Unreligion

Went to Guardian Angels Catholic Church yesterday for my nephew's baptism. I am sorry for my critical spirit. I was uncomfortable, which in many ways is a good thing. But uncomfortable in the sense that I expected to feel welcome among other Christians. I did not understand many things about the service and had no idea what they believe about communion. It is my understanding that it is only for confirmed Catholics. So I did not go forward. It is also my understanding that divorced people may not take it. That is what I thought of when I saw one woman remain kneeling in the pew.

I don't get that.

Jesus first announced his Messiahship to a Samaritan woman who had been divorced multiple times. He offered her living water. Water he asked her to draw from the well. Water that, according to the religion of the day, was defiled because she, a Samaritan, had touched the bucket it came from.

Another critical thought: many of the people entering the church made the sign of the cross on themselves after dipping their finger in some water. Holy water I presume. Maybe Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine was a statement against ritual cleansing?

Lord please forgive my critical spirit. I am not ant-catholic. Just anit-religion.

UNchristian

This book by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons is an important read for all church leaders, elders and any one who gives a rip about where this whole Jesus thing is going. I've always felt like most churches I've been to were more concerned about what they (we) are against than what we are for. The research in this book seems to confirm that. From the book:

"In our national surveys we found the three most common perceptions of present-day Christianity are antihomosexual, judgmental, and hypocritical. These "big three" are followed by the following negative perceptions, embraced by a majority of young adults: old-fashioned, too involved in politics, out of touch with reality, insensitive to others, boring, not accepting of other faiths, and confusing. When they think of the Christian faith, these are the images that come to mind. This is what a new generation really thinks about Christianity."

I have seen many of these traits in myself. I do not see them in the Jesus I claim to follow.

The purpose of this book is not to rage against the church and Chrisitians. It is to let us know how the next generation views us. And I am concerned that we are in a little trouble here. Nextgeners are tired of us trying to sell Jesus to them. They need to hear about him as if we had just spoken to him on the phone last night. And our conversations with them mostly won't take place inside our church building. We've already become too irrelevant for that. We must move outside our walls to their neighborhoods: coffee shops and college campuses, bars and bistro's, the grocery store and the gutter. But the great news about this next generation is they are hungry for authenticity, relationship, and for their life to mean something, to be a part of something way bigger than themselves.

I honestly find it so easy to complain about what we (I've) done wrong as a church. It is easy to sit back and find fault with the Church and my church. But it is time I (we) move beyond that.
It is time to quit condeming lifestyles and love the people in them. It is time the church (you and I) really get this one thing: that the opposite of sin isn't virtue; it's grace (thank you author Philip Yancey).

Michaelangelo once said "critique by creating."

I want to do that.

while we were sleeping

This verse (Ezekiel 16:49) has been in my head and won't leave:

"Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy."

This was written by the prophet Ezekiel to the city of Jerusalem and her people. I always thought Sodom was destroyed because of the sexual sins of her people. This is where we get our term "sodomy". But the way Ezekiel puts it there was much more going on (or not going on) than that. And it makes me wonder if this is how God sees me and my city and my country.

I can easily be accused most days of being arrogant, overfed and unconcerned.

And no matter who runs this beautiful land when we wake up in the morning..........we will wake up. And the sun will still rise and the air will still allow me breath and Jesus will still be risen from the dead.

But I can't help but wonder how God sees US. Do we look allot like Ezekiel 16:49 as a nation?

I leave you with the words of a song by Casting Crowns:

Oh little town of Bethlehem / looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep / a giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark / there shines an everlasting light
For the King has left his throne / and is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man / and stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history / as a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping / while you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem / looks like another silent night
The Father gave his only Son / The Way, The Truth, The Life had come
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history / as a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping / while you were sleeping

United States of America / looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies / that save the tress and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark / there's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned / and has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again / and leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history / as a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping / will we be sleeping