I haven’t known many dogs who think they are cats, but I’ve known plenty of dogs who think they are people. Our dog Jordy is one such dog. He either thinks he is a people, or he thinks we are all dogs. At any rate, in his eyes, we are all in the same pack, so we have to do everything together. He is the ultimate social animal. He doesn’t like it if we are not all in the same room; he’ll go back and forth between rooms, trying to get us all to come together. If one of us is doing something, he has to come along and “help” us. And God help us all if we ever do something that he gets left out of. He hates it when we all go outside and leave him inside. Have you ever heard a dog bawl like a baby? It is funny to listen to, but it isn’t a pretty sound at all.
Thinking you are one thing when you are really something else can set up a lot of problems– especially when you are drawing a sense of legitimacy from it–because not only can it make you behave in ways you weren’t meant to behave, but eventually the illusion will fall apart on you. At that point, you go from having mistaken identity to having an identity crisis–because everything you thought about yourself was based on a false perception.
Because so many of us believe this, several negative things take shape. First of all, it feeds the sacred cow. The church is sacred; the institution is not. But when we believe we are an institution, we treat the institution as sacred. We try to defend it, protect it, and preserve it, often at the expense of something else important we ought to be doing, like reaching the world with the good news of Jesus. We expend so much energy trying to build our church organizations and make them bigger and better. We build bigger buildings, we start better programs, mistakenly thinking we’ll win more and more people that way, when actually, we’re just creating bigger machines.
Secondly, our mistaken identity causes us to fight to defend something the Lord has never sworn to protect. Jesus is fiercely loyal to His bride, the church (the organism), but nowhere does He promise loyalty to our structures (the institution). The reason some people get so nervous when someone starts revealing the flaws of institutional Christianity is because they kind of take it personally. They feel as though the church itself is being attacked. That is because of mistaken identity. We think we are something we are not.
Wayward Son
Musician. Composer. Recovering perfectionist. Minister-in-transition. Lover of puns. Hijacker of rock song references. Questioner of the status quo.
I'm not really a rebel. Just a sincere Christ-follower with a thirst for significance that gets me into trouble. My quest has taken me over the fence of institutional Christianity. Here are some of my random thoughts along the way. Read along, join in the conversation. Just be nice.
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Nice distinction between the organism and the institution. Thanks.
Great post. Great analogy.
We currently have two dogs and seven cats (mama cat just had six babies).
When my wife and I hug for a long period of time, one of our dogs always has to come up and join in. So we lift him up and hug on him while we hug. Then the other dog wants to join in on the fun :).
The cats are kind like dog-cats too. Mama cat comes when she is called and is always looking to be pet and played with. We love our animals.
Anyways, I know this post is about the church. I agree with what you’ve said and am one of those on the journey trying to shed the institution skin and hold the organism. It’s difficult, but will be worth it in the end.
Btw, Doorman-priest, nice pic :).
God’s Glory,
Lew
That is very cool Jeff,
I think there is still a long way to go as far as getting the organism to see and admit that it isn’t the institution. I do think it will be worth it in the end.
Humans are just lazy and we want professionals to handle our faith for us. I know I did. Now I have to look at my own screwed up life and: 1. admit what and who I am 2. Do something about it.
I think that the people that are fighting t defend the institution fail to realize that this is just as hard( maybe more so ) for the people who are coming out who can no longer call the “Machine” the “Bride”.
All I have to say about that. 😀
great thoughts, jeff. i do think the whole thing has gotten so wacky that…my friend says “jesus’ bride went nuts”…unfortunately “products” still sell and Jesus has become a product in so many ways. i can’t go into a christian bookstore without feeling sick to my stomach when i look at the bestsellers. they tell this story, in my opinion, selling “conflict-free living” and “10 easy steps to being happy”. the true gospel isn’t super popular–that the last will be first and the first will be last. that our hearts for the poor, relationship with each other, spiritual poverty/desperate need for God is more important than money, success, and what the world says makes us good. this is why “relevant attractional” churches are still popular because they tap into the world’s comforts. yes, the church has a mistaken identity. thanks as always jeff for such good stuff!
Thanks, DP, Lew A, shaun & kathy for your comments. (Others can chime in whenever.) Coming in from out of town and a little behind on stuff, so just time for a general thanks-to-all for now. Thanks for reading & responding.
Jeff,
I agree with you 100%. It’s way out of hand when people put more emphasis on gathering in a palace like building every morning or evening than their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The institution keeps them so busy that they don’t stop and think about what they are doing to themselves and their families. Their is a whole lot of hype going on throughtout the institution.
Blessings.
Gary