IS YOUR CHURCH STUCK IN AN IDENTITY CRISIS?

Going to church is a good thing, isn't it? How would life have been without a service? There would be no me or you. simple. We are the church and we were created through whom is the head of the Church-Christ. Being in and going to church are two different things that my level of understanding would not differentiate clearly. It is also a good thing to be consistent in being and going. It occurred to me that listening to a service, for free, is an all time greatest human service. A preacher fasting for the sake of a sermon is not an easy thing. Lecturers do not. My concern is however different. It is a layman’s angle- passive and ignorant though willing to know. It is a concern of identity. Different churches are rooted on different fundamentals. How far do you understand, accept, practice and appreciate the founding fundamentals of the religious society you associate with?

Qualities of many christians

This article was necessitated by attending a brainstorming discussion of our (assuming you are of a different society) service meetings. For the sake of the different societies and the need to have everyone take this as a personal message, I hesitate to quote names of those who made the session informative though I greatly debt their contribution. The issues here are universal and may inform discussions that may bear after. Of course the session was expected to be as easy as ABC until the participants opened the eyes of each other to dynamically look at issues. Have we (as a religious society) changed over the years? If Yes, how? Where? When? Why? It was not until the discussion was left in the hands of the participants (does your church create room for questions? Do you participate?) that another perspective came in. The four questions are as loaded as discussing the whole religious theology. We had to break things down as the caucus agreed.

Who knows the religious society better than the older members? Youths find this hard to take. None accepts deficiency. This is incase your society has been around for a number of years now. What about the ones that are barely a decade old? And one would question, ‘how sure are we that the older people will not speak about themselves and not express the ideal concept? They may have changed too.’ Learning is an influence of the teacher. Another member suggests that materials are available for research and knowledge of the foundation ideals. Before he is done, a woman gets startled to warn that not all write-ups should be trusted. This is before another says that all that is against what is written in the Bible is nothing but a heresy. And the circle rotates back, how should Christians practice what is written? Some writings are more figurative than others and the understanding of one passage may be a misunderstanding of another. Some wait upon revelations and hence forth. Needless to say much on history and conservation, the center of this is a question of, ‘do members understand the real thrust and spirit of founder person(s)? Or they are a duplication that suffers darkening from original carbon paste.

Church identity as a crisis was a concern that came in after one who had denied the existence of change all along since inception spoke. His point was that the church has not secured a negotiating position all along over the years which seem change to me for time overtook vigilance as gratitude or beauty erodes with time. For a society to gain believers, it must be propagating issues better than a mere belief in God- for there is that of God in everyone. Service to the community and an assurance of salvation- in a more vigorous manner than the fading old repetitions- includes some of the reasons that led to the breakaway of earliest established religious societies and the formation of new ones to revive the initial aspect of Christianity- Accepting Christ as a savior and doing what He commands. The Fundamentals of the society, mission and Mannerism of worship were his three concerns that would secure identity.

Fundamentals of a religious society are Biblically inspired. Each society has an inspiring verse or more from the Bible from where names, missions, demeanour and knowledge are extracted. It is as simple as a conviction. Mathew 5; the sermon on the mount was tagged as the True Christian Faith and all that was conceived in the process of reviving belief would relate to Christ’s teachings. Fundamentals are more of perceptions and understandings-matters of the heart, unlike mission which is based in actions. Actions speak louder than words and hence the most fulfilling religious practices are more likely to be accepted than the ones merely said of. In mission, an identity is easily secured. It establishes the position of the new society in the larger society of governance, social concerns and service to people and environment. Hardships are persevered. Through acts, new societies strengthen and attract attention. Without another thought, I must accept that I liked the way the third concern of identity was brought in. It is not as important per se as it is emphasized presently. It does not matter how people worship for there will always be a variance in activeness, response to stimuli, emotions and free will to choose. This will not only vary with time, for it can be experienced immediately at the formation stage of a religious society.

When missionaries came to Africa in aim to spread the light, they found an already godly culture among the communities. Were it not for the sake of services as education, medication, technology, compassion and new way of governance that made life ‘better’ to be easily converted, more resistance against the missionaries would be inevitable. The converts did not fully associate themselves with new ways for they were deep in their norms that they would partially associate with the ‘white man’. They would take education, go to his hospital for severe cases but still discourage ignorance of traditional ways. That is what may be currently happening in the present world where secular education is valued more than Christian education. Could it be because of its simplicity? Traditions were heavy of values and consequences of actions. Christianity may have gained strength from auxiliary non-Christian structures like the government and courts making it inefficient to control and sustain its ideals. African Christians, in search for relevance must have struggled to find a balance that accepts Christian faith as it accommodates ‘necessary’ practices. Still in search of a wholesome package for religion, practices from other religious societies were/are being copied or referred to as answers to the overlooked messages. As days fade and generations inherit another, so does the needs of the society change and modes of action reviewed. The latter should not be deemed unfit for a position as times are different.

As we reason strongly to know what we stand for, it is my quest that we should not look into histories, traditions and systems of whom we were or whom we should have been-Ecclesiastes 7:10. Let us read, yes, for information and knowledge but not in search for a point to start from. The word of God is constant as it was and there is no time to develop a clear mission as now. The rest will work for good as it will please the Almighty. We know what ails the society presently but so afraid to take a challenging step. We are afraid to identify ourselves though not willing to conform alike. We are blowing hot and cold, afraid to break relationships and be called traitors.  It is time to address issues with the strongest might as we could amass in the light of the Holy Spirit. But where would we find the Holy Spirit when we do not call upon the name of the Lord day and night? Do we?