Several years ago I was on a plane going from Belfast to Turino in Northern italy. That meant taking a beautiful flight path over the snow covered Alps. As we approached the mountain range the captain invited anyone us to come to his cabin to see the view that he saw. (This was, quite obviously before 9/11). I don't really know why but I did not take up this offer, I think it was because I had a very good view out of the window where I was sitting but I am sorry that I remained where I was. It would have been great to see what he saw and to fro the front seat but that is all water under the bridge now but I missed an opportunity!

I was reminded of this as I read Eric Swanston and Rick Rusaw ("The Quest")who describe tweo kinds of church: the one best imagined as sitting in the isle seats and the other sitting in thw window seats. In the isle we are totally immersed in the workings of the aircraft, while sitting in the window seat shifts the gaze to the world outside the plane. Church life can take up all ouir thinking and take up all our time. Just keeping the machinery ticking over zaps the energy and restricks the vision. William Temple was right when he described the church as the only organisatiion designed for the benifit of non-members, but all too often it works for the benifit of the members and becomes a closed club.

Which seat do you sit in when you go to church? Some will always go to the back and sit in the seat closest to the door. I know a member of my church who always sits in splendid isolation and another yopu will always go and get another seat even if there is just the right nuyuimber set out open and others-go to church which seat do you sit in? Some always sit in the same seat. Some always sit at the back of the church. I have seen people go into a church which is less then half full and sit in the very last seat in the back row. Others go to church and sit back in a difiant pose, with arms crossed, daring the preacher to amuse or challenge them. Then there are some who take a seat close to the action where they can relate to the speaker.

I am not the first to speak of a religionless Christianity or of being a Christian without being religious but I do believe that the day has come for authentic Christianity to leave religion behind or , at least the bad side of religion. I say the bad side as I am aware that the meaning behind that word 'religion' is to bind people together. In our society 'religion' does the very opposite, it divides. It divides because the religious are prone to the hypocricy that Jesus dispised but also because, in this society, sectarianism has such an endemic stronghold.

It is now vital for us to 'be church' rather than to 'go to church', to look beyond ourselves and to seek ways to strengthen our members that they can 'be church' as they rub shoulders with people wherever they are. Some Christians are content to use the bible in the same way as they would use the car manual or they are happy to seek out the nice promises of scripture like the 'promise box' of an oler age but the bibnle is not a manual, its not even a repository of good things, it is the story of God's covenantal relationship with his people. At the very heart of the bible is the 'missional heart' of God the aFather who sent His son into the world, in the power of His Holy Spirit. It is God's love story so lets stop looking for the verses that prove what we want to prove , lets accept that life is messy and that we do not have all the answers. Lets just sit with God in the seat he has given us and live our lives by faith in Him.

Which Seat Are You Sitting In?

Several years ago I was on a plane going from Belfast to Turino in Northern italy. That meant taking a beautiful flight path over the snow covered Alps. As we approached the mountain range the captain invited anyone us to come to his cabin to see the view that he saw. (This was, quite obviously before 9/11). I don't really know why but I did not take up this offer, I think it was because I had a very good view out of the window where I was sitting but I am sorry that I remained where I was. It would have been great to see what he saw and to fro the front seat but that is all water under the bridge now but I missed an opportunity!

I was reminded of this as I read Eric Swanston and Rick Rusaw ("The Quest")who describe tweo kinds of church: the one best imagined as sitting in the isle seats and the other sitting in thw window seats. In the isle we are totally immersed in the workings of the aircraft, while sitting in the window seat shifts the gaze to the world outside the plane. Church life can take up all ouir thinking and take up all our time. Just keeping the machinery ticking over zaps the energy and restricks the vision. William Temple was right when he described the church as the only organisatiion designed for the benifit of non-members, but all too often it works for the benifit of the members and becomes a closed club.

Which seat do you sit in when you go to church? Some will always go to the back and sit in the seat closest to the door. I know a member of my church who always sits in splendid isolation and another yopu will always go and get another seat even if there is just the right nuyuimber set out open and others-go to church which seat do you sit in? Some always sit in the same seat. Some always sit at the back of the church. I have seen people go into a church which is less then half full and sit in the very last seat in the back row. Others go to church and sit back in a difiant pose, with arms crossed, daring the preacher to amuse or challenge them. Then there are some who take a seat close to the action where they can relate to the speaker.

I am not the first to speak of a religionless Christianity or of being a Christian without being religious but I do believe that the day has come for authentic Christianity to leave religion behind or , at least the bad side of religion. I say the bad side as I am aware that the meaning behind that word 'religion' is to bind people together. In our society 'religion' does the very opposite, it divides. It divides because the religious are prone to the hypocricy that Jesus dispised but also because, in this society, sectarianism has such an endemic stronghold.

It is now vital for us to 'be church' rather than to 'go to church', to look beyond ourselves and to seek ways to strengthen our members that they can 'be church' as they rub shoulders with people wherever they are. Some Christians are content to use the bible in the same way as they would use the car manual or they are happy to seek out the nice promises of scripture like the 'promise box' of an oler age but the bibnle is not a manual, its not even a repository of good things, it is the story of God's covenantal relationship with his people. At the very heart of the bible is the 'missional heart' of God the aFather who sent His son into the world, in the power of His Holy Spirit. It is God's love story so lets stop looking for the verses that prove what we want to prove , lets accept that life is messy and that we do not have all the answers. Lets just sit with God in the seat he has given us and live our lives by faith in Him.