Faith Is Not a Spectator Sport

I believe, but I don’t go to church.

Then no, you don’t believe. You may accept the existence of God, but clearly you don’t love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. If you did, you’d want to spend as much time as you can with Him, listening to Him and talking to Him.

Faith is alive when it embraces the means of grace, not avoiding them. Faith dies without God’s Word and His Sacraments feeding and sustaining us. Faith is not a hobby, or a seasonal recreation we pull out once or twice a year. Faith needs nourishment, and it needs company. Otherwise it dwindles down to a passing thought or a distant memory, until it dies altogether. Don’t kid yourself. 
 
I’m a member of the church, but don’t ask me to do more stuff and use up more time.

Then don’t ask Jesus to forgive your sins or save your soul. Jesus is busy, too.

You want the free stuff for yourself, but you don’t want to help provide for anyone else. You seem to think that being on the roster is your ticket to heaven. Baptism and confirmation certificates are nice, but a baptized and confirmed Christian is so filled with the Spirit that they crave opportunities to serve and share Jesus.

Jesus says to those who will be saved, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you come to me.” Whenever you do, whenever you help, whenever you serve, whenever spend the time and energy to bless even total strangers, Jesus says, you’ve done it for Him. You’ve blessed Him. (Matthew 25:35-40)

You don’t serve to get saved; you serve because you are saved, and like our God, you genuinely desire to see others get saved, too. Your time and your energy are gifts from God; how you use them is your gift to Him. 
 
I think our church should just be for us, for the members, because we’re the ones who actually belong here.

Jesus doesn’t think that way. In fact, He makes a very pointed directive that we are to share His space – His Kingdom – with others, especially with those outsiders who don’t have a place in His House, yet. He repeatedly bashes the religious leaders who treat the Kingdom of God as their own personal country club, with membership determined by their own standards, instead of the Word of God.

Martin Luther, filled with the Spirit, proclaimed the same fatal flaw in the church of his day, which had become addicted to its own manmade traditions that were nullifying the mission and ministry of Christ: to make disciples of everyone, not just our own family and friends.

[As an aside, we currently have a group within the LCMS that is seeking to start a new college exclusively for Lutherans. Many of these folks believe the current Concordias have lost their Lutheran identity because – shudder – there are too many non-Lutherans on campus. I cannot and will not support, promote or even pray for any effort that subverts the clear words of Christ, just because a faction within our church body feels they need their own safe space.]
 
I need some down time. I need some peace and quiet. My life has been spinning out of control. I need to slow down and get my head on straight.

Now that I understand! Sometimes we over-commit, overwork, over-worry and overdo just about everything.

Jesus says, “Come to me, you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:30) 
Faith is not just a call to go; sometimes it’s a call to stop. The first step of faith is to recognize when you need a “Come to Jesus” Moment. And then take it.

That’s how faith works. You don’t just watch; you get in the game. You don’t tell yourself you’re fine when you’re not, and you don’t pass up any opportunity to be with Jesus.