The Sequel
I have written three some what controversial blogs about cast out Christians. One was called "Country Club", then "All are Welcome", and the most recent was "Cast out Christians". This morning, based on the emails I have received over the last week, I would like to write a follow up and ad a few more points.
It seems to be that our churches ask us for more but give us less. The are getting bigger and more grandiose yet seem darker and void of love. The religious are shouting praise at the righteous while the sinner is getting sicker. The focus is on getting you in the door with no regard to keeping you.
Where does it end, or should I say where does it begin. The music gets louder yet the message gets duller, the technology enhances the senses but doesn't embrace the heart. I think we have become so disillusioned with religion that it has cast a shadow on our faith. The cast out Christians, as we are now called, is quite apropos if you feel that you are a wayward sinner with no place to rest your soul.
It is difficult to treat a sick person if they can't get to a doctor, it is also near impossible to heal a wounded soul if you don't care enough to listen. A church, like a hospital, is a place for healing. One heals physically the other heals emotionally and spiritually. They both take an action on our part to get the ball rolling but to keep the healing process in motion it then takes action on the part of others. That is where the hospital usually excels to a much greater degree than our faith based establishments.
For some this blog will seem out of line, because if you are a card carrying, platinum member of the Country Club that always pays their dues on time and gets personal invitations to all the elite socials, you simply put, cannot feel the hurt from the ones on the outside looking in. It is easy to say "come on in we would love to have you", but if you can't feel the pain or care enough to lend a hand an invitation doesn't go very far.
I received some heart wrenching emails from people that felt so unwelcome, harshly judged, or felt a matter of indifference towards them at their church. As their life circumstances changed so to did their status in the Country Club. Once it was exposed you begin to see how the different levels of membership look to those riding in steerage at the bottom of the titanic. The more money, the better the membership perks, the less money or no money equals the worse view or yet worse conditions.
If we read the gospels at all Jesus continually warns against the elite or Country Club status. I recall his two parables about being at the head of table and the one about being at his right hand. I also recall who he dined with, walked with, lived with, shared with, and entrusted his mission too. Jesus came so that sinners had hope. We were not harshly judged, our membership was not conditional, our love was from the heart, we were welcome in his kingdom, the extravagant buildings did not exist because the money was shared with the poor and the widows, we were forgiven completely, we were accepted as we were, and the list goes on and on.
I got email after email from people that shared that the churches they felt obligated to go to and be a part of had lost their spiritual compass. The love had grown cold, the buildings keep getting bigger, the socials keep getting richer, the rules get tougher, and the welcome mat has all but disappeared.
I personally think that even with all this seemingly negative I just wrote that there is plenty of hope. You see change starts in the hearts of each one of us. We cannot sit back and allow church to dull our shine. We have to put the shine back into church. It is up to us to shower the world with love. It is our choice to spread peace and goodwill. We can walk the walk of faith that brings down the walls that divide us. We must shine so bright with such a sparkle that others want to find and feel what we have. If we all started today with a simple smile on our face, before you know it others will be smiling too. We can put the love back into the world around us. I think we have to stop looking for the welcome mat and just become one. Sure there will always be politics and social statuses in our churches but we can choose not to belong. We can choose to be the real voice that others seek out. All we have to do is care, love, accept, forgive, and not hold yesterday against anyone.
I see hope, I am excited, I believe with all my heart if we go about our day spreading love, our churches that migrated toward money and grandeur will find their way home through us.
peace and love
Dale
It seems to be that our churches ask us for more but give us less. The are getting bigger and more grandiose yet seem darker and void of love. The religious are shouting praise at the righteous while the sinner is getting sicker. The focus is on getting you in the door with no regard to keeping you.
Where does it end, or should I say where does it begin. The music gets louder yet the message gets duller, the technology enhances the senses but doesn't embrace the heart. I think we have become so disillusioned with religion that it has cast a shadow on our faith. The cast out Christians, as we are now called, is quite apropos if you feel that you are a wayward sinner with no place to rest your soul.
It is difficult to treat a sick person if they can't get to a doctor, it is also near impossible to heal a wounded soul if you don't care enough to listen. A church, like a hospital, is a place for healing. One heals physically the other heals emotionally and spiritually. They both take an action on our part to get the ball rolling but to keep the healing process in motion it then takes action on the part of others. That is where the hospital usually excels to a much greater degree than our faith based establishments.
For some this blog will seem out of line, because if you are a card carrying, platinum member of the Country Club that always pays their dues on time and gets personal invitations to all the elite socials, you simply put, cannot feel the hurt from the ones on the outside looking in. It is easy to say "come on in we would love to have you", but if you can't feel the pain or care enough to lend a hand an invitation doesn't go very far.
I received some heart wrenching emails from people that felt so unwelcome, harshly judged, or felt a matter of indifference towards them at their church. As their life circumstances changed so to did their status in the Country Club. Once it was exposed you begin to see how the different levels of membership look to those riding in steerage at the bottom of the titanic. The more money, the better the membership perks, the less money or no money equals the worse view or yet worse conditions.
If we read the gospels at all Jesus continually warns against the elite or Country Club status. I recall his two parables about being at the head of table and the one about being at his right hand. I also recall who he dined with, walked with, lived with, shared with, and entrusted his mission too. Jesus came so that sinners had hope. We were not harshly judged, our membership was not conditional, our love was from the heart, we were welcome in his kingdom, the extravagant buildings did not exist because the money was shared with the poor and the widows, we were forgiven completely, we were accepted as we were, and the list goes on and on.
I got email after email from people that shared that the churches they felt obligated to go to and be a part of had lost their spiritual compass. The love had grown cold, the buildings keep getting bigger, the socials keep getting richer, the rules get tougher, and the welcome mat has all but disappeared.
I personally think that even with all this seemingly negative I just wrote that there is plenty of hope. You see change starts in the hearts of each one of us. We cannot sit back and allow church to dull our shine. We have to put the shine back into church. It is up to us to shower the world with love. It is our choice to spread peace and goodwill. We can walk the walk of faith that brings down the walls that divide us. We must shine so bright with such a sparkle that others want to find and feel what we have. If we all started today with a simple smile on our face, before you know it others will be smiling too. We can put the love back into the world around us. I think we have to stop looking for the welcome mat and just become one. Sure there will always be politics and social statuses in our churches but we can choose not to belong. We can choose to be the real voice that others seek out. All we have to do is care, love, accept, forgive, and not hold yesterday against anyone.
I see hope, I am excited, I believe with all my heart if we go about our day spreading love, our churches that migrated toward money and grandeur will find their way home through us.
peace and love
Dale
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