Been blog surfing. Finding some interesting/scary/interesting blogs. I read this this morning. It scares me that if I were brave enough to admit it…..this makes sense to me. Really scares me. There is a group of people out in blog land…large group, who used to be part of charismatic spirit filled churches…and are no longer. Reasons being what she states below. Even reading what I just wrote….”spirit filled churches”, perhaps that’s the problem right there. We’ve been focusing on making sure our CHURCHES are Spirit filled, instead of us, or our people?!? UGH!
Here’s what I read:
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I’ve decided. I’m going to the next level in God. I’m going to be empowered by an incredible, enthusiastic, visionary leader and take this city for Christ. I’m going to be a vibrant, passionate, charismatic believer who takes excellence seriously. I’m joining a vibrant, contemporary, growing church with a powerful message that impacts the world and has a vision statement that involves loving life, loving people and loving God. I’m getting connected to a small group that will move me into that next level and take me into the unknown, teaching me to drink that living water and walk by faith. I have a vision for this nation, I’m going to see revival sweep across this land.
Apologies to those who just choked on their coffee, but does any of that sound familiar?
These are words that echo in my mind. I used to love them, these broad sweeping christianese terms. They made me feel powerful and excited. They swept me up in emotion. They were often accompanied by music from the keyboard and shouts from the pulpit. They called me to action. Well, for a moment anyway. Then I had coffee.
Unfortunately, after all those years of proclamations, nothing changed. I didn’t change. I got whipped up into a frenzy, but I certainly didn’t impact anybody around me. I most definitely didn’t get to any “next level”. I really wonder what the “next level” is anyway. Is it like a coloured karate belt? A school diploma?
I also wonder what would actually have happened if I did instead of proclaimed. If I visited instead of excelled and gave that cup of water instead of drinking it myself.
I’m sure the lack of action can come down to my own decisions. After all, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. It just would have been nice to have an actual water trough in sight, though.
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What an opportunity to hear the “voice of disappointment” in the church today. I wonder what “we” the church, will do with this knowledge? Anything? Or just chalk it up as “their issues”, or “this is how deceived you get when you leave the church”.
This may be the very root to the disappointment I myself have felt often. (Though I have recently had my eyes opened in a major way to ONE who IS, as opposed to the CHURCH that is trying to BE) Perhaps the very root to disappointment in the church as a whole. How to be “Jesus” and His light to these ones, when we are still wearing this “ugly” garment called “it’s all about the church”??
What will happen to me when this begins to make more sense to me than what we are currently doing in the church? Or when God says “okay, these are the one’s I’ve called you to”. Or when He says “go to them”. Because they sure are not going to come to a church. Neither are they going to listen to someone promoting one. So, what happens when I stop promoting “the church” and promote Jesus instead? I’d like to hope the answer to that would be thrilling applause, but I also highly doubt that will be the case.
But I do hear the call.
This is exactly the disappointment He yanked me from when I first heard Him whisper His love to me in 1994. I was a victim of “churchianity”, and “ministryanity” and “notenoughtimeforyoucauseweareintheministryanity” from my parents.
Perhaps this is why I just cannot every find satisfaction in any “niche” I fill in the church. Even as a minister!
Not that I’m leaving the church. No way. I’m just the kind of person to believe that God can do miracles:) After all…I am one.
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Wow, Kelly….
Unfortunatel, even as one who is still in church, I wonder the same things as whoever wrote that. And why is it the churches we go to never grow? Why are they always hurting? I have to wonder why…. and have been told for years it is because people can’t see the truth or whatever. That our churches have the real truth, not the other churches.
Promoting Jesus instead of a church. I think we hide Jesus behind the church we promote. We fear rejection for being radical, everyone understands going to a church, but not everyone understands falling in love with Jesus. Or at least that is what I have struggled with for years.
And what has knowing Jesus and going to a church done for me all these years? But did I really KNOW Jesus as I thought I did, no, I didn’t. Why? Becuase I held Him at arms length, not allowing Him access to all of me, because if he saw all of me, He could not possibly truly love me. But I am realizing…. as you already know…. that He made me, therefore He knows me, therefore He loves me, and He wants me…. Still, WOW! And when I grasp this, then I will see the change in me that I am truly longing for, and then I can promote Jesus……
“And when I grasp this, then I will see the change in me that I am truly longing for, and then I can promote Jesus…”
But, Anna, it is in this VERY process….that you ARE promoting Jesus.
But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
while we were still….
I’m preaching to myself here I’ll have you know:)
So often I want to be THROUGH it and PERFECTED, and then promote. But the heart of God….
…while we were still….
Love you friend
Yes, but I lack courage to speak of what doesn’t sound all that much better then what people already have. Maybe I attract strange people, but I always seem to be surrounded by unbelievers who are very averse to becoming a believer. Is it just me?
I cannot comment objectively, because I am one of these people who is questioning and struggling with institutional church.
I do believe that our generation is looking for something “real” and we aren’t finding it in buildings per say. That doesn’t mean churches don’t have anything to offer! But I think you made a very good point about promoting Jesus, rather than simply a church structure.
We were abused in a “charasmatic” church, as many have been. I still love Jesus. I still love wild and crazy! I’m just very, very cautious of the control and hype…. and I never want to go back into the box.
Thanks for the great post!
Blessings,
heidi
Much needs to change, that is for sure! I’m definitely tired of going to church and finding people who don’t really want to be there. People who have struggled with the same thing for countless years without change. This is a hard box for ‘paid’ ministers to break out of – however, I believe it must happen. I’ve made a commitment to never allow myself to be solely dependent on the church for my financial well being. Multiple streams of income is what is needed. We must all learn to lay down our fears, and live the “dream” so to speak that the Holy Spirit is calling us to. Though we may still be “in process” and “not yet perfected” we must promote Jesus. The knowing and loving and living for His glory…our problem is that we are not only promoting church but we are promoting “ourselves”. This is why we are afraid to promote Jesus before we ourselves are perfected (this is a sin conscious/law focused mindset). If we are promoting Him it doesn’t matter how we mess up personally. Actually it becomes an even greater testimony to His perfection and His goodness. Not that I’m encouraging purposeful sinning, mind you! Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound…Fear of rejection also comes from this same “self promoting”, if the Gospel is rejected it is Jesus who is rejected not us – seeing it is He we are promoting and it is His work they are either rejecting or accepting…A new humility is needed in evangelism. We must determine to “know nothing…but Christ and Him crucified…”. Those who have “joined the church” instead of “coming to Christ” have done so on the basis of many promises of escape from life’s hurts or other circumstances. Some come based only on a fear of going to hell when they die. All these reasons are self centered and produce a believer who is on very unstable ground. If we get “born again” under the guise of Jesus making all our problems go away, we will become quickly disillusioned. Jesus said “take up your cross and follow Me” hardly a life of comfort and ease. If we come merely to miss hell and gain heaven then we are not motivated to do anything further but wait to die or for the rapture. It is time to preach “Christ and Him crucified”. It is time to say “take up your cross and follow Him”. It’s time to stop lying to the world in order to get their butts in a pew. It’s time to proclaim the truth and stop saying what we think people will want to hear or will be willing to accept…we have nothing to loose but ourselves.
Preaching to myself here also – we are all on the path of re-discovery. We are re-discovering our first love (we had it when we first came to Christ), rediscovering the true purpose of the “church” and our own unique and divine purpose or “destiny” if you will.
Yes, you may get some stones throne at you, but so did Jesus, and Paul and countless others who seemed to end up doing just fine!
My friend facelessraisin!!! LOL! There was no link showing me who you are, but I’m reading this thinking “oh, I know this person, this sounds so familiar!” and decided it was either you or Mr. facelessraisin:) then your e mail address showed up in personal comment section:) Good stuff!! I’ll come chat about it after I get the girly to sleep, nap time!!
church isn’t a building. it should never be. the church is the body. i think the problem is our teachers are not encouraging Gods people to reach their community – the people outside the doors of the church (little ‘c’) and BE the Church (big ‘C’) to everyone they meet.
As you know Kelly…i just left a whirlwind at Alece’s place and didn’t take the time to read the comments here very well…
i may have gone way off course and not be relevant at all – but this is just what came to mind…
I echo you tam! church is people without them the building would just be another inanimate structure! In many cases the “teachers” or “ministers” have made the people so dependant upon them and actually discouraged personal evangelism…sad and so far removed from what Jesus taught…but there are still those out there declaring: Go! into all the world and preach the gospel, church! You can heal the sick and raise the dead! You can make disciples of all nations…
That’s my heart and I know there are many other “faceless Son dried grapes” out there whose hearts are crying the same things.