Crazy World . . .

I saw the name of a file--"crazyworld." I opened and found a bit of nonsense that did not feel entirely like nonsense anymore . . .
Here it is:

Tweedle-de-dee, tweedle-de-dee

it's such a life of merrily

the dogs, they fly, and cats do spin

like tops upon a needle-pin.

I'm laughing, hacking like a clown

and hanging, swinging upside down.

It's the crazy life of might-have-beens

and what-if's and in-betweens.

Tweedle-de-dee, tweedle-de-dum

It's twisting away from the humdrum,

but I don't know and I can't care,

What happens there won't happen here.

I'm spinning, swirling out of focus--

It's a mad and sad and crazy circus.

The maybe's are a-gathering round

this dead old circus ground.

But none of it's real, none of it's real--

At least that's what I think, I feel

When dogs like kites, and cats like tops

and the wire sits and the grandee hops

and I'm laughing crying downside up

For I don't know where I am now

and I don't know where I'm going now.

And I don't know when or why or how.

Thinking about the identity of the church

(Multiply Archives)
Last night, I watched Courageous with a friend's church.  In discussion afterwards it was brought up that it should be construed as a challenge to all Christians to live up to a higher standard.
In Sunday school this morning the Westboro “Baptist Church” was brought up.  Media identifies the church with stuff like that--it’s sensational, negative news--but where should we find our identity?  What are we?  
            I was copying out of Revelations this morning and this verse stood out:
Revelations 1:9 “I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.”  

Do we consider ourselves partners in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance that are in Jesus?  Do we think of tribulation and patient endurance as part of our existence in Jesus Christ?  After all, we are called to live in Him, right?  

So I looked up how the letters are addressed in the New Testament.  I did not include all (some said basically the same thing) but it occurs to me as I do this that a whole lot can be learned about who we are and what we should look like just from the greetings, blessings, and conclusions of the letters.  There is a lot packed in there.  But here we go.

Acts addresses “Theophilus” which means “lover of God”
    It could be an individual, but we should all love God--that seems a necessary part of being part of His church.

Romans begins, “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,” and is addressed, “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (v.7)
The end of Romans refers to the believers using terms like, saints, church, brothers, fellow workers . . .
    So we are saints, loved by God, called to be saints . . .

I Corinthians: is addressed, “To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:” (v.2) end refers to them as saints, fellow laborers, brothers, church
    We are sanctified (made saints, made holy) in Christ Jesus, we are the ones who call on the name of our Lord Jesus,

Phillipians:  “To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:”
    Ah, look, faithfulness is part of our identity . . . and still “saints”  so where does all the, “I’m just a sinner” crap come from?  That should no longer be our identity.

Philemon: “To Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:”  (v1,2)
    We are loved, we are fellow workers, fellow soldiers . . . that sounds like we should be living out a mission . . .

II Peter: “To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:” (v.1)           beloved
    we obtain faith by the righteousness of God  . . . I don’t understand all that, but I realize an implication of my faith not being dependent on me but on God’s righteousness and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  

I John 5:1-2:  “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.”
brothers, children . . .
II Jn. 1-2, 4: “The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: . . . I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.”
III Jn.  fellow workers for the truth

I’m going to do these together:  We believe that Jesus Christ was born of God--He is divine, not mere man who became God.  If we are born in the spirit (see John 3) of God, we will love Him and keep His commandments.  We should live in the truth, we should work for the truth.  Jesus identified Himself as the Truth (John 14:6).  

Jude: “To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:” (v.1)
    As the church, we are called, we are loved, and we are kept for Jesus.

    As the church, we are called to be saints--called to be holy, set apart.  We are loved by God, and we should live in love toward one another.  We are not merely called to be saved, but we have a mission, we have something to do down here.  We are part of a kingdom, and we should be advancing that kingdom.  Our king is God.  Our allegiance to His kingdom should supersede all other allegiances.  
Because this kingdom is under attack within and without, we should expect suffering, tribulation, if you will.  We need to walk faithfully, confident that God himself is the one who keeps us.  We need to live out His love and live in truth.  There is no room for lies.  Satan is identified as the Father of Lies (Jn. 8:44), that should not be where our identity is.
The church should be identified by love, faithfulness, truth, holiness.  We should have our identity in God, in Jesus Christ, and from Him should come our mission, our marching orders, if you will.  

    This is just a beginning.  I need to keep looking at this more, and I invite anyone who wants to to take up the identity of the church as a study to dig in and share.