I Quit! (Text: I Corinthians 1:10-17)
Let us pray. Holy One, you are still speaking God – enable us to be a still listening people. May my words and the conversations they produce draw us closer to Jesus and to all who seek to follow him. Amen.
Church fights happen more often than we like to admit and can do more harm than a damage assessment report might suggest. Arguments can begin with something as routine as choosing new carpet for the fellowship hall or as theological as what version of the Bible to use in worship. They escalate into fights when people step outside of the prescribed change process and begin recruiting folks to take sides.
To remind us that church fighting was as much an issue in the 1st century as the 21st we need look no farther than this morning’s Scripture reading. Paul addresses church fighting and factions as the first topic in the first chapter of his first letter to the church at Corinth.
Paul’s concern was trying to end the fighting, but my concern is the damage that has already been done. As the result of church fights many have walked away from the church, but not their faith. This growing group of people goes by many names including “de-churched” and “formerly churched.”
While many leave the church as the result of a church fight others make the move because they are disillusioned by irrelevancy.
Best-selling author Anne Rice fits in the latter group. Until a few weeks ago she was known primarily for her books which have sold over 100 million copies. Lately she is better known for her decision to leave the church. Her initial words were posted on facebook:
For those who care, and I understand if you don’t: Today I quit being a Christian. I’m out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being “Christian” or to being part of Christianity. It’s simply impossible for me to “belong” to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten …years, I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I’m an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else. (July 28, 2010)
Anne Rice’s openness about her decision to quit Christianity for Christ has inspired me to be equally open with you about my decision to quit Christianity.
I stand before you today as a quitter – one who has quit Christianity as it is often presented in our culture or constrained by denominationalism. . .
I invite you to listen to three key parts of my story of quitting and to find yourself in them.
Note: This is the extended introduction to the sermon. To read the entire manuscript as a pdf file, click here.