Being the (church) Body

Interesting Quote by C.S. Lewis:
" I didn't go to religion to make me happy.
I always knew a bottle of Port would do that.
If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable,
I certainly don't recommend Christianity."

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The church is not a blding..but it is the gathering of a group of believers.

Charles Colson & Ellen Vaughn, Being the Body

"This is the great tension. On the one hand, there is the church God has created and intends for ultimate consummation as the bride of Christ. That church, said C.S. Lewis is a spectacle that makes the boldest demons uneasy, for 'she spread out through all time and space and rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with banners.'

But that ultimate vision is far more glorious than the present reality we see around us everyday in this fallen world: little congregations gathering in white wooden chapels and vast denomintaions meeting in grand cathedrals, street-corner preachers, megachurch pastors, Salvation Army bell ringers, television orators and traveling evangelists. Many of them spend much of the time either bickering with or ignoring each other. This church, the one the world sees, resembles nothing much as a gigantic flea market with the vendors competing against on another, hawking their wares in a huge discordant din.
Messy, ambiguous, imperfect? You bet. There is no perfect or model church. But we should not despair-for at least two reasons.
First, tensions allow for a variety of expressions which, often confounding human wisdom, reach people who might not otherwise be reached. There is richness in our diversity that strengthens the overall witness of the church. Different confessions, because of their own emphasis, make differing aspects of the spiritual reality visble...
Second...The institutional church, like all other institutions, comes under the influence of the Fall...this dynamic may well save us all from the one fate worse than chaos: triumphalism. That is, the very real temptation to believe that we have all of the truth, thus confusing ourselves with the kingdom of God. ..
But as imperfect as we are on this side of heaven, the miracle is that God in fact chooses to use His church-us-as His means of proclaiming love, truth, and hope.
Not always clearly; not always unequivocally. We all cringe when a church leader does some dreadful thing or when a layperson says some crazy thing into television camera. But somehow, through all the muddle, the gospel goes forth. People often come to church for all the wrong reasons, but God draws them to Himself. Churches can thunder down all the wrong tracks, and then repent and be renewed.
Admittedly, the pettiness and failures, the division and discord, can be disheartening at times. What a sorry mess we mortals often make of things in the name of the church! But our comfort comes from God's miraculous promise that He will build His church."

I hope the above comforts u.

I don't enjoy the feeling of church "shopping". I am not shopping. I'm not looking for the perfect, flawless church to belong to. I just want to belong to a church where I can be a part of the body of Christ. Where as a community, we can be a light that shines. Where I can follow the biblical commandment to not give up the meeting of together. In my heart is the ideal church. But the church, made up of individuals like u and me, is never in the ideal state. Yet I believe in God's heart for the church, for as a group of believers, how much more we can impact our society.

I feel such a deep sense of disillusionment within me. Disatisfied a lot of times...and smtimes even angry. Sigh. I don't know how to manage that.

This week when I visited Covenant's cg as I blogged in the other blog, I think many of the ple in the cg belong to rich families. And we have our cars, careers, and studies etc. All these are God's blessings. Then I think...can we live less rich lives and how much more we can give to others. Can we give up our careers and go to mission fields and totally live our lives for God. Can we give up our comfortable lifestyle? And what does it mean to follow God.
Then the next moment I get a lift right home cos my contacts was displaced, and I received smses of encouragement, and it made me feel really loved. And this body of God's believers, tho not perfect in the way we live...yet, being in the body, is God's plan for us, that we may encourage one another in various ways. I ask myself, instead of judging ple, can I judge my own life, am I loving enough, kind enough? Generous enough? And I fall short of everything. Don't mistake me...i'm not preaching about doing more works to please God.
Teach me God, to be more loving, generous and kind. And give me the grace..to live the kind of life u call me to live.