I just read a verse that turned a light bulb on for me in my brain. For those of you scholars out there it is the Message translation and Matthew 17:22 "The Son of Man(Jesus) is about to be betrayed to some people who want nothing to do with God."
My dawning comes because it was the religious leaders who had Jesus killed and in this verse Jesus says they "want nothing to do with God." And my poor little brain goes oooh. Now I understand. Most people in church want nothing to do with God. This makes so much sense. They just want some form of religious theory to make them feel better and give them some sense of security. Because as far as I can tell wanting to have more of God is absolutely certifiably drop dead not safe!!!! So of course the pew warmers are just their to get their junkie fix from another shot of religion found in church. Not that God can't be found there if you are really looking, but God is everywhere in my experience from the bar to the strip joint and the crack house, so that is no surprise that He is at church too.
See all my life I have tried to put together something that I saw as polar opposites. How the polite, nicely dressed church leaders behaved on Sunday and then what happened all week long when they tried to under pay employees, barter people down, take a little extra for themselves, be stingy, no compassion, impatient, pushy, critical and on and on and on. You get my drift. And this explains it they don't want anything to do with God. Because all of the above behaviors would be totally ruined and you would give your last dollar away and that would be absolutely ridiculous. Cause we have to be logical and practical in our walk with God and keep control of ourselves and our belongings so we can be responsible. Right. Oh but this is not the God of the Bible, but this is the God of religion. So the next time I see the hypocrisy I get it.....they just simply do not want anything to do with God....and I will pity them, because it is truly their loss. And I will extend grace, love and mercy to them because God freely gives it to me and I desperately need it because there are days that I too have been too frightened to have more of God.
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you spend a lot of time in strip clubs and crack houses do you? :) jk
ReplyDeleteThis particular discovery is a rather harsh one to digest is it not?
love you
Well actually this realisation is a big relief, I think for me it was harsher to live with, without any explanation. And yeah all my loads of experience in the strip clubs and crack houses...I was trying to make a point funny lady.
ReplyDeleteJust some more thoughts...The use of the passive 'is about to be betrayed' means that this is a deed of God (check out Rom 8:32 or Romans 4:25). So Jesus foretells that God will deliver Him, the Servant of the Lord, to death for the redemption of mankind.(Check out Isaiah 53:5, and v.12)Clearly it was my sins, and your sins that had Jesus crucified. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit love the church...and so do I. I believe that He loves the church because He died for it, and to judge it as a whole, or in part, grieves the very heart of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.Despite her weaknesses, it is the church, that shall prevail to the glory of God, it the church that Jesus will return for and we will be the bride of Christ. While we wait for that day...let us, the church, continue to seek more of God both individually and corporately.
ReplyDeleteHebrews 10:23-25 (The Message)
So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.
I find the need to defend anything including the church an interesting admittance of its inate problems. Something that will stand the test of time does not need to be defended by anyone. I was raised with a whole lot of theology and I am not saying that I don't attend church...I am just working through the blatant issues that some are unwilling to admit.
ReplyDeleteHi Becky,
ReplyDeleteI love the way in which you are dealing with the inadequacies of the church and that you are not separating yourself from it to do so. It's kind of like infiltration or something! Love, Patricia
Hey Becky,
ReplyDeleteI am going through and reading all your blog posts and a bunch of other blogs. Thanks for being so honest and putting your feelings and experiences out there for all of us to work through as well.
I agree with you 100% the church is not perfect, or even close,but I love that you point out that God is everywhere not just at "the church". I think we ARE the church and so as long as we keep trying to grow and help others around us to grow we are carrying out His mandate. It is religion and people that don't want anything to do with God that he calls luke warm and says they will be spat out of His mouth; now if that's not judgment of the church, said by the mouth of God, I don't know what is.
You know what, I think you have more theology in your head than most preachers do, and I love the fact that you are struggling through what it all means when the rubber meets the road. The realities of life and the imperfections of humanity make religion a tricky thing to grasp. Keep struggling!