At
one point in his journey towards Christ, Nathan Foster (the son of author Richard
Foster) was living "a ragged attempt at discipleship." He was afraid
to share his honest thoughts about God and his disillusionment with the church,
especially with a father who had given his life to serve God and the church.
But
one day as Nathan shared a ride with his dad on a ski lift, he blurted out,
"I hate going to church. It's nothing against God; I just don't see the
point." Richard Foster quietly said, "Sadly, many churches today are
simply organised ways of keeping people from God."
Surprised
by his dad's response, Nathan launched into "a well-rehearsed, cynical
rant" about the church:
Okay, so since Jesus paid such great attention to the poor and
disenfranchised, why isn't the church the world's epicenter for racial, social
and economic justice? I've found more grace and love in worn-out folks at the
local bar than those in the pew … . And instead of allowing our pastors to be
real human beings with real problems, we prefer some sort of overworked rock
stars.
His
dad smiled and said, "Good questions, Nate. Overworked rock stars: that's
funny. You've obviously put some thought into this." Once again, Nathan
was surprised that his "rant" didn't faze his dad. "He didn't
blow me off or put me down." From that point on Nathan actually looked
forward to conversations with his dad.
It
also proved to be a turning point in his spiritual life. By the end of the
winter, Nathan was willing to admit,
Somewhere amid the wind and snow of the Continental Divide, I decided
that if I'm not willing to be an agent of change [in the church], my critique
is a waste … . Regardless of how it is defined, I was learning that the church
was simply a collection of broken people recklessly loved by God … . Jesus said
he came for the sick, not the healthy, and certainly our churches reflect that.
Spurred
on by his father's acceptance and honesty and by his own spiritual growth,
Nathan has continued to ask honest questions, but he has also started to love
and change the church, rather than just criticise it.
Nathan Foster, Wisdom Chaser (IVP Books, 2010),
pp. 85-89
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