I just got back from a scientific research meeting in Spain.
While in Spain, I had the opportunity to take the train from Valencia (where I
was staying) up to Madrid to spend a day with an old friend. Antonio is a Spaniard
and was my roommate and best man in my wedding.
I’ve visited him three times in Spain, each time about a decade apart. He was a missionary (although natural born
Spaniard) to Spain for many years, just stepping down five years ago.
I listened carefully to some of the ideas that he brings to
the table as a non-American. He was
Americanized during his 15 years of living in the states. I think his wife, Helena, who has never lived
outside of Spain, has had a great influence on him. She is the typical Spaniard, classified as
Catholic, but never darkening the doors of a cathedral except for very special
occasions. She because a Christians in
her twenties, but never plugged into an American-type Protestant church.
Antonio, even though he was a missionary, never goes to
church and has not been involved with a church since leaving the states in
1985. He considered it when he got back
to Spain, after all he was involved with protestant churches in the U.S. and was being sent by churches as a missionary.
Helena was the first to question him. She thought it was very strange that anyone,
especially Christians, would want to get involved with the organized church.
She, like most Spaniards, considers it as a black hole of sucking in your time
and energy with no clear purpose.
Of course, over the ages it has been argued that a good
Christians is very involved with the church.
But we must divide Church (the body of Christ) from the human
organization we know as “church.” When
you think about it, Jesus was unchurched.
Antonio asked me why I go.
I am a very honest person, which always gets me into trouble and keeps
me on the low end of the popularity list, especially among Christians. I go for two reasons. First of all, I do want
at least some Christian friends and in the American society, to have Christian
friends you must be involved with a church. Secondly, my wife expects it from
me. If I were to stop going it would be
a scandal within her entire family and it would create a lot of friction in our
marriage. It was the same when I stopped going to her church. Lastly, I go because I do still retain some
enjoyment of the Sunday morning service, but not much. I mean if the talk
(sermon) is decent and they have some good music, I’m fine with that.
True church, in my opinion, is what I’m about to do in ten minutes . . . go
to a small group of Christian friends and do some honest sharing and praying
for each other.
But I do think I’m drawing close to point that my next
choice, if I don’t stay in my present church, is to become unchurched. I would have to out-live my wife to reach
that point, and I hope that never happens.
I may come back to this topic as I do think it is
important. I do think the present
generation needs “permission” to leave the organized church and still be a
Christian. Right now it is swallow the whole thing or leave the faith entirely.
