It always amuses me how “spiritual” folk go on and on about how they hate “organized religion,” without bothering to consider that worship of God among the religious cannot but be organized in some way or another. (Link, by the way is from Remora Remora, a blog which happily picks the cliches from our linguistic fur.)

Let’s do away with this sophomoric idea that “organized religion” is something to be rebelled against in favor of some nebulous idea of self-determined personal faith. Yes, Jesus touches us in a deeply personal manner, but his love is something we share with in loving interaction with a community of believers. If we spiritually keep to ourselves without that sense of community, we will only stagnate.

As this Navy Chaplain puts it:

Unorganized religion doesn’t build hospitals or schools. Unorganized religion doesn’t create nursing homes and orphanages. Spiritual prima donnas with no accountability and no network may think that feeding the hungry is a great idea, but the hungry starve unless folks get organized to feed them.

Is there hypocrisy in the “organized” institution of the church? You betcha. But there is even more hypocrisy in maintaining that one is too “spiritual” to mingle with an imperfect church. To forsake the community of the faithful is to deprive oneself of wider horizons, and is disobedience to the God who ordains orderly worship.

So abandon whatever preconceptions you might have about “organized religion” and get with it. And if you think something’s wrong, then work to fix it — once you yourself are right with God. If one can work past disillusionment at hypocrisy and learn instead to fix eyes on Christ rather than the faults of imperfect people, then faith will grow and flourish.

[Followup: Updates here, two years later.]

“Miss Kris10” here thinks mission trips are a “crock,” while at the same time she claims to be a Christian. (No relation, by the way, to this kris10, who is on hiatus.)

Pardon me, “PassTheDutchie,” but missionaries do not do the backbreaking work they do in third world countries just to “bribe the natives” into accepting Christ, nor are they scared into doing into it with threats of Hell.

Missionaries like the New Tribes Missions, of which Martin and Gracia were a part, do these things because we are called by Christ to go out into the world to love and serve all people, just as He came to this world to love and serve us by His sacrifice. Whether the people come to Christ or not, missions workers will have no regrets about the service they do. Just as Jesus Christ did not revile those who tortured him, insulted him, and ultimately crucified him. Even hanging upon the cross, he called forgiveness upon his executioners, and carried on to death the sacrifice by which he saved us all.

I hope to finish my MA next year, and after that, I plan to go into missions and ministry work, part-time or maybe even full-time, as a graphic designer and web developer for Christian causes in the third world. And I will not be doing this for fear of punishment in Hell, nor out of idiocy, but because it is the command of the God whom I love. Will you, Kris10, then take me to task for my stupid naivete in suffering pointless tedium for the sake of the stupid natives?

Rail away, then. But I prefer to be filled with the love of our Lord Jesus; and I am far happier spreading the overflow of that love to those less fortunate in the world, rather than spewing selfish misanthropy from a blog. Christianity, despite what misconceptions you may cling to, does not consist entirely of WWJD bracelets and “Jesus Saves!” bumper stickers. Perhaps you should open your mind.

[link via Lia]

Update: Well, she remains cocky and outspoken. Let her be cocky and outspoken on her own, then. Myself, I’m going to stick with my horrible evil organized religion. ;)

“We may never get out of the jungle alive, but at least we can go out of this world serving the Lord with gladness. And we can serve Him right here with gladness.” Memories of Mr. Burnham as a kidnapped hostage show an inspiring testimony as salt and light in the worst the world had to offer. He even witnessed to Abu Sabaya! Ang galing naman.