Loving Jesus and Hating the Church.

"I hate religion."


How many times have we heard this used amongst church goers?
What does this even mean?


I think what people, well I, mean when this is said is...well, more plainly put:
I hate that the CHURCH has become another place of laws and not love.

Ha, I am sure right now you are mentally defending YOUR church.
"Not MY church! We welcome anyone and are all about relationships and loving people!"

Oh, really?
Is your church heavily involved in the culture war?
Oh, really?
Is your church okay with members SUPPORTING Obama?
Wait, let me rephrase that.
Is your church not just okay with that, but do they refrain from rude political comments to democrats?
Oh...well, that's different.
Christians are supposed to be conservative republicans! It's the biblical/American way you know!
No, I DO NOT know.

Oh yeah, back to the main issue.

Does your church welcome GAY people with gracious arms?

Did you hear more about the Chik-fil-a debacle than Jesus this morning?
Oh...but that's different.
Being homosexual is a SIN and gay people are ruining the country and staining the true church and it's values!
Just look at them demanding their rights and stuff.

Ha. Don't make me laugh, church.
The gays are NOT staining the church, you are.

We do not demonstrate love and acceptance.
Did I say to tell the gays that they're right and you AGREE with everything they do?
No.
The gays aren't asking for this either.
They're just asking you to look in the mirror before shoving principles down their throats.

How come I never hear a sermon on gluttony?
How come I never hear a preacher speak on the issue of obesity/overweight members of the church?
Guess what, gluttony is among the same list as homosexuality.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (NIV).

(ouch)



Is this blog strictly about the mistreatment of gays by the "church"?
No.

It's about the root issue here.
The church knows not love or grace.

I know this may, excuse my french, piss some people off, but Jesus would be hanging out with the homosexuals if He walked the earth today.
He would be hanging out with the prostitutes.
He would be hanging out with the potheads.
He would be hanging out with all the people we see walk through the church doors on Sunday, shaking our heads exclaiming, "What are THEY doing here? THEY don't belong here. Do you know what they DO?"
Whoa whoa whoa, she said WHAT?

Yeah, you heard me right.
Jesus hung out with the groups that the church would not touch.
Jesus hung out with the groups the religious leaders pointed their fingers at.
Jesus hung out with the groups the snooty holier than thou church-goers wouldn't share their pew with.


Luke 5:31-32, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance." 




Accept it or not, you're a sinner.
I'm a big ol fat sinner.

I've lied.
I've cheated in life.
I've committed gluttony.
I've been selfish.
I've been greedy.
I've disrespected my parents.
I've been so blinded by my own 2x4 plank in my eye that I couldn't see my own sin but felt led to point out why everyone else shouldn't be worshipping on Sunday morning because they did (whatever sin) last night.

The church should be like a big serving of that mystery meat they serve in the cafeteria lunch line.
It's made of a lot of random ingredients.

It is not up to the church to say what "brand" of sinners should be allowed to worship Jesus.

Liars, prostitutes, gluttons, gays.
Sinners.

Should we sit in our sin and refuse to move from it simply because God is gracious?
No.
Should we refrain from attending the church and praising our King because we are sinners?
No.
Should we EVER tell a person, "You are not welcome in God's house because you are a ______"?
No.




"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? "

Romans 2:1-4

Planes

Planes I've always been afraid of flying.  When I was little my mother used to give me chewing gum and coloring books to distract my wandering mind from escaping out the plane window, contemplating all the treacherous possibilities of what could come to pass. Recently, as many of you already know, God has confirmed my call to become a missionary.  So here I am, on the plane to see my best friend, and God has once again whispered His sweet promises to me on this short flight.  When we want something, when we love something, we will take on almost any fear to possess it. We will climb onto a small cheap looking plane filled with strangers, hands shaking and legs cramped up to get to someone we love.  We take risks.  We act out of faith that we will reach our destination. We become capable of things we once thought were ridiculous and scary and crazy. No, I'm not really talking about flying today.   I'm talking about taking that leap, that fateful jump into the unknown to do something we want to do so badly. I'm talking about pure faith; In yourself, in God and others that will help along the way to make the journey possible.  Im relying on my pilot to get me to my destination safely. I'm relying that he has had the training necessary to get me where I need to go. I'm floating thousands of feet in the air with a flimsy oxygen mask and a seat that can supposedly be used as a "flotation device."  I'm sure if my plane caught on fire from here to Charlotte, there'd be no water whatsoever to break the fall.  I'm helpless. For someone who is a control freak and wants to know what she's doing and when she's doing it for every second of every day months in advance, being out of control is a little difficult to grasp.  I'm the kid that asks the dude controlling the ride at the fair "Hey mister, do I control my own speed?"  Of course the typical buck-toothed sweaty middle aged man looks back at me and laughs, responding: "yeah kid. Sure."  He lied.  I was in third grade and I puked all over that fair ride...glaring at his sweaty face on the way out. I never ride fair rides ANYMORE. Getting on a poorly made spinning ride where I have no control over the speed or if my teeth fly out of my head isn't my idea of fun. I'm the friend that sits outside of roller coasters and says "I'll wait out here for you guys. Have fun." I'm the girl that says "I don't think that's a good idea. Let's stay home and watch the Golden Girls instead." But I'm putting myself out there today. I'm trusting in the faceless pilot I'll never see.  I'm trusting in the engine of the plane that I have no idea the workings of. I'm trusting in the strangers by the exit door to help me before they help themselves if something were to happen. I'm trusting in the silent man in seat 10D to help me with my oxygen mask when my fingers are fumbling all over the place.  Im willing to put my life in a human's hand I'll never shake, yet when it comes to putting my life in the Creator of the Universe's hand...I step back and think twice.  I love Jesus so much.  I am so in love with Him and His grace. I am so  beyond head over heels in love with the people God has called me to love and know and share of God's mercy to.  But I am afraid.  I have little faith. I question much and trust little. My fear to put my trust in Jesus and to rely on him to be my Pilot is so very scary.  God is the "faceless Pilot" at times.  Sometimes I find myself asking God for a resume of experience and a list of prior knowledge.  I find myself interviewing the Maker of the stars to see if He's "qualified" enough to fly this plane.  I've been the pilot for so long, I'm not sure if I'm ready to hand the controls over to Him.  I say "What if...?" God says "trust in Me." I say "Can I control how fast this goes?" God says "let Me take over." I say "I am afraid of what I can not know or control." God says "Fear not!" I say "Can we do this my way?" God says "not your will but Mine!" Who am I, Lord?  Who am I to question the Artist of the Heavens? Who am I to set foot on Your mission field with so little faith? Who am I to possess Your love? Who am I to be touched by the hem of Your grace? I am nobody.  It's funny how God uses the simple things to communicate the difficult things.  It's funny how God uses small people to show how big He is.  I'll never understand why God has picked someone so low and doubting. I'll never understand why God is willing to continuously prove Himself faithful over and over with such grace. God does not owe me explanation or proof. God does not owe me my demands. God does not owe me His resume. God owes me nothing because I am nothing. But God gives me everything because He is everything.  He is a merciful and gracious God that longs for my heart even more than I do for His, yet He still pursues it all the more.