SHORT POST: Does Jesus ACTUALLY lead His people?

 I was having a conversation a few weeks ago with a close friend. The two of us sit and talk for hours any chance we get because we both find immense value in dialogue. Sometimes the best way to learn something is to just talk about it for hours in detail from every perspective you can think of. Just hearing the words as you speak them can also help clean up the mess in your head by highlighting how dumb some of your own thoughts are. (That's probably the most practically helpful thing I've ever learned to do)

During this particular conversation, we were discussing belief systems, and this concept occurred to me;

People, especially people who subscribe to corporate religious institutions, do not actually believe Jesus can physically lead His physical people. (pardon the HWA-esque Italics and emphasis, they were intended to serve a function)

I believe I can say this accurately because I too have had my doubts. 

I have heard for my whole life around Passover time about the significance of the veil in the temple being ripped in half, exposing the most holy place at the crucifixion, yet certain folks still spend 24/7 trying to sew it back together.

The physical priesthood ended, the office of human mediator was done away and access to God was made direct at the cross. 

Somehow this can be read and preached as a spiritual concept but NOT a physical reality. The reality is you are EITHER led directly by Jesus, or you are lead by a man who puts himself in Jesus' place.

The very idea of a group of people without a physical leader is automatically considered chaos. Think about that for a moment...

If you go to a group of church-people as I have done before, and suggest the concept of not having 'leadership' of any sort that controls what does/doesn't happen, it will nearly always be met with winces and protests. 'but who will arrange everything?' will be asked, 'what if someone is teaching something we don't agree with?', 'who will be responsible for organizing services?', 'how will we know which songs to sing?', etc, etc, etc. These are all questions that prove that you (and I) don't ACTUALLY believe that Jesus can physically lead His church.

None of this should be taken as me knowing the proper way to do things correctly, I'm merely pointing out a glaring problem in church logic.

If we believe Jesus, He said HE personally would lead his people.

10-10-22

Comments

  1. MasonOctober 12, 2022 at 9:14 AM

    I think also is the problem is that we think we are "The People". A few years ago in the Cogs I began to think I don't think we are really Christians. So how can Jesus lead if the Cogs are not even His people?

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousOctober 19, 2022 at 6:48 AM

    This is a very important concept. I've seen the dogmatic responses come and bear their teeth when such a proposition is presented. You can even prove all the points (call no man master, renting of the veil, ect) that lead up to the natural conclusion....yet we (myself included) walk the 99 steps but lose our gumption to take that last final step.

    What do you think it is? I think it's our pain aversion behavior that stands in our way—more precisely, our extreme dislike of being vulnerable. See, if we were to honestly live the truth that He would personally lead His people, then that would require us to engage in what that would actually look* like. Personally, I think it would be very uncomfortable to meet with people without an agenda or tradition. Think about when someone comes over to your house unannounced. Depending on the person (and your relationship with that person) it can be incredibly awkward. No one knows what to do with their hands :)

    We have to address just how addicted we are to structure and tradition....and that would require us to be vulnerable with one another.

    If we were to come together (and this doesn't have to even be on the Sabbath) with the sole intent to "be led by the Spirit"....what exactly would happen? Like what in the world would we do? I have some ideas that come to mind...but I know one of the first step is addressing just how bad we would be at it first.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ashley MolufOctober 21, 2022 at 8:18 AM

      Pastor Bruce Gore said, “You would wonder if the Holy Spirit would be able to do anything in the Presbyterian Church without asking an usher first.” 😂

      Delete

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