Andrew Sullivan, for Newsweek, just wrote an article that many of us agree with. It indicted what the church, particularly the American church, has become and sought to call for some sanity in the midst of the political pandering disguised as logic derived from our Holy Book. This is done by certain pastors, politicians and many who have missed the point of what the church is meant to be. Before I try to defend my point, allow me to say that I agree with Andrew on many levels: the church can be corrupt, the faith can be suspect and there are communities of “believers” which are often filled with many who do not know Jesus at all. I agree that there is a need to redirect, but I disagree with the answer that Thomas Jefferson is a beacon of light calling the faith home.

It is here I begin. Jesus was/is the epitome of unique: fully God and fully man – being the only man in history who suffered death and rose again on His own power. His death and resurrection have changed the world. Yet it is His life and mission that help me direct my personal faith – and is the actual beacon I call His followers to. I cannot definitively say that the current church looks like what He called us to. The Great Commission is just that – a commissioning – not a call to being comfortable or sitting passively in a pew receiving a message that pushes you through the week. It is a call in line with He had already taught – Come and See, Come and Follow, The Kingdom of God is of great value, We need to lose our lives, and He is the promised Messiah. With all this behind the command, we are told to follow two imperatives – 1) Make disciples and 2) Behold He is with us. Along with these imperatives, there are three verbs (participial phrases) – go, baptize and teach (Spader, 15). Therefore, we are supposed to make disciples and trust God while going about, baptizing and teaching. This concept is more than the current church is in many ways.

This begs the opening questions: Who is investing in your faith on a personal level right now (more than a sermon or a service project)? Who are you teaching to follow Jesus (more than a sermon) and showing them how your life is now being directed by Him? Let’s start there… more tomorrow.