God calls us to close intimate relationship.
Many of us habitually and unconsciously avoid close intimate relationship.
This means that we will habitually and unconsciously avoid close intimate relationship with God.
Church is the institution many Christians turn to for their relationship with God.
Church is not God. Church was built by people who habitually and unconsciously avoid close intimate relationship with God.
This means that the church will systematically build in avoidance of close intimate relationship with God.
We will become addicted to church as a way of escape - a way of avoiding relationship with God.
An example: In our discussion about building community at Runnymede Baptist Church we were providing answers to the question: "How do we build a sense of community?" The question we avoided in that discussion was how do we become a real community.
Another example: At a live sports event men and women can be loud, emotional and expressive as they engage in the event. In 'worship' where we meet and submit to the one Who provides for us, Who created us and Who redeemed us from sin and invited us into a family covenant relationship, we are often quite unemotional, unengaged and not expressive.
