Success II
We have been very successful at creating religion haven’t we? Man, in my neck of the woods, the beloved Bible belt, we have a facility on every street corner and a monopoly on Sunday morning. If you can’t find it in person we have managed to give you an internet experience like no other. You can have a virtual worship experience in your own living room.
We have succeeded in creating religious people, should we be proud?
What should we think when someone says they have church on the internet? You mean the body of Christ, the called out? How does one gather with the called out when they don’t gather at all? Isn’t that just religion?
When I was in college my university, a Christian one (As if a university could be a Christ follower), would bring the Lord’s Supper to those students who slept in on Sunday morning. What was that all about? Imagine a drive-thru Lord’s Supper window at your local facility and contemplate what that is saying. Sounds like religion to me.
How sad and depressing that a relationship with our Creator through His Son Jesus Christ has been boiled down to attendance at a building and a pinch of cracker followed by a swig of juice. On occasion I go to Jamba Juice and get a shot of wheat grass, don’t ask, with an orange juice chaser. I don’t feel like I am a part of Jamba Juice for the experience. I am not somehow united because we shared that time together. If anything I am a little of put by the aftertaste, but that is another discussion.
Recently I have been trying to spend time at our local bar. One of our other members spends time shooting pool there from time to time. He was relating a recent experience and all I could think about was religion. A man who was going through a divorce, about to lose his home and family, was commiserating with my friend. My friend steered the discussion towards hope, our only hope, only to be told that if the man ever went to church, sadly Jesus equals building in my neighborhood, it would have to have the Baptist name out front.
Oh man have we not succeeded in creating religion? Wow we have been successful. The kind of brand loyalty that General Motors and Ford would love right now and yet the man is lost. His life is spiraling out of control and he can’t get his head around the idea that it isn’t about building or brand but about a Man who came and said I am the answer, I am the way, I have the hope.
I think we could use some failure when it comes to religion. That is my prayer today that our religion fails and fails because Jesus succeeds.
We have been very successful at creating religion haven’t we? Man, in my neck of the woods, the beloved Bible belt, we have a facility on every street corner and a monopoly on Sunday morning. If you can’t find it in person we have managed to give you an internet experience like no other. You can have a virtual worship experience in your own living room.
We have succeeded in creating religious people, should we be proud?
What should we think when someone says they have church on the internet? You mean the body of Christ, the called out? How does one gather with the called out when they don’t gather at all? Isn’t that just religion?
When I was in college my university, a Christian one (As if a university could be a Christ follower), would bring the Lord’s Supper to those students who slept in on Sunday morning. What was that all about? Imagine a drive-thru Lord’s Supper window at your local facility and contemplate what that is saying. Sounds like religion to me.
How sad and depressing that a relationship with our Creator through His Son Jesus Christ has been boiled down to attendance at a building and a pinch of cracker followed by a swig of juice. On occasion I go to Jamba Juice and get a shot of wheat grass, don’t ask, with an orange juice chaser. I don’t feel like I am a part of Jamba Juice for the experience. I am not somehow united because we shared that time together. If anything I am a little of put by the aftertaste, but that is another discussion.
Recently I have been trying to spend time at our local bar. One of our other members spends time shooting pool there from time to time. He was relating a recent experience and all I could think about was religion. A man who was going through a divorce, about to lose his home and family, was commiserating with my friend. My friend steered the discussion towards hope, our only hope, only to be told that if the man ever went to church, sadly Jesus equals building in my neighborhood, it would have to have the Baptist name out front.
Oh man have we not succeeded in creating religion? Wow we have been successful. The kind of brand loyalty that General Motors and Ford would love right now and yet the man is lost. His life is spiraling out of control and he can’t get his head around the idea that it isn’t about building or brand but about a Man who came and said I am the answer, I am the way, I have the hope.
I think we could use some failure when it comes to religion. That is my prayer today that our religion fails and fails because Jesus succeeds.
posted by Darin L. Hamm at
10:34 AM
2 Comments:
Your prayer reminds me of another great man of God.
"He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true." (Jn 3:30-33 ESV)
Keep praying for the kingdom's increase, no matter what worldly powers must fall before it.
in HIS love,
Nick
Ben,
HOw do you think we do that?
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