Where do you find spiritual life? Do you assume that church is the primary or only place for spiritual encounter? It is one way but not the only way. Do you believe that everyone is made in my image? If so then you can have a spiritual encounter with every person you meet, but this is not automatic. You need to be aware of the leading of the Spirit, and foster and cultivate spiritual encounters. I want this to be the hunger of your heart, and for you to be as aware of my presence at all times as you are in church. If this is what you seek then you have my promise that you will find spiritual life everywhere you go. 

I didn’t die so you could go to church. I gave my life that you may have life that is eternal and abundant and true. Church is a part of that life but it is not the whole part. I invite you into a continual engagement with the divine mystery. It fills the entire heavens and earth and influences every aspect of your life. I am not hostile to the church that I built and I don’t want you to be either. I do want you to have a true perspective on its purpose. Don’t look at it as a source of life, but rather as a place where you can join together to share and celebrate the overflow of life that you live every day. 

Are you familiar with the concept of a ‘strawman’? A straw man is not a real man, and a strawman is understood to be a false representation. It is easy to create these to represent the positions of those you disagree with. This is a lazy way to attack your enemies, making it easier by misrepresenting them; exaggerating their weaknesses and minimizing their virtues. It is also fundamentally dishonest. My word teaches you to love your enemies. Do you see this as only an abstraction involving vague feelings of affection? But love is demonstrated in concrete actions. You can start by not misrepresenting them to criticize them. 

Chemists use litmus paper to indicate acids and bases. There are two colors to indicate which of these conditions is present in a solution. The term litmus test has taken on a broader meaning in politics, as a binary indication of whether an individual meets a certain criteria. Churches have throughout history have applied the same concept to persons to decide if they are saved or not. Do you prefer to minister to other believers? Consider my own time of ministry on earth. Did I ever examine someone to find out if they had the right group affiliation or beliefs to be worthy of ministry? I never applied a litmus test to people who came to me and you shouldn’t either.