After surfing through a friend's blog I found some really wonderful links. Each one seemed to focus on the same theme. The growing discontent among some American Christians with the "theatrical" nature of church and the materialism that is engulfing us all. This really caught my attention because for about 8 years Tim and I have been pondering the same questions and hearing the same comments from many friends...
Why is Sunday the most tiring day of the week?
Why do we feel so drained by the institution that holds the Words of Life?
If the American church is "doing church" correctly, why do we have soooo many churches and so little true godliness?
Why is everyone faking perfection and dying to be truly understood?
Do we really benefit from padded chairs, air conditioning, a great sound system...?
Is church for our entertainment? If not, why do we spend so much of our budget on our own comforts instead of helping others?
All this came to mind yet again this morning. I was browsing the paper and a sentence caught my eye. It said that Tim LaHaye had donated 7 million dollars to Liberty University for the building of a ice rink and Hobby Lobby gave them 11 million dollars to update their sanctuary. Honestly, this makes me sad. Can God possibly be pleased with us spending this kind of money worshipping our comfort? How many live could have been touched with this money?
I know that Liberty has produced many people that have served God and done great things. I just wonder what God thinks about us all?
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"Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name." Malachi 3:16
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8 comments:
Girl, I must say I agree, but I gotta admit...I'm an air conditioning girl! I've been known to pass a note to my friend Jen to call her hubby in the sound booth to tell him we're dying of a heat stroke and to please come down and fix the AC to cooler before we all suffocate to death or pass out. I just can't help it...I'm spoiled!! (And a touch exaggerative)
But I do agree with the millions....it's ridiculous.
Here's what He convicted me of a few years ago through a book, Fields of the Fatherless by Tom Davis. (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/
ASIN/0971410011/1n9867a-20)
"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:27
It all comes down to loving God with all we have and then loving others the same way we love ourselves. Through that love we bring the hope that comes only through Jesus. The key, we don't get to chose who we love. It looks different for each of us, but underneath it all, it's the same. It can be hard and uncomfortable.
I'm convicted even while I type, because I am sooo comfortable most of the time. The idea of living without some of the things I take for granted each day(like air conditioning, the computer, a dishwasher :) doesn't make me happy.
But my heart longs for that real, whole hearted living for Him even if at some point it means I have to give some of those comforts away.
You touched a nerve for me, Graced. This is something we've been talking about a lot at our house, too.
11 million dollars? That just makes me sad.
I could not agree more with your sentiment that there is a HUGE feeling of discontent with the church as it is right now. I think it's growing and I've talked to some people who have their hand on the pulse of today's youth and they feel it exists as well.
I think part of it is what you have stated...we've "Americanized" church so much that it's become a social club and a means of pennance all in one. We attend because we want to see our friends, and we attend because we feel like it's what we are "supposed" to do. We attend more out of obligation than desire.
I also think that we're culturally stagnant and that people can't identify with the church any longer. It's like we're about 30-50 years behind culturally...and yet we wonder why people aren't beating down the doors to join us on Sunday mornings.
Honestly, there are plenty of times I feel like church is more of a drag on me and less of a benefit. Like you said, it should be the other way around. As with all things, there is a happy medium...I don't think it's the creature comforts themselves that are the problem. They are a symptom of the problem, which is a general apathy and unwillingness to experience anything different on our part. If your attitude is right, you could have the greatest building ever or the worst hut ever and you'd still experience God in a mighty way.
Just some random thoughts...good post!
I was invited by "graced" to take a peek at your website. It is so refreshing to see you young mothers working so hard at being the girls God called you to be.
When "graced" was very young I saw a James Dobson film encouraging mothers to seek out ways to support one another. He referred to the quilting bees developed in the 1800's as a tool for meeting the needs women have to communicate with other women. I'll bet he never dreamed that creative women of this decade would use such a unique way to comminicate and encourage one another.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!
You know how I feel on this subject. I don't have the answers yet, but agree something should change. It seems like church just gets way too selfish to me. It's so much about what we all individually want to get out of it, lots of the time. I somehow think we need less meeting AT church, and more going out and "doing" church in the community and world. At least that seems to be where Jesus focused his energy, and I kinda rather go by His example than just what "everyone else" is doing.
Thanks for the wonderful words, mom. I love you, too. Thank you for adding your insight and wisdom to this group!
I'm so glad it's not just here ... sometimes I think that Katrina has taken every little bit of energy out of everyone ... even at church. I totally agree with Jenn ... I'm so tired of all the church activities that consume our time so that we don't even have time to reach out to our neighbors or be involved in our community. Katrina has helped us see that this is where the church's real ministry can be. For the first time, many in our predominantly "Catholic" community would say that it was the evangelical church that actually provided emotional, spiritual, physical and sometimes financial help in their ultimate loss. You'd think that as a church living in such an incredibly opportune time that our body has gotten on board, but they really haven't. Perhaps they are too worn out too.
I guess we can thank the Baby boomers for keeping us comfortable, clean, and compartmentalized. I find that there's not many under 40 that I talk to that are happy about church these days ... it's time for a radical shift. Authentic. Meaningful. Community service.
Thanks for the post. However, I'm sure my niece and nephew who attend Liberty are pretty stoked about the ice rink. ;)
let me just say that I love this post. What awesome questions.. of which I have had to ask as well. I really feel like its a great testimony to growing in your faith, you begin to see things as they really are, or aren't, and you desire change. im currently reading the susanna wesley biography and Im hopeing for that kind of passion for Christ in my own life. But at the same time I am realizing that she and her generation were suffering through some pretty intense attacks on the Word and what Church was supposed to be like. We need a little less comforts in our culture.. sadly though, I generally have an easier time praying for those comforts to be taken away from someone else. And yes, it is sickening about Liberty. Can't say im surprised by it though.
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