Would Jesus go to church?

Spiritual Growth Forum

Doug Hammack
12-1-09

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Would Jesus go to church?
Spiritual Growth Forum

Would Jesus go to church? – Summary

Complete paper available at: www.tinyurl.com/Would-Jesus-Go-To-Church-Paper

Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t. He would probably recognize today’s society’s hunger for
spiritual life, but also note the lack of relevance of much of church life today. Jesus was an
enemy of any religious system that kept people from Divine life in its blind focus on ritual, rules,
and rites instead of needs, relationships, and universal spiritual truths.

Jesus introduced a new way of looking at spirituality then, and it’s likely that he would do the
same today. The world continues to change and spiritually astute followers of Jesus have been
adapting for centuries.

• In the Middle Ages before the rise of scientific inquiry, the world was not only Unknown but
believed to be Unknowable. Spiritually astute followers of Jesus adapted to that worldview and
acted as the champion of people… their protector in the face of terrible forces.

• When Newton, Galileo, and Copernicus ushered in a view of the world that became very
Knowable, the response was the Reformation and Counter-Reformation… spiritual people helping
the church became a teacher, a champion of truth for the people.

Today, we are once again, in a new and changing environment. Einstein, Heisenberg, and
Darwin have uncovered relative and uncertain realities. The Internet has engendered a
worldwide explosion of information and long-held beliefs are being thrown open to question.

Society is attempting to navigate the chaos that accompanies this new environment, yet
mainstream Christianity remains encumbered by centuries of accumulated trappings. The church
has been slow to adapt.

Today, a few stalwart followers of Jesus are rediscovering spiritual relevance as they re-examine
and recover the spiritual truths that Jesus taught:

1. Inner wakefulness to the Divine is more important than creed or dogma

2. Authoritarian leadership is a poor substitute for experiencing the Divine
3. Community is essential to the spiritual journey
4. Tolerance and acceptance is more helpful to religion than sectarian division
5. Everyone can and should participate in bettering the earth
6. Time spent seeking out and discerning the Divine is foundational for everything.

Jesus lived these truths and he taught them anywhere he could find people…addressing those
who weren’t looking, those who had given up, and even those of other faiths. It didn’t seem to
matter; he accepted people where they were and built on their beliefs and experiences.

So yes, it’s likely that Jesus would probably participate in churches. However, he’d be just as
likely to find friendships in hospitals, shopping malls, and on the internet. Perhaps the more
important questions are “What is Church?” or “Where is spirituality likely to blossom next”?

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Would Jesus go to church?
Spiritual Growth Forum

Doug Hammack was born and raised in California and lives with his family in Raleigh, NC. With
over 20 years in spiritual formation and ministry, he’s a lifelong reader, student of human nature
and Divinity. His BA is in History from the University of California: San Diego and his Master of
Divinity (Theology) and Doctor of Ministry (Human Development) degrees are from Fuller
Theological Seminary.

For the complete paper, more information, or to join in the conversation, visit the
SPIRITUAL GROWTH FORUM :
http://tinyurl.com/Spiritual-Growth-Forum

If you are in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area and would like to visit a church that asks these
kinds of questions visit
North Raleigh Community Church:
http://www.northraleighcommunitychurch.org/Would_Jesus_go_to_Church.aspx
http://www.northraleighcommunitychurch.org/default.aspx

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