It is Sunday, and we need to get ready for church. We will drive across town to worship with our congregation. My mother in law will be taken to her church, where we had a funeral for her husband this week. Sunday is not really a day of rest for us: it is a day for the family. Yesterday we rested.
We needed to.
Why do we do this effort? It is clear that there is no reward on this life and time: the powers of this world are at emnity with Christ and always will be. It is also true that a functional Christian church is a good thing for the nation that has it: but that means it is run by the Holy Spirit, who is no amenable to the narrative or political needs of the present moment.
And as Cail points out, it is hard to work out who is in the Church and who is not. The parable of the tares indicates we will not know until the last time.
I think that just as Vox has said before that there cannot and should not be a monolithic, organized alt-right, there really cannot be an alt-Christian denomination. It will quickly devolve into pointless theoretical theology.
Or at least it’s too soon to choose or define one, for that reason. Stop the house from burning down before arguing about remodeling. Right now, orthodox Christians of various stripes have more in common with each other, doctrinally, than any of us have with the Churchians who claim to belong to (and run) the same churches. That figures, since they are all Modernists, and Pope Piux X called Modernism “the synthesis of all heresies.” I’ll take the devout Christian who rejects a few of my doctrines over the man who rejects the very concept of objective truth because it might offend someone.
I do believe that there is One True Church — that’s explicit in my Creed — but identifying exactly where its boundaries, members, and leaders are is pretty tricky, especially these days, and frankly, that’s not our job. It certainly won’t be settled in blog comments. If a Christian revival clarifies that picture again someday, that Church may have a very different appearance than we expect anyway. In the meantime, we keep the faith as best we understand it, and not shoot down opportunities to work with other faithful Christians because we disagree on some details.
That’s the opportunity for this idea of Alt-Christianity, as I see it. It’s not an attempt to create a new religion or a new church to replace the converged ones, or a denial of our differences. It’s just an agreement to disagree on some things, so we can work together on common goals against the real enemies.
But we know this: there is opposition. There is an enemy, and here I do not mean the daily choice we make to do good today and not evil, to care for others, not manipulate others to meet our desires. To treat humans as eternal beings, not disposable tools.
1You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God — 9not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
4:12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.
5:6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
There is a church and it will destroy the gates of Hell. It will not fall into some form of multicultural, interfaith, beige mush. It is those created from the beginning of time to do good works for the glory of God. To be against the culture, to preserve what is good and by example, word and deed, remove corruption. To be of the church is noble. What the church believes is beautiful, strong and true.
The creeds are not the full test. As a sinner, I have recited this too many times. As James said, the Demons believe this, and tremble. But they say what all in Christ believe.
I BELIEVE in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible:
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God; Begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very God; Begotten, not made; Being of one substance with the Father; By whom all things were made: Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man: And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried: And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures: And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father: And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord, and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the Prophets: And I believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church: I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins: And I look for the Resurrection of the dead: And the Life of the world to come. Amen.
This is not an interfaith statement of toleration. This is a declaration of war against the spiritual powers of this time.
And at war we are. We can see this in the actions of terror: we can see it in the censoring of truth: we can see this in the corruption of our priests and clerics, and we can see this in the destruction of our tribes and families.
The church was forged for this war. It appears weak, and only a few attend. But God is on its side, and it has the most spiritual artillery. By all that is in me, choose Christ, and be part of his church.