce our ideas about religion to only one can be right, and we must conquer and convert. Converting people to Christianity in some Islamic countries can mean the death sentence for them and missionaries. Or get you kicked out of the country.

Rather than spread the Good News of forgiveness and eternal life, we turn other religions into enemies.

There is only one most powerful creator God. We all worship the same God.

Reductive Christianity dots I’s, forgets alphabet

In our reductive pursuit of simplifying the message, we boil it down to a few simple commands. Jesus wasn’t big on commands. The Torah had more than enough for Jews.

Jesus said to the Jews, They do all the little things required of them, but “You have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.” See Matthew 23:23-24.

Even his new commandment was similar to the Greatest Commandment: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” It’s kind of like love your neighbor as yourself, but it’s aimed at his followers.

Jesus also said, “… I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10: 10

We need to understand how abundant life works. If we look deeply at Jesus’ life, we gain a better understanding of where he was coming from.

Example of the synagogue

Jesus called the collections of people who were communities of belief, his gathering. The word gathering is what the Jewish word synagogue means: house of assembly, or gathering. It also means assembly in ancient Greek.

What were the functions of the synagogue? They were usually owned by the community as meeting places. The round seating shape of the synagogues with a speaker in the middle indicates they were meant for listening and debating.

Everyone was welcome, but there may have been special seating for dignitaries. The Torah was taught there, court cases were tried there, and they were likely used for any civic function. Jesus preached the Torah and debated in the synagogues.

In typical Jewish fashion, they had water and lodging for travelers. Hospitality and attending to human needs was clear.

When we look at churches today, we can look at synagogues for the purpose Jesus had for his assembly or gathering. They weren’t just for worship. They were for community functions.

Early Christians assembled in people’s homes, and later built churches. They discussed Jesus’ message and issues of the day.

Interestingly, today’s churches aren’t round or in living rooms where people can hear and discuss. They’re for telling and listening.

James speaks of our greater mission

James is believed to be Jesus’ brother (or half brother), who courageously taught in Jerusalem until around 62 AD after Jesus was killed. He had a good handle on Christian purpose.

“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.”– James 2: 14-17 (NASB)

We can understand from James’ admonition to do what is necessary for the body, that we have a responsibility for the care of the physical body as well as the soul.

I just finished some additional research on Generation Z. This inspired me to write this blog-article. Their needs are enormous. While they are valiant individuals who stand up for what they believe in, they have a lot of difficulty because they are isolated through electronics and too often left on their own. The result is insecurity.

I believe we have the solemn duty to help them address their issues so that they can become productive in pursuit of spiritual ideals. They are struggling with the need for security, love, acceptance, and self-esteem, and have to resolve these issues before spiritual matters. The result is chaos, difficulty handling relationships, and difficulty communicating.

We can introduce them to spirituality while helping them resolve these issues. Without spiritual grounding, many will struggle to find meaning and purpose.

Conclusion

Making followers of Jesus is just the beginning of the journey. The work of the church begins there, it doesn’t end there.

Jesus didn’t promise anyone wealth. He promised abundant life. That is, life not marred by bad relationships and fear of punishment so that we can succeed in relationships and other things. He gave us a good beginning. It’s the same we can do for others.

The singer, Jewel, in one of earliest songs said it well, Who Will Save Your Soul:

“Went up where the homeless had their homes …
We’re so worried about savin’ our souls
Afraid that God will take His toll that we forget to begin, but
Who will save your souls?”

Are we paralyzed, so afraid of God’s judgment that we forget to begin doing the tasks shown to us, tasks that we can’t even ignore?

Probability Space

What probability spaces can we open in our minds to find existing ways to help new generations?

For a list, see the life skill training courses on my Connections.life Web site.

Potential Space

If you think creatively and allow your mind to wander and explore, what additional ways can we find to assist new generations?

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My friend, David Ketcherside, former Christian broadcaster, has written a book series that I gave feedback on. It’s for men, written from his experience, thoughtful analysis, and heart. Gen A, Z, and X (Millennials) would find it very helpful. It’s available in print, on Kindle, and as an audiobook on Audible. Check out The Whole Dude. His description: “My hope is to remind readers what being whole looks like, and help them recognize the distortions that stop us from feeling totally awesome all the time.” He’s also excellent at marketing if you have marketing needs.

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– Dorian

Our answer is God. God’s answer is us. Together we make the world better.

Restore and recreate. Take time to celebrate life. Laugh, sing, and dance regularly, even every day. Happy. This is why we dance to celebrate life: Reindeer actually running and dancing.

Civic service opportunities

Do Unto Others Kindness Campaign, and civic engagement.

UCC service opportunities.

PC USA programs and services.

United Methodist Church Volunteer Opportunities.

General service and aid opportunities (on One Spirit Resources Website). To add your service opportunity to the One Spirit Resources list, contact the author (me) through Facebook Messenger. Note that I only friend people I know.

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Education Opportunities for new generations

Becoming an Entrepreneur – MITx online

Evaluating Social Programs – MITx online

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Bible scripture verses are New American Standard Version (NASB), unless noted.

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Author and books

Appease the Volcano: What does God require from people? The voices of the ancients from many religions echo much of the same things: It starts with law, then mercy and forgiveness, then love. Love is a major emphasis in all major religions and replaces law.

The Prophetic Pattern: Ancient and Modern Prophecy: How to distinguish the intent of various types of prophecies and oracles, both ancient and modern.

Preparing For the Future Of Work and Education: Analysis of the kinds of jobs that AI and Robotics will displace, and the educational requirements for them. AI will replace or augment thirty percent of jobs. This is an in-depth analysis citing many authoritative sources.

Author Website: Dorian Scott Cole

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