We are Broken in Being Broken

I'm a faithful reader of the CGGC's new CONTAGIOUS... blog. I check for additions to it on at least a daily basis.

The blog contains three categories. To date, the one most commonly contributed to is the first one launched: Repentance.

As I understand it, there are rather tight restrictions on how a properly constructed post is to be written for the Repentance blog. One of the guidelines is that the title must begin, "We...," the pronoun must be "we," not you. "...Are Broken in..."

And, if you look to the early posts, the titles all conform to the required model.

The first few posts were entered by people specifically handpicked to be contributors to the blog.

Since then, I'm guessing, others have joined in, and adherence to the prescribed formula has loosened.

When I first caught wind of the plan to create the blog, I wondered what I'd write, if I'd write anything, if I had been invited to participate.

And, I immediately knew.

My post would have been entitled, as this one here is, We are Broken in Being Broken.

It is clear from the Word that repentance doesn't come from thin air.

Jesus begins the so-called Sermon on the Mount announcing that the blessed are people who are poor in spirit and who mourn, are meek and who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

As I quote here repeatedly, Paul told the Corinthians that godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation. He instructed the Philippians to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.

And, in the CGGC...in most of Western Christianity, for that matter...its at this very early stage of spiritual transformation that we are completely broken.

I pick up, from our leaders, from time to time, concern about our spiritual state as a body. But, as much as I try not to be cynical about the state of the church...

...and I think I'm not cynical...

I don't pick up the sense that our leaders are driven by a need to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling nor do I discern poverty of spirit or spiritual mourning or meekness or spiritual hunger and thirst. I don't read them working toward getting our people to wallow in godly grief in the hope that our grief with be blessed by the repentance that leads to salvation.

(By the way, in reading early Church of God history, those spiritual qualities were at the core of all we did when we were a thriving and blessed movement. Those are the spiritual goals that drove us and provided focus for our ministry.)

What I do pick up on from our leaders today, when they are concerned, is a concern not about our lukewarmth and unrighteousness before a holy God but worldly, institutional, concern that if we don't turn things around, our institutions will crumble and die out in the next generation or so.

We need to rediscover the teachings of Jesus, beginning with Matthew 5:3-10.

And, while we're still church, not Kingdom-focused, let's focus on what Jesus said to those seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3.

We need to embrace the spiritual transformation of Paul who, for the sake of Christ, considered his own righteousness to be "garbage." And, who really did instruct those dear to him to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 3 and 2).

Father, through the presence and power of Your Spirit, break our hearts. Crush every bit of hardness in our hearts. Turn us into people so shattered by our awareness of our own brokenness before You that we allow You to rebuild us perfectly in Your image. Create new hearts in us so that, from true godly grief, we may discover the repentance that leads to salvation. 
We ask this so that our lives may please and glorify you and that we may shine as lights in our world.