Why I hate going to Church

‘Heavens to Murgatroyd is that a COFFEE IN YOUR HAND!’

-You should come to our church. It’s pretty great, we’re open minded, drink coffee during the service, wear jeans, and laugh with friends. It’s not like going to your traditional church, where you have to dress up, sing lame hymns, and hear someone complain that you brought your breakfast into the ‘sanctuary.’ Trust us, our church is so cool.-

This is the gist of Church selling I have been seeing lately in these new-fangled, albeit old-fangled, churches that are springing up around the city. The focus of the Church, is what the Church looks and feels like. Their absolutist approach to new over traditional, is appreciable, but pointless. The old style church, tradition, and dress code, and judgment, is not gone. Of course we know it isn’t gone, as we see these old school traditionalist Baptist, Episcopalian, and Methodist Churches on the rise especially in terms of political circles. However, I mean it in a different way. The old style of looking at church is still the same in these new churches. They may dress casual, drink coffee, maybe even have some craft beers over a vegan cheesesteak. But when you think about what they actually accomplish, you begin to realize the difference; it is nothing.

The new style, is just as judgmental as the old style. They base your appreciation for spirituality on your attire, your attitude, and your theology, just in different ways; mostly polarizing the two points of view.  The worst part of all this, is that it matters very little in any respect; because they both have entirely missed what it is to be the Church.

These ads I see flying around my doorstep in little whirlwinds, with pizza menus, and Chinese restaurant menus mixed in, piss me right off. Jesus is nowhere to be found. What is the Church to these Churches? Apparently it’s a place to either, experience God in a new, casual, and comfortable way; or a place to worship God in a traditional, and regular way. Either way, I look at these things and just think what the fuck.

The Church is not a place; The Church is not a meeting; The Church is not a building; The Church is not a style; The Church is not a party; The Church is not a political party; and the Church is not a social club. I’ll tell you what I think of the Church when I see these ads. I think the Church is a joke.

Jesus would be/is horrified at how terribly perverted his Church has become. His church is us. Us! There is no building, or attire, or theology, that is a part of the Church. The Church is us, and everything else is extra. No person would deny what I say is true, (at least I hope not) but most of those are a part of a Church that practices these deeds of mis-representation.

Golden shinies. Give God the golden shinies!

Offering plates made of gold, or fake gold, or silver. Giant golden crosses, stained glass windows, high ceilings, statues, towers, brick and mortar, giant staircases, with signs, and huge parking lots.

This is the Church that we go to. And I hate going to Church.

You know what I love. Being Jesus’ Church. A church that meets more than once a week, in many places. A church that rents a space to meet at, or just meets in a public place. A church that pools its resources to give back to its community and help those in need. A church that has no offering plate, or (offering time!). A church that is about becoming Jesus to those in need, and not becoming an icon. A church that focuses on who we act like, not who we look like. A church that focuses on being a community.

That is the church. Jesus clearly taught the principles of basic Christian love; principles that led to life in the Kingdom eternal. Principles of love, and and giving; that were then proliferated through the apostles, specifically Paul, to the early Church. These principles were of love, community, sharing, giving, and helping the needy. None of these principles involved buildings, attire, and especially not Nationalism. None of them involved a specific theology. However, this is what the Church has become. A perversion of a beautiful expression of God’s Love.

It doesn’t have to be.

terracide by -siwrne-

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please continue to read, speak, and grow

Judas Iscariot, the American Church

Hookah smoke is filling my living room. Everything smells like watermelon, and pickles. My friend and I have been smoking and eating my fermented foods for almost two hours as we discuss theology after theology, not in a…theological way, but just…because we benefit off of ourselves. Judas Iscariot meanders his way into the weaving water of our conversation, and for a second, looked as though he made a wrong turn. He glances at us awkwardly, eyes darting away, taking a quick step to the left to escape. Ah! But we don’t let him.

Judas is often a contention among Christians. People debate his merit, whether he was ever a follower of Jesus, whether he was and then fell away, or even whether he never stopped, but just was misled. I happen to believe the latter.

Judas is a complicated character, woeful, discontent, angry, even jealous. But…I don’t care about any of that. Judas made one big mistake, and it gave him nothing in return but guilt, so painful, he felt no option but to kill himself.

The American church is like Judas. Started out the way he did. Jesus came, called them out, the American church began to follow suit. But somewhere along the line something happened. Bad doctrine? Bad people? Who knows. But when money got involved, Jesus got less involved. Judas was the keeper of the coin for Jesus’ crew. Every church ought to have some money accountability, and there is nothing wrong with that. But Judas began to steal some here and there, lying about where it was etc. Sound familiar?

The American church is often seen as some kind of money grubbing, ponzi scheme. Where people give their money, and nothing gets paid forward, in terms of poverty work, missions work etc. Now there are churches that do well, but the image that is seen by the world is not good.

Eventually in this history, the American church decided that Jesus wasn’t good enough for them. They sold him for shinies. They needed bigger buildings, shiny crosses, oak pews, gold communion cups, massive steeples, and…church bells? (wtf?) Judas also decided to sell Jesus out for money. A lot of money. The church forgot that the Jesus is more important, than money. In fact, they seem to have forgotten about him altogether, and always remembering the money; collecting it in gold plates with velvet bases.

Eventually, Judas saw the error in his ways. Spitting at the Pharisees and throwing his money at them in desperate attempts at getting Jesus back unharmed. Painfully saddened by his terrible decision Judas became so depressed, and angry at his own sinfulness he murdered himself.

Is this what must happen to the “American” church? Are we too far gone as Christians to do anything about it? Or can we salvage what is left of Jesus in our shiny white buildings, full of suits and ties, (and maybe burn all those buildings, and suits, and ties…) and bring him back, recollect what Jesus taught us.

Should we save money to share within the church? Absolutely, people are in need and it is become a part of our mission as Christians, as taught by Jesus. However, when money, and budgets, and numbers, and fundraisers, are all that are heard of within your crispy, white walls, you may want to consider what is really going on. Are there some Pharisees hanging around smiling, willingly throwing silver at you, thanking you for your generous donation of Jesus? Or is Jesus hanging around, smiling, willingly giving you all that you need, for your generous donation of time, money, and faith.

I don’t know everything…but hey whatever.

Peace and Resist.

denial

 

This is written…poorly.

But also written to people who refuse to listen to arguments against their so called “faith” in…well really anything. Being open minded does not mean you lose your faith basis, however, you may learn something if you are willing to listen, but if not…you come across as kind of an asshole.

 

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you scream in denial (NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!)
you scream in denial (NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!)

your footing has been failing as the world begins to crumble
the faith in civilization you held onto for so long, is breaking,
rotting, falling.
but you hold on with every ounce because you know nothing else.
you hold on with all your being, because the truth is too terrifying.

you scream in denial (NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!)
you scream in denial (NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!)

the kingdom needs your faith, but your faith has been lost,
been lost to a different kingdom, one you were mislead to love; trusting,
loving, hoping.
you hold on to every word that was told you in, fear of something,
something you could never understand, but pretend to.

you scream in denial (NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!)
you scream in denial (NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!)

you pray, you pay, you work, and waste.
you burn, you crack, you shun, and chase
away the good.
you hate, you pave, you rip, and rape
you scream, you doubt, you leave much out,
to fit into your world.

you scream in denial (NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!)
you scream in denial (NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!)
you scream in denial (NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!)
you scream in denial (NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!)