Raise a child in the church...

I overheard a conversation in the coffee shop between two "church people."  After discussing hymns and such, one said to the other, "I raised my kids in the church, but they don't have much use for it now."  Frankly, had I been raised "in the church", I would have much use for it either.  The church is a weird institution full of people who are fully human and boy can we play out our humanness...even in a place that is supposed to be God-focused.

What I wanted to say to that guy was, "There is a difference between raising children in the church and raising children in the faith."  Raising folks "in the church" is more of a club membership idea...we go to church to get something "out of it"...we go because its expected behavior...we go because we "ought to" as members.  But it's primarily about us so if we aren't "being fed"...we bail officially or unofficially...

If I make church participation a matter of membership, I don't have much use for it either.  Church membership is definitively one of the hardest things I do in life.  Sometimes I hate the humanness evident in the church community...all church communities, not just my particular community.  Sometimes I think why bother, most folks don't "have much need for the church," so why are we holding on...The "emerging church" movement claims the death of church as doctrine...who needs the institutional church?

Church as a matter of faith is a completely different focus.  Barth suggests that as we "believe in" the being and work of the Triune God, so we "believe in" the church as the body of Christ in the world.  The very first church communities were no more "together," no less "human" than we are (just read the epistles if you are not convinced there were problems).  But to be grafted into Christ as a Christian means by definition we are grafted into the body that is called the church.  It is not always easy or rewarding...but it is our identity and our way of being in the world.  We do not get to choose church membership.  It chooses us...church is chosen for us as our way of being the "provisional representation of God in the world" by God incarnate in Christ and it is sustained today through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Being raised in the church means attending until you no longer get something you think you want from the church.  Being raised in the faith (at whatever age) means you are called into the body of Christ to serve...and it will never be easy...but history shows that faith is nurtured by the sacrifices we are called to make in the community and in the world.  Being part of a church is seldom easy, but it will bring joy and reward and deep gratitude when we get ourselves out of the way and let the Spirit work.