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Missing Jesus


Sometimes I wonder if we miss Jesus. I am not talking about missing him in the sense of having lost Him or that He has been on holiday or business trip, though such a notion has merit. If a believer does not yearn for the Lord, and never misses His presence then there is reason for concern. But rather I mean missing Christ when He is there. When our Lord is in midst of our gatherings, groups, and services. The kind of missing when aim at target and hit something else.

Can we miss God? I picture a banquet, perhaps Medieval, maybe in fashion of what you picture the Capulet's gave when dear Romeo and Juliet found one another. There I see man women and men gathered around, all lost in their conversations and carrying on about what matters to them. Then there is a man, sitting alone. His presence unnoticed and yet when noticed capable of knocking the proud off their feet and making the meek feel mighty. In this Man a well or spring of love that ever flows and overthrows. To those who notice, they cry, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." But everyone else, even those who once professed with  such ardor now seem bored or disinterested.

Jesus sits in the room, and how many take notice? His presence is there, but is it felt? How many look for Him in the eyes of others? How many carry Him into the halls and before the hearths? "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:20).

I have entered a room and felt invisible. I wonder if Jesus feels the same way in our churches? When He enters does anyone take notice? When His Spirit falls do people pay attention? One of the worst experiences in life is to feel invisible, that you are not valuable enough to be greeted, talked to, and related to. I think it is possible the Lord is experiencing this daily in some circles of today's churches. That He takes a seat in a pew or comfy chair and watches the show, and wonders why with all the song and dance, all the honoring of Him on their lips, that they won't let Him or the Holy Spirit talk and relate to the people. Instead, He gets ignored, as everyone chats with one another.

Granted, no all churches are like this and there are many in Charismatic, Evangelical, Pentecostal, and other denominational circles that let Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit talk, move, and relate to His people. But sometimes I wonder why with all pomp and show, all the symbols and praises, that people are afraid of their God. It reminds me of Sinai, when God after having eaten with the Israelites, speaks, His voice like thunder and they respond, "No! Speak to Moses. We are too afraid." Instead now people would rather say, "Please sit down Lord, we have schedule to meet."

 Sometimes I think we create our pietistic palaces and celestial churches to compensate for the fact that the church does not want Christ to be active and move. They would rather speak of Him like history and remember, than have Holy Spirit fall and be reached by their God. I heard one critic say, "in some churches there are beautiful symbols; crosses, statues, and stained glass, but there is no God there. They have all this beauty, but not a shred of God's Spirit." This is not say we should hate symbols such as cross or stained glass, but it should warn us that building temples and erecting symbols is not substitute for God's Spirit and socializing with the Almighty!

Do you want statues that do not speak, that are carved in Christ's image or do we want Christ who speaks?

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