Vive La Compagnie

I am the one who encourages other believers to step outside of their comfort zones and to push past Christian convention. But here is something else that is true: it's always a palpable blessing to come home to a fellowship of believers.

My friend Mithun reminded me of that truth in his recent blog post:

"Much of it has to do with, I believe, the assumptions that pervade my environment. In law school, all of my reading, all of the class time I attend, and most of my conversations with friends have an implicit secular assumption. Behind each word lies the quiet whisper of 'there is no God, there is no God, there is no God….' Here, the opposite is true. The reading and lectures, as well as all the conversations with my 109 fellow Blackstone legal interns, have a common premise which is not at war with my deepest beliefs, but instead is in harmony. Every word has in its background the growing declaration of 'Christ is Lord, Christ is Lord, Christ is Lord….' I am beginning to re-view the law, society, and culture, from a Christian perspective."

There is great value in a questioning mindset, and there are definite problems with camping in a sheltered Christian comfort zone. But the follower of Jesus Christ is often best set up for success in the company and encouragement of other disciples. As Ephesians 4 explains,

"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ."

By default, I tend to push for the consideration of alien ideas, for re-thinking theology through different perspectives and paradigms, for syncretistic thinking. These approaches have their place and their benefit. But reflecting on Scripture, there are multitudinous key passages that warn the reader: build your house upon solid ground, vice shifting sand (Matthew 7). Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ (Colossians 2). Do not despise prophecies. Test all things: hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5). O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge (1 Timothy 6).

Scripture is clear and consistent on the point that there are a lot of false ideas and philosophies out there that would ask you to believe in their veracity; Scripture is adamant that we hold fast to Jesus Christ and His gospel, and it commands us so because God knows we are easily distracted and confused, and that by leading us away from life, false ideas lead to destruction. Strong fellowship in community with other Christians is one of God's great safeguards for us.

My friend Bonnie asked my opinion about her possibly dating a friend with firm agnostic beliefs and remarkable six-pack abs. And what I told her was this: that you can't substitute a lifetime partner who will ground you in the truth of Jesus Christ and always remind you of your first, best love for a conversationalist, no matter how good a conversationalist this boy may be. It sounds judgmental, and it's not meant to be, but I'm convinced that in marriage relationships, the goal is to look out for and promulgate the other person's welfare, chiefly in the sense of his or her relationship with God. A brilliant conversationalist makes a good friend, but Eve was formed to be Adam's helper and conjugate.

I've had these thoughts for a while, but the watershed moment for me was a few weeks ago during church service. The church I attend in Saratoga Springs includes as part of its service a time for faith stories or sharing, in accordance with 1 Corinthians 14:26, which frankly is a great practice. And one of the ladies said three words with great authority and conviction: "Father, you reign."

I've posted a lot of words and thoughts on this blog, and I've spoken and listened to even more with other thinkers, but sometimes, when someone speaks the truth, all it takes are three simpler words conveying one simple concept, and you're left with nothing but awe and appreciation. Because to that point, it had been a long, long time since I'd stopped to admire God for who He is, to dwell in the truth of "Father, you reign."

We do love the notion of being called to remote places as lone emissaries of the gospel. We pray the prayer of Isaiah when he declares, "Here am I, Lord, send me." We use the words "stranger in a strange land" and "in but not of the world" with considerable frequency. Sometimes, God does call us to leave our comfortable place and go to Nineveh alone. And it's true that Jesus, in His final hours on earth, was very, very alone in His path.

But I like to think that Jesus's time on earth wasn't a lonely one. He was certainly relegated to a human body and away from His rightful place with His Father. But do you think He felt alone surrounded by lepers, prostitutes, and tax collectors? Or do you think He felt joy to live in communion and proximity with His beloved creation, whom He had foreknown and for whom He gave His life? I think Jesus took real joy in fellowship with His disciples in particular. It was certainly good motivation to bring the fish and the bread to Lunch Bunch.

Like a King, I may live in a palace so tall
With great riches to call my own.
But I don't know a thing in this whole wide world
That's worse than being alone.

All this to say, while God may sometimes call us to a wilderness time, I'm happy to have found a church in Saratoga Springs.