Don't leave the church, build the church!

Great quote from Dave Black on church leavers:

One of the current social fads is what we might call "post-church Christianity." People are dropping out of church, especially young people who may have been converted in non-traditional settings. I must confess that much of what we see in the Body of Christ is indeed very unattractive: anachronisms, inconsistencies, hypocrisies. But I cannot agree that the solution is dropping out. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we are obligated as believers to "stir one another up to love and good works." How can refusing to meet with other Christians allow us to obey this command? Each Christian is a building block in the temple of the church. Each is necessary for the Body to grow. Each has a part to play. Sadly, the word "work" has become a four-letter word in many of our churches. There are too many shirkers and not enough workers. Even Jesus said the laborers are few.

If you are a dropout from church (for whatever reason, and you may have some VERY good reasons!), my simple advice to you is this: Get to work. Jesus said, "I will build My church," and He had all of us in mind as His workers!

That is wise counsel. Again, calling for Biblical restoration of the church is not tantamount to calling for Christians to leave the church. No Christian can be healthy outside of the local assembling of the Body. I have no more use for lone wolf, "churchless"Christians than I do for those who seek to add layer upon layer of tradition, dogma and hierarchy on the local assembly. We are seeking the ancient paths, church as the apostles saw it. You can't have an apostolic ministry that rejects the methods and examples of the apostles! The reaction to the institutional, tradition bound church is appropriate but to respond by leaving is not. You don't have to choose between "Churchius Americana" and no church at all. There is a better way, a way practiced by the church in the first days and that is my goal. There is a lot to do and a lot to undo in the church and that will require hard work. That hard work is what we are called to do, not to sit staring dreamily heavenward or locking ourselves in our studies reading books. The work of the church is hard and frustrating and dirty more often than not but there ought be no more joyful labor for the redeemed.