The Prison Christians Have Built

Christians have built their own self-imposed prison.  What is a prison? It is a place where the outside world is not available. It is a place where the leaders guard, feed, and direct the in-mates.  It is a place rarely visited by outsiders.  It is a place that is isolated from what is going on in the outside world.  It is a place where relationships between and among the members are not the primary priority.  It is a place where any activities by the members must be sanctioned and “approved” by those guarding the prison. It is place where staff and operations are governed by business principles with strict requirements.  It is not a place where outsiders come to establish close friendships, fellowship or relationships.

Our prison structure is  provided by our fetish for buildings.  Christianity has become a business enterprise —no less so for conservative faith groups than other large denominational institutions.  Business principles govern as we have our own “board of directors.”  Unless a “ministry” is approved by the staff or governing leaders one is on his own to develop his particular Spiritual gift. Community among each other and community with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is not the principle activity. The “formal worship” service ( not a biblical term) has captured and imprisoned the membership just like a literal prison. 

 Whereas true worship in “spirit and in truth” is your life of service, we pretend one hour we call formal worship is true worship.  A 45 minute bible class is no substitute for true equipping of members for “works of service” that we all may “become mature” to the glory of Christ.  Five minutes of “hello” and “how are you” is no substitute for “encouraging one another”– one of the primary reasons for meeting together.  10 minutes of isolated and silent partaking of a tiny piece of un-leaven bread and a tiny sip of grape juice is no substitute for a sacrificial meal  in a home telling the story of celebrating Christ sacrifice of his body– also represent life– and his poured out blood of the “new covenant”— totally different that the old covenant.

Instead of addressing the members face when they are outside of the prison, controversal subjects like abortion, same sex marriage, transgender teachings, critical race theory advocacy, and similar moral problems Christians must face, they are avoided.  Indeed even some conservative Christian faith groups (even my own) have “given up” and subvert the teachings of Christ to embrace such ideologies.

It is true Christians are aliens in this world.  But, Christ did not come for us to build our own prison at the “church” building.  He asks us instead to be in the world as “salt and light.”