Sunday, December 28, 2003

does God ever hate church?

not that long ago if you were christian, you went to church; if you weren't, you didn't. lately it seems to be more and more common for people to be committed to following jesus but uninterested, if not antagonistic, toward church. this phenomenon is gathering increasing attention. witness Sociologist Dr. Alan Jamieson's recent tome A Churchless Faith.

Yesterday I was reading Isaiah 1:12ff

12"When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
13Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations--
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow's cause.
18"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
19If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
20but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be eaten by the sword;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

(English Standard Version)

and it occurred to me: I bet sometimes God hates church too.