Critical!

Me thinks I am critical. Oh, I don't want to be, but I suppose I am. It's difficult for me to discern where that delicate fine line is between passion and criticism. This is especially true of the institutionalized church and matters pertaining to it. I really just don't like this grand ole institution at all. I hate to say it but I generally believe it (the institution) is in many ways the fruit of many centuries worth of the Satan's hard work. If he can convince us of just how important we are in and to the process, he knows we will pick up that ball and run with it. Human pride does that! After all, most of what goes on seems to be more about us and very little about Him (that being our Lord). Our plans, our vision, our budgets, our programs, events, and processes. To be honest, I'm not sure why we even need the Lord using this kind of thinking. It would seem that we've pretty much got it all under control. Yes, mankind picked up that ball, and we're still running!

I know......I'm doing it again. I'm being critical! Forgive me! I just can't help but wonder what could happen if?

If what you ask?

Well.....if we asked Him first.....not last.

By the way, if what I write makes you angry, pray for me. I'm probably wrong about everything. Heck, I almost hope I am.

Me

I am a prideful man.

I am critical of others.

I do not love as I should.

May God forgive and cleanse me!

Mary and Martha

God help your church to remember what it feels like to be a true "Mary".

God help us to let go of our inner "Martha" and know that there is that which is "better".

Being that no one reads this anyway, I figure why not just be honest.

Question: What in the heck has happened to the body of Christ?

What has happened to the church? Is it now a building? A club? Is it all budgets and long winded fancy sounding monologues laced with intelligent sounding speech? Is it about standing up and sitting down at the right time? Is it an order of service? Is it a group of committees that meet and talk about the Godly sounding "stuff" we're going to do for God?

I could go on, and on, and on.......

Am I the only guy in this whole stinking world that feels this way?????

So what do you do when you just can't stomach it anymore? Oh, I'm sure anyone reading this would think me to be a cocky guy. I can hear it now, "He really thinks he knows better than everyone else." "Mr. know it all!!!" ARE YOU SERIOUS!!! I HAVE NO CLUE ANYMORE!!!! ZIPPO, ZERO, NOTTA, NO CLUE!!!! Just because my cup of religion "runneth over", does not mean I know how to get it together. I DON'T! I just can't help but feel that we are sorely missing the point! By the way, I am part of that "we"!!!! As a matter of fact I love being a part of the "we". I love the "church". Not the building, but the people! I just want us to know the truth about what this is really all about. Heck, I want to know what this is really all about. If it's about something other than knowing Jesus....then I 'm just cluless.

Please know that this is simply a cry from the heart of a guy whose searching and struggling. If you read this and use what I've said for ill purposes....well, I guess you just don't get it!

If I Told You the Truth

If I told you the truth....you'd most likely be angry, but you'd be wrong.

If I told you the truth....you'd probably ask me to leave, but I would be gone before you could.

If I told you the truth....you'd ask me to resign, but I already have.

If I told you the truth....you'd avoid me, but He wouldn't.

If I told you the truth....you'd think me to be a hypocrite.....could be!

If I told you the truth....you'd think about it, but dismiss it....most likely.

If I told you the truth....I'd seem less in your eyes maybe, but I'm okay with that.

If I told you the truth....would you listen?

Would you consider my words?

Would you look for yourself instead of wearing your Sunday morning bib and opening wide for another spoonful?

Would you ask the hard questions, risk not fitting in, walk away from the business of it all.....would you....if He told you the truth?

Would you listen?

I know....it is certainly hard.....isn't it?

Take It Or Leave It.

Take the body alive and active. Leave the upside down hierarchical triangle.

Take leadership. Leave the profession.

Take the heart to heart sharing. Leave the sitting and soaking.

Take the royal priesthood. Leave the priestly royalty.

Take heartfelt giving. Leave guilt inducing legalism.

Take what He says. Leave what they say He's saying.

Take the fellowship and tend it. Leave the business and forget about it.

Take the programs, plans, and committees and toss them. Leave the process behind.

Take the freedom and life and embrace it. Leave better than you came.

Take your heart and place it on His altar..............leave it there.

I refuse to play this game we continue to play. God's people = THE CHURCH.

Membership is by grace alone!

What If......

What if things could be better?

What if we have been wrong all this time?

What if all that seemed so very much "of God" really had very little to do with Him at all?

What if we really took a little more time and looked a little deeper?

What if we found answers that didn't quite line up with the "popular" line of thought?

What would we do? Would we change? Would we cower? Would we let go of the traditions or cling to our comfort zone? What if it meant everything would have to change?

Would we be willing to throw out the baby, the bath water.......and the tub?

What if I quit speaking in "weird riddle language" and just said what I mean?

Well........half of the people would just get mad at me and think me to be a trouble maker. The other half.......would just think I'm way out of touch with the truth.

So for now.......I'll just keep it to myself.

"LOSTNESS"

Being lost is impossibly hard. You want to be found so very badly, but you don't know how to make it happen. It's like being surrounded by a thick fog without any idea of which way to turn. There are no exit signs, no bread crumbs and no light houses to lead you to safety. You dare not move lest your situation grow worse (if that's possible). So, you sit and watch the fog continually swirl around your head. "Lostness" cripples you with fear and indecision. It mockingly suggests that your situation will never change and deliverance is a word reserved for everyone.....but you! I am in this place and I despise it. I can't seem to hear a voice behind me saying, "this is the way, walk in it". I can't see beyond my eyelashes. My mind is a jumble of "could haves"and "should haves". I do not know where to turn, what to say, or even what to pray. I am lost.

"These are the places I was so sure I'd find Him. I've looked in the pages, and I've looked down on my knees. I've waited in great expectation, to see the sun still refusing to shine."