Saturday, February 23, 2008

Growing Tired

Well I don't really know how to sugar coat things so I won't. I am growing very tired of church. Now among the gasps and the jaw dropping allow me to elaborate. It seems the church (global, that I have experienced) does a lot of talking, makes grand plans, and dreams big dreams, and then returns to business as usual. Business as usual. Was there anything usual about Christ? The Alpha and Omega being usual.Hmmmmmmm I don't think so. So why is His church? Well from what I gather, being a believer for over 18 years, I feel as if we lack the collective backbone to do otherwise. We also lack the imagination. I cannot tell you how many "services" I have been to at several different churches and yet they are all the same. WOW! Very convicting, or at least it is to me. The same old 3 song/sermon/two song/prayer/ dismissal formula is like chewing on dirt. God is such a creative God why are we (who are created in His image) stifling our creativity under the pressure of conformity. Now, does God get bored with that? I doubt it. However, His people do. "Well its not about you!" That is true but it about worshiping with joy, passion, reckless abandon, and an unadulterated zeal for the Man who rescued you from certain death is what more and more folks who are curious about this Jesus guy notice missing from our "services." I hear well He saved you, why aren't you happy about that? I think it is not that we are not happy to be free from sin's hold on us. But more of what I think is the major Achilles heel of the church and that is conformity. "Hey this is how so and so did it so we should too. "Or, "hey lets be different and do what the OTHER church is doing.
I am only ranting about this because we are in the age of Postmodernism, and if we do not accept that, and adapt to that more people are going to get so annoyed by the church that they will leave it. For example a church "service" could look like this; a group goes to an elderly woman's house on a Sunday or Wednesday, does not matter what day, and helps with repairs and remodeling after they have a little praise and worship and some Scripture truths being shared. Then they all eat together. Or maybe around Christmas time buying a tree for a family financially strapped, buying them FEW gifts, and providing food for their meal. That is a church service right there. See what I am getting at?
We serve a limitless God, but we put limits on Him in our lives because we do not believe this will work because we are safe within limits, we are comfortable within our own inner sanctum of the same ole same ole. And changing those limits will surely offend God. I think He is offended by our weak worship of Him. By us not being willing to jump just because He says so. Abraham had balls! He just went, because God told him to. He had the knife in his hands going towards his son's heart because God told him to, and God backed up everything He told Abe He would do. Anyway its late I'm tired so whomever reads this, post a comment agree or don't. More to come on what I feel could be the "how do we change this" later. Right now I need sleep!
May God's love be with you!
James

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

wow! that is a great message. so the question is, Do you now know why missionaries are and ahy they do what they do? I think so. your (service) is missions. It's church out of the building and in plan sight! Next question is what to do about it?