Among pastors, theologians, religious scholars, sociologists and even the great American soothsayers of our contemporary age – Pollsters – everyone is asking the same question: “What in the world is happening to the Christian Church?”  Currently, there are two different opinions.  One perspective is, as we enter the post-modern world, the very tenets of Christianity and certainly the organizational structure of the Christian Church is no longer relevant.  In other words, Christianity and the Church are based on beliefs and experiences that come out of such a radically different world experience (world-view, cosmos) that it just doesn’t make any rational sense to the 21^st century mind.

An example of this is the world view of Christianity from the first century in which it was assumed that the world was flat.  At that time in history, people believed there was the earth upon which humans lived, the sky, and above that, the heavens where God lived.  Our ancestors of the faith also believed that the earth was the center of the universe and the stars and the sun moved over the earth.  (The earth was not only considered flat, but rectangular, thus the old phrase, “from the four corners of the earth.”)  You may have read that just two weeks ago, Sat. May 22, 2010, after centuries of condemnation as a heretic, Copernicus, who argued that the earth was a sphere (round) and that the earth was in orbit spinning around the suns, was finally “cleared” of his heretical charges and given the honor of being buried in the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Frombork, northern Poland.  The web site “Signs of the Times” says:

Nicolaus Copernicus, the 16th-century astronomer whose findings were condemned by the Roman Catholic Church as heretical, was reburied by Polish priests as a hero on Saturday, May 22, 2010, nearly 500 years after he was laid to rest in an unmarked grave.

His burial in a tomb in the cathedral where he once served as a church canon and doctor indicates how far the church has come in making peace with the scientist whose revolutionary theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun helped usher in the modern scientific age.  For more info, click here .

Another example of this change in world view comes from my nephews.  My oldest nephew constantly questions me about the compatibility of current science and knowledge with the views put forth in the Bible, and his brother constantly bombards me with “the absurdities” about the nature of God as revealed in the Bible.  He knows and quotes just about every story in the Bible.  For example, he asks “Do you believe in a God who drowns all people but one family?” (the Noah story), “kills innocent people because they come from a different country or adhere to a different religion?” (any of the religious war stories where “Israel wins”),  or “causes people to suffer” (the story of Job)?  Tough questions, indeed!  Over time our view of the world does change and that change challenges religious beliefs!

The second perspective is based on a more historical observation:  Christianity is going through a huge change, as it has “historically” about every 500 years.  For example when the Roman Empire collapsed (around 500 CE) the Roman Church assumed dominant authority “filling the void” of the Roman Empire.  That lasted until “The Great Schism” which occurred (around 1000 CE) when the Christian Church split in two becoming what we know today as the “Orthodox Christian Church” [which some refer to as “the Eastern Orthodox Church”] which follows the Eastern rites, and the Roman Catholic Church which follows Western rites.  This split came out of a fight when the Church at one time had 3 Popes functioning out of two different cities (Rome and Constantinople).  Then of course the Protestant Reformation occurred (around 1500 CE) and here we are entering the 21^st Century with the Christian Church in a state of radical change.

Are we living through a major change in Christianity or the end of Christianity?  One of the exciting, yet difficult things about living through a time of major change is you don’t know how it ends up.  But one thing I am certain of, Christianity is in the midst of a huge change.  But from “day-one” Christianity has been about change.

During the next four weeks we’re going to look at four ways that Jesus Changed Christianity.   This Sunday we’re going to look at one of the most important, and I believe relevant aspects of Jesus’ impact on Christianity: What is the purpose of the Church, and of Jesus’ teachings?  One of the best contemporary answers to the question has been given to us by Brian McLaren of the emergent church movement.  He says,

The Church exists to save us from the great danger of wasting our lives, of becoming something less than we were intended to be.

And that is where we will begin this Sunday.  To help us get into the meaning of this, we’ll look at the story of a religious-ruler living in Jesus’ lifetime, a Pharisee, named Nicodemus.  Nicodemus knew there was something radically different about Jesus.  He knew from what he had seen Jesus do that Jesus was “a Rabbi, a teacher, come from God” and that “God was with Jesus in a very new and unique way.”  Afraid perhaps of what the other religious leaders might think or what Jesus might tell him about his life, Nicodemus quietly approaches Jesus in the dark of night and discovers something very new about the meaning of his life and living his life with God. What Nicodemus discovered is a message still relevant today:  “There is a great danger of wasting our lives, of becoming something less than we were intended to be.”  The Church today exists to save us from either or both of these.

Blessings,

Dan

This Sunday’s Scripture

John 3: 1-17

Nicodemus inquires of Jesus about the transformation of his life.

A certain Pharisee named Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, came to Jesus at night.  “Rabbi,” he said, “we know you’re a teacher come from God, for no one can perform the signs and wonders you do, unless by the power of God.”

Jesus gave Nicodemus this answer:

The truth of the matter is, unless one is born from above, one cannot see the kindom of God.”

Nicodemus said, “How can an adult be born a second time?  I can’t go back into my mother’s womb to be born again!”

Jesus replied:

“The Truth is, no one can enter God’s kindom without being born of water and the Spirit.  What is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is Spirit.  So don’t be surprised when I tell you that you must be born from above.  The wind blows where it will.  You hear the sound it makes, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it goes.  So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

“How can this be possible?” asked Nicodemus.

Jesus replied, “You’re a teacher of Israel, and you still don’t understand these matters?

“The truth of the matter is, we’re talking about what we know;

we’re testifying about what we’ve seen –

yet you don’t accept our testimony.

If you don’t believe when I tell you about earthly things, how will you believe when I tell you about heavenly things?

No one has gone up to heaven except the One who came down from heaven – the Chosen one.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Chosen One must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in the Christ might have eternal life.

Yes, God so loved the world that God gave God’s Only Begotten Child, that whoever believes in the Christ may not die, but have eternal life.  For God sent Jesus into the world, not to condemn the world, but that through him the world might be saved.

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