Hello.
I just got back from church.
I think this will be my one and only religious rant for the entirety of my blog.
Much like harper lee...I have only one in me...
No this won't be a Pulitzer prize winner...but it will be sincerely sincere.
Do I believe we need a relationship with Jesus?
Absolutely.
Do I believe that GOD HAS A HOLE IN HIM THAT WON'T BE FILLED TILL I COME BACK TO THE FOLD
NO.
um, God is whole and complete..the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.
God DOES NOT need us like we need him.
God is not human sized...he is bigger than everything.
Why is it that churches these days insist on making him 'Buddy Jesus'?
He doesn't want repentance or reform...he just wants to be your buddy....
He doesn't want discomfort or sacrifice...
He just wants you to have positive relationships.
Thats why this church has a group for everyone.
They have a group for single mothers.
A group for kids with special needs..
A group for mothers with young children.
A military group.
you name it...they have it.
You know, when I went to church as a kid...there was one group.
The church.
you went, you sat...the preacher took out a bible, read it, then told you how it applied to your life.
There was no flailing, no self congratulations...no need for special entertainment.
You went because you were gathering with fellow believers to WORSHIP GOD.
Not to be entertained.
We stood on God's word.
If you were bored TOO BAD!
Heck, APPARENTLY, we don't need to use the word religion, oR even the word Christian..
those have bad connotations. (I swear I nearly left right there.)
We will just use the word "relationship".
okay now...
everybody up and hop around because we are going to praise God by flailing about and emoting...We have one young lady doing the seig heil arm raise and screaming and singing...
We have a bob marley wanna be on bass, we have a nirvana look a like on drums and we have lights camera action people and large tv screens.
Aren't we wonderful to come to church and praise God.
Isn't he lucky.
How are the acoustics?
We have cookies out front...sign your kids up for spirit dancing and you come on by for the meet and greet potluck with the new comers group.
Get something out of the bible to apply it to your life?
shmuck.
That's no fun.
Folks,
This was the church service I sat through tonight.
I hope to never ever ever sit through another one again.
not like that anyway.
Yes Vista Grande Baptist is a drive, but the gas is worth it...
Going to get me some old time religion. RELIGION RELIGION CHRISTIAN CHRISTIAN RELIGION RELIGION CHRISTIAN CHRISTIAN...
And now a little something to cleanse the palate...
sorry,
I snapped.
Yours IN CHRIST
CAUSE I'M A CHRISTIAN
Chris
20 comments:
Ahhh, you went to a "seeker sensitive" church, didn't you? I'm glad you didn't like it.
Don't let it put a bad taste in your mouth for enthusiastic worship, tho. I suspect that what you witnessed was just as you called it. If it had been real worship, you would have known.
We have a great God who is worthy of extravagant praise and deep worship. Sometimes that involves movement and noise and, like the Bible says, lifting up hands to praise the Lord. You'd see and feel the difference in a second. And you'd love it. You would.
Some churches are trying so hard to reach the lost...trying so hard to not offend...that they have become lost themselves. Very sad.
Deb
I laughed. And I agree... the more a church separates itself from personal sacrifice, the more that church separates itself from God.
Good on you to seek out Christianity.
;)
I swear I'm not going to hijack your blog, so I'll try to keep it short.
In a nutshell, I agree completely with you. I am a different denomination from you, but apparently we see things quite similarly ;)
I have always had a distrust of such "churches". Their hearts are in the right place, but I just can't think of it as a church. Sorry. Wait, no I'm not.
My grandpa called those folks pew runners. You know, because they're running up and down the pews, waving their arms around.
I'm not saying church has to be painfully dull, but there's something...off...about those megachurches.
I understand what you are saying about the sense of "entertainment" rather than there to honor, worship, learn and serve.
I'll admit that "Buddy Jesus" would grate on me, too.
The church I belong to has wonderful enthusiastic worship, but also a deep reverence and awe for a Holy and loving God.
Chris... went your kids were small, did they ever hand draw a Mother's day card for you? Lovingly, all by themselves, with a sincere heart, from love, and a desire to please you, to show you their love, and yes, to seek your love and approval back??
Did you reject their less than perfect offering??
Of course not. You were touched, and probably have some of those cards, those treasures, stashed away somewhere.
So don't get too upset when you see those who are as children, doing what they know to do, trying to reach out to God. They may not be getting it right (ummm... in whose opinion, by the way?) but I would guess that the majority of them mean well, and are just reaching for God. He looks at the heart.
Pray for them. To have wisdom. To see what is real, and solid, and true. To have the discernment you had to see that we don't need a "new" message... the old one is just fine, thank you very much.
Loretta
=^..^=
I get you loretta. The thing is, it didn't feel like they were trying to be popular with God. It felt like they were trying to be popular with people. The only thought I kept having was...I couldn't tell that I was in church. It felt empty. I didn't sense God there at all.
It felt more like a self help social group. And I couldn't have been more offended when they tried to take the word Christian out of church. The dude talking was a 'seeker minister'. When we took communion they didn't mention searching your heart for what you did that week and what to ask forgiveness for. There was no there there.
It was a party.
I LOVE this post!
I'm in total agreement on so many levels. Its just like parents who try to be their children's friends. That is not what that relationship is supposed to be, and being a Christian - loving, worshiping and honoring God - has nothing to do with being a buddy to Jesus.
I am all for fellowship, and I am even okay with segregated events, as long as full Congregational fellowship still occurs too. It has to for the health of the church.
Far too many scary churches out there now. Glad that one turned you off.
Chris, loved this post. Thank you for taking a stand on this subject. I think you nailed it. Worship comes from the heart to our God, through the Holy Spirit who enables us to worship Him. I'm glad you are sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. 'Jesus Christ is not a yuppie's accessory'. What a wonderful post! I enjoyed the clip greatly.
My Sweetheart and I call it the 'stairway to heaven' churches or the 'yay God' church. They are like concert stadiums where you aren't worshipping right unless your hands are in the air and you are crying or 'testifying'. I feel so out of place in these places. That being said, I think that people do need to find what works for them, what puts them on their path. I am sure someone is moved by these places. It just isn't me.
Cheers,
Missa
LosingEthel
Love this post.
We've been church shopping for a couple of years. Lots of "contemporary" services, lots of "charismatic" preachers, lots of television screens and entertainment and music you hear on the radio.
But what I have found is that there was very little worship.
My church back home taught me that 'worship' is an active word. I don't get to just sit and be entertained, wait to be 'filled up', get get get. I have to do the work on sundays. And every day.
There is just so much of people trying to make religion fit into the way they want to live their life instead of making their lives change and fit the way the Bible teaches us.
I don't know. I'm not ashamed to be a Christian, and I don't feel the need necessarily to stop and explain to somebody what it DOESNT mean. But also? There are a whole lot of churches/practices out there I DONT want to be identified by.
Make sense?
Anyway. Thanks for the post.
So Hard to find a church that teaches from the Bible and does what it says. I finally found one and I am so grateful!!!
Probably not the best post to do this on, but I gave you a blog award. I gave it to you because I think of you as a friend and appreciate you!
Check out it out at http://transparentjoy.blogspot.com/
Have a wonderful day!
Hugs!
Sounds like you had quite the experience. Did they do the wave? LOL. That was in poor taste.... sorry, couldn't help it. I know what you mean, though. Sometimes it takes a while to find a good fit. You know where you DON'T want to go.
@ robin...lolol...did they do the wave...they were on the verge.
I have visited churches like that and been so glad I was only "visiting." Sad when the quality of the cookies in the foyer surpasses the quality of the message coming from the pulpit. I love that you were bold enough to post this; it needs to be said!
Amen! Amen!
*sigh* I love my plain old vanilla church where every week the priest takes the scripture reading, explains it and then gives us a valuable lesson on how to apply it and an example on how to live it.
Much of what I want to say has already been said, so I won't repeat it. I'll just make it short - any church that avoids the use of the word Christianity is wrong. Real wrong.
Amen sister.
P.S. "maryjane2744" is my mom. :)
Amen, amen and AMEN. I could not agree with you more!!!!!
@ Tammy...how cool...glad your mom is around.
I couldn't agree more with this post!
Until very, VERY recently, I considered myself an atheist. I grew up Catholic and just stopped going as I became an adult.
Well I wanted to go back, but I saw that so many churches here are starting to look more like rock concerts than church!
Why does church have to become 'fun' for us? Hearing God's word and praising Him is not enough?
I finally found a church that I like. They speak against hypocrisy, they don't sugarcoat things. They preach the word of God. There are no plasma tv's or fancy sound equipment, just a microphone and a small projector and lots of praising God!
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