Keep Christ The Institution
Christ did not come to start a religion. He came, walked and talked the Christian lifestyle. And that’s all He left us with – a lifestyle and the reason for it (to properly state - NOT another option for a choice of religion) that was but only natural to live with the design that He created you and me in should we choose to see the Light. He did not come to establish the Christian Church, determine its hierarchy, set in place traditions and so on and so forth. He did not even coin the word Christian. All of these were symbols, signs and traditions that were adopted that represent the very beliefs that the Christian lifestyle is based upon that were chosen by the people as they chose to follow Him. He asked people to drop everything and simply follow Him – something that one could do very easily in that day and age but not in this day and age with its career minding and its existential preoccupancy.
In keeping with His motto of functioning, when we look at the set institutions that our beliefs have crystallized into – well defined structures with a pre defined statement of belief for those who enter it after they are created – there is a reality to address. That is the reality of being real in the midst of all this Institutionalization and subsequent Crystallization. Maybe a better question to ask is if whether it is really worth.
On one hand, it did not come about with the explicit intention to Institutionalize rather it came about with, as history tells the story, the recognition of the fellowship of the people of the same mind and beliefs. There are of course different cases where such is not the case but as early as Institutionalization is known to have happened the intention was as pure – to simply state belief with those like-minded – fellowships which grew and which inspired further fellowships both by their passion (to create similar ones) and by their differences (steering away from the root Reason To Be – something that is arguable – very!!!).
With the years that these have been passed down, they have stayed put as they were ages ago when they were created and have been strictly been followed and taught – the basis of which has remained the certain assumptions that have remained assumptions that include those that have Bible Basis (something that is also arguable – very!!!) and those that don’t but which have not been questioned. Call it second hand belief if you will. Hence we have doctrine, creed, dogma, statement of belief, tradition – all not bad – each with their own kinks.
Now the question to be asked is are these things leading us in the right direction to God? Once having sound belief and understand of why it is that each one of us believe the beliefs that we do, then we can make a better discernment of these things. That these are sound is a separate matter. If we were to educate (ourselves and others) of their relevance in belief, would they make sense in actually taking the trouble to do them? Or in prospect of the reality of what we believe, must we just be as our expressive selves as would be the mandate – concentrating on the BEing in Him and in effect leaving the expression to be made manifest as it will be? Basically not even consider intended institutionalization and crystallization even if it stared us in the face and let it take root from the Root in us.
Now even if we deinstitutionalize and decrystallize or if we don’t, it is important that we are grounded right. That we don’t run our lives on belief handed down the centuries which we simply believe since it has been handed the centuries but on the Root of it (which involves the knowing of the Root of it) and what He has said his Word which is why (assumably) those beliefs are paramount. It must be rooted back to where they came from and not because it was again handed down from another person but because it is known by the believer.
A very strong factor in this institutionalized and crystallized or deinstitutionalized and decrystallized belief is the living if it and not the mere theological aspect of it for belief reduced to mere theology is not one that is worthy. When we intently Institutionalize and Crystallize real life belief manifestations** in both in Christian and “non-Christian” setups run by Christian people/minds, we may pose a block for the Holy Spirit to work through us as He would because that is the streamlined manner that we have set ourselves to function in. It, being crystallized, can’t be broken easily once it is a set process in motion even if we desire for the Spirit to work within such a setup.
It may not be always so that a Crystallized setup is detrimental to the work of the Spirit in our lives. It may be of the Spirit and may be as accommodating as it is required to be (maybe even more) for the work of the Lord to be accomplished. But a Christian individual/organization or group, while focused on certain kinds of work, is Christian (read Representative of Christ) by nature primarily and secondary to which is an agendaized individual engaged towards certain kind(s) of work. Institutionalization and Crystallization must not allow him/her or the organization to make his/her life or its work consist less of being Representative of Christ and more of the set agenda.
There must be a balance between the two – Institutionalization/Crystallization & a Free Form Structure that allows one to do the Lord’s bidding as the inspiration flows. While the former keeps discipline which we so need, the latter allows for the free flowing of the inspiration from Heaven to turn into action in the manner that the Spirit leads. Our structures must not disallow the Holy Spirit to work among us and inspire us to work as we must. Our Free Form Structure must not allow things that are not Representative of Christ in the free spirited (and not so free spirited) manifestations that result from belief. The best amalgamation of the two, in the light of the above said, is Institutionalization/Crystallization of Bible based (and Spirit led) belief and a Free Form Structure that allows for manifestation of that as the Spirit would lead. Key phrase – AS THE SPIRIT WOULD LEAD.
P.S:- Institutions are not created. They ARE or they are based on ARE's.
Christ is an Institution and the Church (local or global) is not.
Belief is an Institution and doctrine is not
Worship is an Institution and a schedule/program/agenda is not
Obedience is an Institution and following protocol is not
Sacrifice is an Institution and involvement in the Lord's work* (in its guise) is not necessarily one
Giving is an Institution and how you are available to be taken/asked of is not.
All Institutions ought to stay put while manifestations must take their course AS LED BY THE SPIRIT.
- Sunil Noronha
* As the Lord may lead
** Belief in action - ways in which it is lived out during each moment of our everyday lives (for belief reduced to mere theology is not one that is worthy)
In keeping with His motto of functioning, when we look at the set institutions that our beliefs have crystallized into – well defined structures with a pre defined statement of belief for those who enter it after they are created – there is a reality to address. That is the reality of being real in the midst of all this Institutionalization and subsequent Crystallization. Maybe a better question to ask is if whether it is really worth.
On one hand, it did not come about with the explicit intention to Institutionalize rather it came about with, as history tells the story, the recognition of the fellowship of the people of the same mind and beliefs. There are of course different cases where such is not the case but as early as Institutionalization is known to have happened the intention was as pure – to simply state belief with those like-minded – fellowships which grew and which inspired further fellowships both by their passion (to create similar ones) and by their differences (steering away from the root Reason To Be – something that is arguable – very!!!).
With the years that these have been passed down, they have stayed put as they were ages ago when they were created and have been strictly been followed and taught – the basis of which has remained the certain assumptions that have remained assumptions that include those that have Bible Basis (something that is also arguable – very!!!) and those that don’t but which have not been questioned. Call it second hand belief if you will. Hence we have doctrine, creed, dogma, statement of belief, tradition – all not bad – each with their own kinks.
Now the question to be asked is are these things leading us in the right direction to God? Once having sound belief and understand of why it is that each one of us believe the beliefs that we do, then we can make a better discernment of these things. That these are sound is a separate matter. If we were to educate (ourselves and others) of their relevance in belief, would they make sense in actually taking the trouble to do them? Or in prospect of the reality of what we believe, must we just be as our expressive selves as would be the mandate – concentrating on the BEing in Him and in effect leaving the expression to be made manifest as it will be? Basically not even consider intended institutionalization and crystallization even if it stared us in the face and let it take root from the Root in us.
Now even if we deinstitutionalize and decrystallize or if we don’t, it is important that we are grounded right. That we don’t run our lives on belief handed down the centuries which we simply believe since it has been handed the centuries but on the Root of it (which involves the knowing of the Root of it) and what He has said his Word which is why (assumably) those beliefs are paramount. It must be rooted back to where they came from and not because it was again handed down from another person but because it is known by the believer.
A very strong factor in this institutionalized and crystallized or deinstitutionalized and decrystallized belief is the living if it and not the mere theological aspect of it for belief reduced to mere theology is not one that is worthy. When we intently Institutionalize and Crystallize real life belief manifestations** in both in Christian and “non-Christian” setups run by Christian people/minds, we may pose a block for the Holy Spirit to work through us as He would because that is the streamlined manner that we have set ourselves to function in. It, being crystallized, can’t be broken easily once it is a set process in motion even if we desire for the Spirit to work within such a setup.
It may not be always so that a Crystallized setup is detrimental to the work of the Spirit in our lives. It may be of the Spirit and may be as accommodating as it is required to be (maybe even more) for the work of the Lord to be accomplished. But a Christian individual/organization or group, while focused on certain kinds of work, is Christian (read Representative of Christ) by nature primarily and secondary to which is an agendaized individual engaged towards certain kind(s) of work. Institutionalization and Crystallization must not allow him/her or the organization to make his/her life or its work consist less of being Representative of Christ and more of the set agenda.
There must be a balance between the two – Institutionalization/Crystallization & a Free Form Structure that allows one to do the Lord’s bidding as the inspiration flows. While the former keeps discipline which we so need, the latter allows for the free flowing of the inspiration from Heaven to turn into action in the manner that the Spirit leads. Our structures must not disallow the Holy Spirit to work among us and inspire us to work as we must. Our Free Form Structure must not allow things that are not Representative of Christ in the free spirited (and not so free spirited) manifestations that result from belief. The best amalgamation of the two, in the light of the above said, is Institutionalization/Crystallization of Bible based (and Spirit led) belief and a Free Form Structure that allows for manifestation of that as the Spirit would lead. Key phrase – AS THE SPIRIT WOULD LEAD.
P.S:- Institutions are not created. They ARE or they are based on ARE's.
Christ is an Institution and the Church (local or global) is not.
Belief is an Institution and doctrine is not
Worship is an Institution and a schedule/program/agenda is not
Obedience is an Institution and following protocol is not
Sacrifice is an Institution and involvement in the Lord's work* (in its guise) is not necessarily one
Giving is an Institution and how you are available to be taken/asked of is not.
All Institutions ought to stay put while manifestations must take their course AS LED BY THE SPIRIT.
- Sunil Noronha
* As the Lord may lead
** Belief in action - ways in which it is lived out during each moment of our everyday lives (for belief reduced to mere theology is not one that is worthy)
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