Clothing (Part One)

The next day was Sunday. Joe woke up to someone knocking at his door.

“Just a minute!” He yelled at the door. He threw on some clothes and went to the door it was Reverend Steve.

“Did I wake you, Joe?”

“Well, I’d be lying if I said, no.” Joe responded.

“Sorry, but I wanted to find out if you wanted to go to church with me this morning. I know it’s kind of last minute.”
“Uh, yeah. I mean I was going to try to find a church in the area. I just hadn’t thought about it yet.”

“Hey don’t apologize to me, Joe. It’s not like I haven’t missed church before.”

“How is that possible? Don’t you kind of have to be there?”

“Well, before I retired, yes I had to be there. I never missed then. Couldn’t. But since I’ve retired…I’m old, Joe. Takes a lot of work to get me out of bed in the morning.”

“Yet here you are.”

“I’m just doing it for you, buddy. It’s the least I could do.”

“When do we have to leave?”

“Church doesn’t start until eleven. Takes about ten minutes to get there.”
Joe looked at the new clock the girls had hung on the wall.

“Okay, so I’ve got time for a shower.”

“Tell you what. I’ll meet you at the coffee shop at ten thirty. How’s that?”

“Coffee sounds good. See you then.”

Joe took a shower, changed into some nicer clothes and walked down the hall to Judy’s. There was a new gal behind the counter Joe hadn’t met. She looked like she was still in high school.

“Hi, I’m Joe. I’m the manager of the apartments.”
“Hi, Joe. I’m Liz. Ellie told me I might meet you today. What can I get for you?”

“Drip coffee and a bagel.”

“Uh, I think I’m supposed to charge you for the bagel.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Here, I’ve got a friend coming in in a few minutes. This is for the bagel and his coffee.”

Steve came in a few minutes later.

“Thanks for the coffee, Joe. Do you want to take off? I’ll drive.”

The church was a couple of miles from Cherrywood. As they drove up Joe saw an old red brick church, complete with a steeple and stained glass windows, right on the corner. Steve explained that the church had been built almost a hundred years ago and had gone through several different denominations and congregations. The current church was started by a group of people who worked in the city, but didn’t want to move to the suburbs.

“The music’s a little loud for me, Joe. But these people love the Lord and love this city. I think you’ll like it.”

Joe didn’t know what to expect, since he’d never gone to a traditional church, but when they got inside the first thing he noticed was there were no pews. Instead the seating was comprised of stacking chairs that had been configured in a u shape. There was a band set up on the stage and there was a podium at the top of the u on the floor. On both sides of the stage were large screens that showed announcements for upcoming events. Joe and Steve found seats about half way up. They had no sooner sat down when the lights dimmed, the band started playing and everyone stood up. When the guitarist stepped up to the microphone the words of the song appeared on the screens. That made it easier for Joe since he knew none of the songs.

After they were done singing everyone sat back down again and a young man not much older than Joe got up from the front row and went to the podium.

“Good morning, everyone. Thanks for worshipping with us today. If you come here regularly you know that I normally preach from a passage in the Bible, but I want to do something a little different today. I’d like to share some of the things I’ve been pondering this last couple of weeks. I know some of you are out of work. I know we lost a young man to gang violence last week. I know there are protesters down in front of city hall almost every day upset about something. All that collectively and more, could lead a person to despair, or anxiety. But God is in control and we don’t have to despair. So, I’ve written my thoughts down and here they are. I’ve titled this message: The Perfect World.

I want to think about what the world would be like right now, if I had the power to make it perfect.

In this perfect world of mine-because it’s not heaven-suffering would still exist, but when someone was hurting, other people would rally around them and bear them up in prayer, consolation, light humor, and support. The sufferer would not be too proud to accept such help, knowing that God was loving them through these good people.

In my world there would still be rich and poor, but the rich would have money because they had worked hard, used their talents and gifts for God’s glory, and for whom God had blessed financially, not because they had sacrificed family, relationships and values to attain wealth. They would not be proud or condescending. They would know the only reason they had been so blessed was that God wanted to use them to help others, and so they would quietly and discreetly give money to people and organizations as the Lord led them. On the other hand, the poor would not be poor because they were lazy or apathetic. They would not think that society owed them something. They would not be jealous of the rich. They would be poor, not because they didn’t work hard, but because they chose to live simply, or because they were unable to work for physical and/or mental reasons. For rich or poor, young or old, people and relationships would always be more important than money and things. To quote a phrase, everyone would “Love people, use things. Not the other way around.”

In my world every person would understand that they were on this planet because God predestined their existence before time began. Because of this knowledge everyone would know that his or her life had purpose-a divinely appointed purpose. People would pursue this purpose with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Every action would be an act of worship, every motive a desire to glorify God. No one would be immobilized by fear of failure. No one would be resentful if someone else had more gifts than they. No one would give up trying because they didn’t succeed at first, or because someone else succeeded sooner than they did.

In my world there would be, for lack of a better term, social honesty. By this I mean that there would be no role-playing, posturing or intrigue. People wouldn’t play mind games. They would say what they mean, and mean what they say. People would be willing to speak the truth in love. More importantly, people would be free to love each other unconditionally. That would mean being there for your friends when they needed you. It would mean having the freedom to be both strong and transparent.  It would mean focusing more on relationships than issues. In other words, people would never let differing views on an issue keep them from caring for each other.

In my world competition would exist only because everyone wanted to be the best they could be, not because they wanted to see others fail. In other words, success would not be dependent on someone else’s failure, or defeat. This would be true for sports, business, family, and every endeavor where people had contact with each other. They would understand that there is plenty of room for success, and that they are not competing against the success of others. People would be inclined to work together as teams, or spend time with other people, because they knew that they could only learn from the gifts and successes of others, and also because others could learn from them. On the other hand, people would not be afraid to spend time alone because they knew that, at the core of their lives was a relationship with God that was unique to them.

My world would have balance. There would be a balance between emotions and intellect. Everyone would have a place in their lives for deep reflection and hard thinking about God and issues and life. But there would also be a place for uninhibited joy and celebration. There would also be a balance between work and entertainment, effort and rest. Each of these would have its place in my world. There would also be a balance between justice and mercy. One would not dominate the other. There would be a balance between uniqueness and community. Everyone would be free to express their individuality regardless of their racial heritage, or personality, or cultural background, or talent. But also they would not be driven by their uniqueness to the exclusion of anyone else. Everyone would know that a community is made up of a lot of different kinds of people, and that a community is greater than the sum of its parts. But again, people would not be driven by the community. In other words, people would not be compelled, or feel compelled, to conform to a universal standard for everything. Social standards, like all standards, would be biblical and moral.

In my world, there would be a high premium on family and marriage. Young couples would gain from the experience of their parents and grandparents. Because work and church and social obligations would be in their proper balance, family would not have to be sacrificed for these things. They would all work together for the benefit of the kingdom of God and society in general. Husbands would take the responsibility as the head of the house both reverently and humbly. They would love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. They would not be tyrants, but would, like Christ, be servant leaders. Wives would submit to theirs husband’s authority as an act of service to God. They would not be doormats, or see submission as a statement of their value or equality. Both husband and wife, male and female, would see that they have a unique contribution to make to their relationship and to the raising of their children. They would understand that God ordained both of them in the parenting role. The fathers would instill meaning in their children’s lives through respect for authority, commitment to good causes, and a willingness to keep their word even when it hurts. Mothers would instill security in their children’s lives by nurturing them and providing a safe environment for growth. They would make sure that every one of their children had space to succeed or fail, and that neither had any bearing on their parent’s love for them. Parents would discipline their children, but it would always be in the context of love. This high premium on family would not demean singleness, or celibacy. Those called to this would do so because they knew they could serve God more effectively as a single person. In general, men would not be afraid to be masculine, women would not be afraid to be feminine. Boys would be allowed to be boys and girls allowed to be girls. They would not be driven by stereotypes or special interests. Adults would quit acting like children and children would quit trying to grow up too fast. Everyone would find satisfaction in the way they had been created, and in each stage of their lives.

In my world the church would be the most powerful force on earth. This would be true, not because the church had money or political power, but because of the power of God in people’s lives. Like Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, Christians would be courageous and bold in the sharing of their faith. Everyone would know that we were followers of Christ because of our love for each other. Believers might occasionally experience miracles, but we would not be dependent upon such experiences. The real power of the church would be in truth, love, integrity, and victory over sin and darkness. Christian fellowship would be so compelling that needy souls would be drawn to the church because they found love, acceptance, safety and companionship there. Everyone would look out not only for their own interests, but also the interests of others. The church would be so focused on sharing the good news of Christ that the type of building they met in, or the kind of clothes a person wore to worship, would hardly be noticed. Evangelism and discipleship would be the hallmarks of the church, and would be where most of the church’s money was spent. Every individual believer would seek to manifest the fruit of the Spirit every day in increasing measure. Each person would use their spiritual gifts willingly and to the glory of God, not themselves. Everyone would seek to find some way to serve God in the church.  Believers would give their money joyfully and liberally. They would give to God as an offering of firstfruits. People would worship God in spirit and truth. Pastors would preach as vessels through whom God works, and therefore would be both bold and humble in their preaching. All church leaders would be the kind of Christians others would want to be. They would be examples to the flock of the successful Christian life. They would not have skeletons in the closet or hidden agendas. They could say without pride, “follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” They would know the Word of God thoroughly and intimately because they had spent much time with God in Bible study and prayer. They would never feel they had arrived, but they would know that others looked up to them for good reason. So there would be a balance in their lives between confidence and humility.

In conclusion, I have to confess that I am angry and disappointed that my world does not exist. I am angry at my own laziness and selfishness. I am angry at the apathy of others. If Jesus came today instead of two thousand years ago I do think he’d be crucified. I fear no one would care whether he was the Messiah or not. We care more about who will be the next American Idol than the truth of the Kingdom of God. At least we’re willing to name our idols. I am angry that the church I see is, for the most part, hardly distinguishable from the world around it. I am fed up with TV preachers and church leaders who are shallow, misguided, immoral and struggling. I am saddened that we glorify people who, with great business sense, have built ostentatious and decadent mega churches, while we virtually ignore pastors all across this country who are serving faithfully in little storefront or country churches of 40 or 50 people for little pay and honor. They are busy doing the work of the church and their denominations are often oblivious to their real needs. Even worse, pastors, and Christians in general, in Islamic and communist countries are losing their families and their homes and their lives for Christ, and we do so little for them. Also, in the world 40,000 children die of hunger related issues every day and we are trying to figure out how we can afford a new home entertainment system for Christmas. The pets in our country eat better than 80% of the world’s population. We in North America spend more money on lattes and video rentals than most people in the world make in a year.

I want to quit being comfortable with the dissonance between what I know ought to be, and what is. I know my perfect world is idealistic, but is that a reason not to want it with all my being? Is that a reason not to strive for it? Does that make it impossible? It’s not all or nothing. Maybe in striving for the impossible we find something halfway to impossible that is so much better than the status quo it takes our breath away. Are we so jaded, confused and hopeless that we are willing to write off our ideals? Listen! The first Christians believed they could change the world, and they did. That is a significant part of the problem with the church today. We’ve quit believing that what we do matters. We quit caring. Do we really think that the Christian life is only about heaven? What I’m proposing is not in contradistinction to heaven, it is because of heaven. A Christian writer once said: “Only the heavenly-minded are of real earthly use. Those who made the most difference in this world are precisely those who longed most for the next.” Has our view of the end times left us with the belief that the world is going to hell in a hand basket, and there is nothing we can do but circle the wagons and wait for the Rapture? What I’m really afraid of, is that I have become comfortable with a world that is far less than what could be. I don’t think my frustration is because my expectations are unrealistic. I think it is because we are doing so little to make our world better. In other words, we aren’t doing enough to restore the effects of the Fall, and to remake our world to conform to the image of Christ. Have we ever thought about why God allows us to suffer the slings and arrows of this life for seventy or eighty years? He wants us to shine in the darkness, to give people a glimpse of heaven, to point them to the only reality that matters, and to give them an answer for the hope that is within us. I really don’t think the world will ever be perfect in the strict sense; I just want the world to be as right as it can be.

The pastor bowed his head and prayed a short, almost quiet, prayer. Then the band came back up and played a song. While they were playing some ushers came around with baskets for an offering. The guitarist told everyone that they should only put money in the basket if they had made this church their home. After the offering someone prayed again and everyone was dismissed.

“Wow, that was a great message,” Joe said as they walked back to the car.

“I have to admit, I haven’t heard anything quite like that before. But then this church has surprised me more than once. That is why I like to come worship here. I was so used to doing things a certain way, it’s nice to rethink them and experience them through someone else’s perspective.”