Jesus and the Church

"God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses." (Acts 2:32)

It's decision-making time for you and I.  These words of Peter, quoted in the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles, force us to acknowledge, or disavow our standing as Christians.  We simply can no longer sit on the fence of Christianity.  

We have to face this question:  

"Do I believe that Jesus was raised from the dead?"

Foundational to that question is the belief that Jesus is God, that he actually lived and died, and that there were people who walked the earth when he did who witnessed all that he said and did.  If you are not sure about all of this, then it is worth your time and effort to begin a serious investigation into these facts.  

It is not enough to glide through life uncertain.  You either know it to be true, seek to find out if it is true, or dismiss it altogether.

Let's say you conclude that it's all true, that Jesus is God, that he died and was resurrected.  Let's say you can accept that he performed miracles, like healing the blind, raising the dead, changing water into wine and so forth. 

But, the next leap that is hard for you to take is accepting and following what you consider to be the "rules" of the Church.

You don't want the Church telling you what you can and cannot do when it comes to a variety of things.

What are you supposed to do then, when you are stuck between belief, and practicing that belief within the Church?  Is it possible to believe in God, etc., but ignore what the Church teaches?  Can you believe in God apart from the Church?  Do you even need the Church?  

These are good questions that honest seekers really need to explore.  I can give you answers, but you probably won't believe me just because I tell you.  The reason for that is because mature adults, in order to embrace anything, need to own it for themselves.  

The problem is, many have given up trying to find genuine answers to these questions, or they have just decided--without investigation--that the Church is unnecessary. When you quit seeking, or you really just stop caring, that becomes a serious problem.  I'd rather have people ask questions all day long than simply stop wondering how it all fits together.

You might want to begin by looking into the connection between Jesus and the Church.  How did the Church come into being?  Why did Jesus take on humanity?  Is the Church just one institution among many trying to tell you what to do?  While the Church is highly ordered, its deep association with Christ sets it apart.

What you may feel is an infringement on your autonomy and freedom, is really God saving you from yourself!  Let's be honest.  We don't always know, or do, what is best for us.  Sometimes we just do what we want to do, or what makes us feel good at the moment.  And while God's work isn't just to set boundaries for us, we can all certainly understand we have a need for them at times!

But beyond your perception of God-the-rule-maker, is God-the-Savior.  I would encourage you to move beyond a base understanding of God and a presumed ideology that the Church stands apart from Christ (and that you don't need either), and with an open mind pursue the possibility that you have more to learn in this field of which so few of us are experts.

I read this meme recently about how we moved from the pandemic to Ukraine, which I thought was pretty funny:

"And just like that . . . Everybody on Facebook stopped being infectious disease experts and became international relations experts."

It really sort of applies to religion, too.  Many people think they already know all they need to know, and base their opinions, on that assumption.  But it doesn't work that way when you talk about Jesus and the Church.  What you think you know probably barely scratches the surface of the truth.

During these 50 days of Easter, why not take up a serious exploration of faith?  Allow yourself to be surprised by what you learn.  Let God and his Church in.  You may find you need them.

Over 2,000 years of history, personal testimonies, miracles and life-changing events can't be all wrong. We must admit the possibility that our perceptions and presumptions may be, if we cannot connect Jesus and the Church to the life we are living.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.blogspot.com