Okay - this is a rant. Just sayin'.
I was just reading a fellow-blogger's post at "Daughter of Abba" and it really made me think. She was talking about how she loves God but hates church. I'm glad someone was honest enough to say how many of us church-goers feel.
My hat goes off to her. (Among other things) she calls church members, pastors, and other people in leadership on:
- favoritism
- hypocrisy
- elitism / cliques
- judgmental attitudes
- guilt trips
- exclusion
And she's right. Church people are notorious for all of those things and more. It's why the world looks at things like whassisname's prediction about the Rapture taking place on May 21, 2011 and (when that prediction failed) the world still going to end on October 21, 2011 ... and they laugh their heads off. I don't blame them. I would too, if it weren't so tragic. Okay - so I laughed - for a while.
The truth is, I always feel so awkward at church, and frankly, I've been embarrassed to admit to the people I work with that I go at all.
I love God, and yet His people drive me nuts! ... majoring on minors, going off on this tangent or that one (okay, so I do that too), boycotting this or that, protesting something else, and all the while judging those who don't line up with their perfect version of how life should be lived. (I think everyone knows how I feel about that word "should.") Most of the time I feel like the rest of the cookie dough that gets tossed aside after someone cuts out the cookies. I don't fit, and sometimes I feel discarded. Judged. Minimized.
I hate it when church people / leaders try to "legislate" friendliness, "dictate" love, "order" people to pray for each other - when these things naturally would flow out of intimate relationship with God. I abhor the mistaken idea that WE have to do something first, before God will do His work. Great way to take the credit and pat ourselves on the back for twisting His arm, manipulating Him. How ludicrous is that? Friggit - God already took the initiative on everything by starting the ball rolling with Jesus - and He gets the glory for everything because even the faith and the strength to do what He wants comes from Him. He said He was the vine and we were the branches. So I don't move until and unless He says so. Period. It wastes far less energy that way... and if it means that others judge me for not doing enough - fine. I live my life for an Audience of One.
Thank you, Daughter of Abba. Thank you for your honesty.
I was just reading a fellow-blogger's post at "Daughter of Abba" and it really made me think. She was talking about how she loves God but hates church. I'm glad someone was honest enough to say how many of us church-goers feel.
- favoritism
- hypocrisy
- elitism / cliques
- judgmental attitudes
- guilt trips
- exclusion
And she's right. Church people are notorious for all of those things and more. It's why the world looks at things like whassisname's prediction about the Rapture taking place on May 21, 2011 and (when that prediction failed) the world still going to end on October 21, 2011 ... and they laugh their heads off. I don't blame them. I would too, if it weren't so tragic. Okay - so I laughed - for a while.
The truth is, I always feel so awkward at church, and frankly, I've been embarrassed to admit to the people I work with that I go at all.
I love God, and yet His people drive me nuts! ... majoring on minors, going off on this tangent or that one (okay, so I do that too), boycotting this or that, protesting something else, and all the while judging those who don't line up with their perfect version of how life should be lived. (I think everyone knows how I feel about that word "should.") Most of the time I feel like the rest of the cookie dough that gets tossed aside after someone cuts out the cookies. I don't fit, and sometimes I feel discarded. Judged. Minimized.
I hate it when church people / leaders try to "legislate" friendliness, "dictate" love, "order" people to pray for each other - when these things naturally would flow out of intimate relationship with God. I abhor the mistaken idea that WE have to do something first, before God will do His work. Great way to take the credit and pat ourselves on the back for twisting His arm, manipulating Him. How ludicrous is that? Friggit - God already took the initiative on everything by starting the ball rolling with Jesus - and He gets the glory for everything because even the faith and the strength to do what He wants comes from Him. He said He was the vine and we were the branches. So I don't move until and unless He says so. Period. It wastes far less energy that way... and if it means that others judge me for not doing enough - fine. I live my life for an Audience of One.
Thank you, Daughter of Abba. Thank you for your honesty.
We are all sinners, inside the church walls and outside. We have to keep eyes on the right one, not the people. We will ALWAYS be let down.
ReplyDeleteSo true. Perhaps my expectations are higher of those inside - and in saying that I guess that makes me guilty of the very thing I'm ranting against.
ReplyDeleteI do know one thing. HE has never let me down.
Rant on crazy lady! Well, I can finally comment on Internet Explorer (but not Firefox) which is weird because yesterday I could only comment on Firefox if the person had a pop out box for comments!
ReplyDelete